Military and dipping?

[Drill for life]

Well as most of you know I am enlisted in the USMC and I will be leaving for recruit training soon (224 days:D) and know that you can't dip in recruit training. Well how about after wards, I love Grizzly wg lc, straight and Copenhagen lc and I know I will start again after recruit training. Is it common in the military and is it accepted or is it taboo?

[Billyd]

The official stand on tobacco use is that it is incompatible with military service. Also, keep in mind that use of tobacco in any form is generally prohibitted in government buildings. The only exception MIGHT be your barracks room provided you have a roommate that doesn't mind.

Besides, after 13 weeks of recruit training, you may no longer have a desire for it and decide it is best to give it up.

[DSEddie]

This is a subject near and dear to my heart as I also dip. Keep in mind the SG warning about how it can kill you or deform your face. I didn't start dipping until I was at Ft. Stewart. I had a friend that asked me to try it because I always said only rednecks dipped. I did, and it has been a great source of stress relief for me ever since. There are rules against dipping in government buildings, in front of trainees, etc. If you are going to be in an environment where you are inside most of the time and you don't have a chain of command that turns a blind eye, you will probably be best off quitting. When I am on the trail I only get a chance to dip when I am off duty.

Quitting while you are in training may be difficult, but it will be much easier than quitting again if you start back up afterwards and decide eventually that you don't want to dip anymore. Unless you find a very understanding woman, when/if you get married you will have to either quit or not do it around her.

To answer your question, no it is not taboo. I have found it to be very common in the Infantry and not so common outside of it. I don't know how Marine Corps Infantry is, but in the Army Infantry there are at least as many that dip as smoke, and there are far more smokers/dippers than there are Soldiers that don't do either.

Recommendations:

1. You will have to quit for boot camp anyway, so you might as well not start back up when/if you graduate. You will be healthier if you don't start back up and you won't have to worry about the inceased difficulty quitting again later.

2. If you do start back up, always use a bottle with a screw cap on it to prevent spillage. If your roommate doesn't like to see the spit in the bottle, use 100 mph tape to conceal the contents. If he still has a problem, his problem is likely with you and not your habit.

3. If your chain of command enforces the no use indoors policy, follow it. Soldiers that I have seen that try to do it and swallow or hide their bottles get in serious trouble, not to mention that swallowing the spit makes the negative health repurcussions that much worse.

[skf_atc]

There's a lot of guys that dip onboard here, especially the engineers (DCs, HTs, etc). There's 2 guys in my division who dip. I work in a dark room,tracking things so these guys do it on station. You're best bet is to try and quit. I know in the work place it's nasty (personal opinion, even though I do smoke when we're in port). Look at how much a can runs you. Add that up and that's a lot of money you'd be able to put into TSP or into your personal savings account.

[Drill for life]

Well those are great answers first of all. DSEddie I use a screw-top Monster energy can and when i'm with my friends I spit into a bottle of tea. I know some people view it as nasty but I personally think smoking looks way worse. Skf_atc I calculated that I spend over $450.00 on dip every year. I just can't resist the grizzly if you know what I'm saying;). It’s the best feeling after a hard day at school to go work-out and to come home to take a shower with a lip in.