A recruit gets thrown out of Marine basic training if he's caught shedding a tear. What about in the Basic Training for other branches?

Yes. They all kick wussies out for shedding tears.

Or maybe you could visit a recruiter to see if you are suited for military service, instead of asking Fluther.

@frdelrosario LMAO

I was in the Navy for fifteen years. I knew a lot of Marines. I never heard of such a thing.

Where do you get your info from?? DI’s live for those tears and will bust your ass until he/she gets lots of them.

@Cruiser Really? I guess I never thought to ask. I was a sick call corpsman for years, and had lots of Marine freinds besides. Also, my ex brother in law was a GS/DI. I do not mean to imply that I know everything there is to know about Marines. They all told me more stories than you can imagine though, recruit training stories included. I just never heard that. It sounds totally unreasonable on the surface, but I guess there is sound psychological reasoning.
So, they really kick you out, or just make you feel like crap for a while? Oh, I just read your response again. Duh. OK.

@Cruiser: > Where do you get your info from??

A sister of my sister’s old boyfriend told us this.

If that’s true, the Marines must have really gotten soft.

When I was in the service it took a lot more than a few tears to get you kicked out of basic training.

I’d file this one under the category of “urban myth”.

I recall hanging out with my CSM and he had all kinds of stories of leaky pansy’s he reformed into men. I think you have been misinformed. DI’s file leaky eyes under the break in process.

That’s utterly ridiculous. It’s an unconscious response.

And besides, they should be exercising so much that their face is dripping with sweat. How would you notice a tear?

Ah, another military myth.

@EgaoNoGenki I’ve never even heard of this.. having served and attended boot camp in two of the listed branches…. When I went to boot camp it was the goal of the drill sergeant to make you cry… not to get you kicked out.. but to break you down so that they can build you back up…

That said.. in today’s boot camps.. if you shed a tear .. as tamed down as they are nowadays… you probably shouldn’t be in the military at all.

I went through Air Force basic training and witnessed a couple criers, but they just got made fun of by the TI’s. I think that as long as you’re not still crying by the last couple days of training then you’ve grown and become a respectable recruitee.

At some point all recruits have to go through the gas chamber. You can’t help but cry, snot and gag when going through that. If your “story” is true, every single person that went through that would be kicked out.

Not true. It is very, very hard to get “kicked” out of boot camp.

@NaturalMineralWater why are boot camps tamed down these days? do you agree with this change?

They have to squeeze the humanity out of you somehow. The tears are your conscience leaking out of you.

@tinyfaery nicely put

@Randy Don’t worry, Randy, it was just hearsay. I should’ve asked that sister where she heard this from. (And maybe if that/they was/were an authoritative source.)

@Simone_De_Beauvoir and @NaturalMineralWater I thought they were hardened up. The Air Force at least, increased their BMT from 6.5 to 8.5 weeks.

@EgaoNoGenki Yes, the Air Force increased the length of their BMT, but I believe the training instructors have softened up a bit from how it was in the beginning.

@tinyfaery
I disagree; I have a cousin that had been in the Marines, saw Iraq and all, and he’s perfectly humane.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir It’s not really a simple yes or no answer. I agree with some of the changes but not others. Overall, it has simply gotten more soft. Soldiers are babied and wrapped in bubble wrap so as not to get offended. The result is a weaker soldier.

@EgaoNoGenki A longer boot camp doesn’t mean anything. Other branches already have longer boot camps than the Air Force. They are just catching up. Wink And as @erichw1504 said.. it’s the training instructors that have softened up.. largely because of the reasons I mentioned above..

As far as the whole “omg humanity is being squeezed out of me boo hoo hoo” ... well.. I can only say that I’m glad some people can’t make it through boot camp. XD

One certainly don’t want people in the military with even an ounce of humanity.
Leadership requires the total lack of a soul.

People with feelings obviously can’t be trusted to live up to an oath of service.

In fact, nobody in government should be allowed to have feelings either.
How can we start wars preemptively if we have leaders with an ounce of humanity.

That’s why only Republicans are fit to lead! Democrats have feelings!

Wow am I sarcastic tonight!

@NaturalMineralWater are they worse soldiers for it?

Good to know

@Simone_De_Beauvoir YES!

@NaturalMineralWater but I don’t get it – how are they worse for it? if they were being treated in a more sensitive manner than previously, how does that affect them in their duties? are they unable to kill as ruthlessly? are they unable to act as emotionless machines that they’re meant to be? do you mean that because in training they were treated better that dirt they now have the notion that the same applies to their enemies?

The newer methods used in basic training are inferior in my opinion in that they allow the soldier to question orders. In battle, there is no time for debate and command must know that orders are followed without debate or question. The ‘harshness’ of early basic training teaches the soldier to follow orders without question or delay. Some people don’t ‘get it’ in basic and endanger their comrades when it counts.

On the other hand, the longer training cycle provides a more physically fit basic soldier when He/She reports to MOS training. He/She has been exposed to more of the basic weaponry used and is more experienced with basic skills, but the mental aspect, which is most crucial is, in my opinion, lacking.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir I couldn’t have said it better than majorrich.

@majorrich I can understand why a soldier questioning orders in battle can be problematic – but there is no reason they can’t question their superiors or question aspects of training.

Questioning orders in battle gets people killed. It is best that it never be an issue at all. Asking questions during training is a good thing and gets things clarified, but only at appropriate times. The only time it is appropriate to question or refuse an order is if it is an illegal order (ie. “Private Jones, Go over there and shoot Private Brown” also known as the “William Calley defense”)

@majorrich thank you for your answers

I had to kill my father and eat his heart in front of my family to join the Marine Corps, is that wrong???? What are these tears you speak of? Never heard of them, I guess thats why I made it through boot camp. But really, no they will never remove you from training due to shedding a tear or two. As a matter of fact, when every Marine in recruit training finally receives his/her Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, I would challenge you to actually find one with a dry eye. So, to answer your question, no, it is not true.

I’ve been in Army for 7 months now or so. I remeber in basic my battle buddy asked me to come down to the DS to ask about something needless say the guy was balling his eyes out not wanting to get kicked out.

He made it through basic just fine. A bit whiney but he made it…