Receiving

The above picture is a scene taken from the movie Full Metal Jacket.  Great movie about Marine Boot Camp and one Marine's (Pvt. Joker) view from recruit training all the way through to Vietnam.  (If you haven't seen it, I'll forewarn you there is a lot of cursing)  Unfortunately, I watched that movie a couple times prior to going to Boot Camp myself, so I had a preconceived notion of what boot camp was going to be like. When my receiving drill instructors were nothing like R. Lee Ermey's character, GySgt Hartman, I let my guard down, so-to- speak, during receiving week....Oops.

Receiving, or Receiving Week, or Receiving Platoon, which ever you prefer, is the first week at the Depot.  Recruits are shuttled through different areas quickly from haircuts to medical screenings throughout all hours of the night.  The number of individuals getting processed is insane during this time.  I believe a whole company is stood up at one shot.

The haircuts took 4 seconds a head, no they weren't gentle about it.  Your stripped down to your birthday suit and stuff all your civilian clothes in a cardboard box.  Your issued a uniform and rushed around from station to station for 48 hours, without any sleep.  You only stop for chow and the occasional head call.  You are so scrambled you don't have a bowl movement for three days.  When you finally get to hit the rack, you crash hard.  That's probably why the Receiving Drill Instructors are a little more laid back than the one's you get when you are finally assigned to a company and platoon.  They want you to get comfortable with your surroundings, get comfortable with the 80 other guys in your platoon, and acclimatize to the new environment. 

I remember laying the first night, from the top rack, staring out the window of the squad bay, watching planes taking off from San Diego airport, thinking to myself, "This isn't so bad. A little hectic, yes, but not horrible.  Here I am, California sun, palm trees, 80 other guys just like me in the same boat.  I've got this, piece of cake." 

Boy was I in for a rude awakening in about a day or two!!!