BOOT CAMP FAQ's

Recruits are guranteed only one call home. This call takes place during Receiving, and it is intended purely to ensure the recruit's family they have arrived safely on the Depot. Additional calls after are rare, but not unheard of. On occasion training staff may allow a recruit a call home, either as motivation or as a reward for exemplary performance. In some platoons, an SDI may see a recruit struggling and allow a recruit to call their recruiter to receive a little push. In other, an SDI may allow the high PFT or high shooter from the range a call home. In some other situations, if a recruit has a severe issue at home which has arisen, company staff may permit a recruit to handle that business such as with a family member or bank.

This will be different for every Recruit. Some will struggle with PT while others will struggle with academics. Certain Recruits might face difficulties with Swim Week as others will find Marksmanship training to be problematic. No matter your strengths or weaknesses, the best things to do are to pay attention to your DIs and other instructors, practice when you are provided time to remediate, and last, Never Quit!

This is a question begets an answer which is multilayered. In all cases, Marines and Medical staff at each Depot will do their best to keep every recruit in training so they may earn the title of Marine. The decision to continue or drop a recruit folllowing injury depends on the severity of the injury, the individual recruit's medical history, and when in the training cycle the injury occurs. For example, an ankle sprain during Range Week may be allowed light duty and some time to heal, but the same injury the day before the Crucible may proclude a recruit from beginning the event. If a recruit is found unfit to continue training, he or she will find themselves in Support Battalion, and they will no longer continue to matriculate through training with their orginal platoon. Males will be assigned to Medical Rehabilitation Platoon (MRP) and female recruits are assigned to Female Rehabiltation Platoon (FRP). When a recruit is with FRP or MRP, their time will be dedicated to rehabilitation. Doctors appointmenrs, physical therapy, and plain old rest will fill the majority of their days. Recruits will still be responsible to conduct themselves in a professional manner as future Marines, but many of the stressors involved during training will not be present.

Yes, every recruit will recieve a number of immunizations dependant on their medical history. Recruits will have up to three rounds of immunizations given by Navy medical staff aboard the Depot.

Every recruit will have a screening completed during their receiving process. Based on findings from this initial appoinment, Navy and civilian dental professionals may conduct fillings, caps, wisdom teeth removal, or other procedures as required. Recruits will be allowed time to recuperate from any procedures conducted.

There are generally three types of injuries, which we will call: 1) Minor 2) Medium 3) Major A minor injury is something like a rolled ankle or broken finger, where you can continue in the current training cycle with some minor modifications. You might not be able to fully PT with the platoon, but you won't miss any graduation requirements and can stay on track. These are typically handled by athletic trainers with taping, compression socks, etc. A medium injury is something like a broken leg, or badly sprained knee. Treating the injury will require physical therapy or a few weeks of recovery. In this case, you will be sent to the Male or Female Rehabilitation Platoon that is part of Support Battalion. You will spend your days doing rehab work and generally waiting to go back to recruit training. When you do, you will typically pick up at the start of whichever phase you left at (i.e. if you were dropped in the middle of second phase, you'll resume training with a company when they are starting second phase). A major injury is one that requires surgery and long rehabilitation processes, such as a torn ACL. The Marine Corps will fix the injury and put you through rehab. A Medical Review Board will determine if you can still serve in the Marine Corps based on the length of time it will take for you to recover and also the severity of the injury. Some injuries will disqualify you from military service, in which case you will be discharged from the Marines. In other rare instances, you may spend up to a year rehabilitating and then resuming training.