It felt mighty good after graduating OSUT (A 15 week combat engineer training cycle), falling out and seeing the family and shaking hands with the drill sergeants that I hated at first.
I was in platoon 1071 the year 1984. San Diego. It took me through out the rest of my life surviving 38 years Banging around the world In the D.O.D. CWA
He was 22 years as a Staff Sergeant. I never knew you could make E6 that fast in 4 years. It took me 4 years to make Corporal from 1984-1988. But I was Infantry and I made it on the cutting score.
Wartime makes for rapid advancement, between attrition need and increased opportunity for meritorious advancement in combat. I was in during the mid to late 80s. Whole different ballgame. I barely made Corporal in 4 years on cut score, and would probably have not seen Sergeant on my next contract had I re-enlisted. My MOS was full of higher SNCOs from the Vietnam era, and they were nowhere close to retirement due to promoting young, so the NCOs had nowhere to advance. The cutting scores for sergeant were outrageous in the 1371 MOS until the Gulf War.
Agreed and same here. I enlisted when I was 17 y/o in '74 and was 0300 as well. I served 3 years, did my job, caused no trouble and was honorably discharged as a LCpl, E-3. I will say that the career planning NCOIC "dangled" an immediate E-4 promotion and a $2000 re-signing bonus if I agreed to ship over for an additional 3 years for which I said no thanks.
@@barrykidd1977 I had time in grade, Expert rifle, 5 MCI courses, and a 295 PFT. I picked up E4 in Okinawa on January 1, 1988. We flew home February 1, 1988 back to 2/5 at Pendleton. I got out February 12, 1988. They promoted me 1 1/2 months before I got out. The XO asked me in Okinawa if I wanted to reenlist and I said Sure. If you give me choice of duty station, 3 year enlistment and MPs. The XO said No so I said No Thanks on reenlisting. It was the best decision I ever made because a year later I was in the police academy. Now I’m honorably retired.
So sorry for your lost. He was about 55 or 56 when he passed. He touched a lot of peoples lives. Very impressive career in the Corps. MSG Duty and DI Duty. I didn't know him personally, but I knew of him. I served in the 1st Marines at Horno with 1/1, 1/9, 3/1 throughout my 20 years in the Corps. Thanks for sharing. RIHeaven SgtMaj.!!! ---- Semper Fi!!!! (1982-2002 USMC Ret.)
@@4threconmarine You're right, the woodlands did come out in '82. Then they phased in the rip-stop utilities, in the woodland pattern in '88. Some of my senior NCOs and Staff NCOs still wore the ERDL jungle pattern utilities, i.e. some of my Troop Handlers at SOI (ITS when you went through) and later in the Fleet also. I used to wear an old ERDL pattern soft cover sometimes in formation, one that I bought unissued at a surplus store in Oceanside. Later on, I bought the utilities also (with the boonie cover), both the late Vietnam and the early '80s straight pockets. I also have some WWII - Korea - Vietnam issue utilities/gear, I've collected over the years.
If he ended up becoming a SGT MAJOR, I guess maybe he changed his mind about becoming an officer. In my opinion, SGT MAJORs are more elite than officers
He was my Battalion SgtMaj at Camp Horno 1st BN 4th marines and I couldn't stand him in a very good way! He chewed my ass one day in the Battalion HQ that rattled the walls. I flunked out of rifle coaches school and he was not happy! He got me back in it though and I made damn sure I passed the second time. Sorry to hear he passed on! Rest in power SgtMaj.
How... 22 years old and already a drill instructor and a damn SSgt? That's insane. I'm 21 and I'm a PFC and I still feel like a I'm in my teen years. Good for that guy.
WENT THRU BOOT CAMP MCRD FALL 72, STAFF SGT WATSON, MEANEST, HARDEST PLATOON COMMANDER (D.I.) ON THE BASE AT THAT TIME,, HE TOLD US STRAIGHT UP FROM THE 1ST DAY ,, THERE IS ONLY 2 WAYS OUT OF THIS PLACE! GRADUATE OR DIE! I LIVED THRU IT, 65 & STILL HERE... SERVED 3 YRS GOT OUT UNSKAITHED! A ROUGH GO, BUT I MADE IT.. "SEMPER FI"!!
There have been some changes. I graduated from boot camp at MCRD San Diego in 1964. At our graduation we weren't called Marines. The next day when we got on the bus to go to ITR (Infantry Training Regiment) our platoon commander said "You aren't Marines yet". When we got to Camp Pendleton, the first words out of out Platoon Sergeant Paterson's mouth were "You Marines". Sergeant Paterson was very good at running up and down hills. I really thought he was going to kill me. Wherever you are today Sgt. Paterson, you are a Marine's Marine!
Crazy to think he was a SSGT and DI at 22 years old....shit, I was 20 when I enlisted in '97 3rd RTB, Lima Co, Plt 3101 MCRD San Diego. Good times. Would LOVE to go do it again.
I had an M16 A1 in boot camp 1984 and the next 27 months of Barracks Duty in Yorktown VA. I got orders to Camp Pendleton a year before my EAS and was issued an A2 in 1987.
@@4threconmarine In boot camp, ITS and Barracks Duty from 84-87 we had steel pots and the old solid green flak jackets. In barracks duty my A1 had the 3 prong flash suppressor. When I went to 2/5 at Pendleton, we were issue Kevlar helmets and camouflage flak jackets. Went to Okinawa Camp Hansen as well from august 87 to Feb 88. I picked up Corporal on the cutting score January 1, 87 in Okinawa and got home in February. I got out 2 weeks later. They promoted me 1 1/2 months before I got out. LOL. When I got Corporal, back then we had to walk the gauntlet. Every NCO in the company would each hit you as hard as they can in the arms and then knee both your thighs. All corporals and sergeants participated. The staff sergeants and above and officers went into the barracks and looked the other way. Hahaha. The other dude who got promoted was almost crippled. He could barely walk for 2 weeks. I was in pain but I was still able to PT. Best time of my life was in the Corps.
Shocked to read this news on Staff Sergeant. Marines lost a good man. Man was dedicated and helped many. The DI's were not nice when I went through. Landed on the yellow footprints July 12th, 1971. Platoon 3074. we were in the old metal Quanset huts.
This is the man that id like to be like and not the leadership we have now. A SSGT of Marines at 22 yrs old and a Drill Instructor! I went through basic at 22 yrs old. i need to get myself together.
