Question about social life in the MARINES?

[xavier2484]

i am thinking about joining the Marines and i just had a couple questions about the social aspect of it. while on active duty and in the states what kinda of personal life / social life can u have? and how easy is it to have a relationship? i was thinking about going in as a MP so i dont know if your MOS changes how much time you have for personal things? any information would be awesome thanks again!

[CplH5811]

I've heard of this "social life" thing that you're talking about. Have I seen it in the MP field? Rarely. Mostly in the guys who have messed up or snapped and got stuck at a 9-5. But, if you're base and are on the road, kiss it all goodbye. I wouldn't be focusing on relationships either until you're at least a Sgt and can make everyone else stay late while you go home. What little time you do get off will be dedicated to PT and trying to catch up on sleep from your last work cycle. Any more time off than that, and you will probably turn into a raging alcoholic.

I wouldn't trade being an MP for any other job in the world. I love my job and the long hours, low pay and chances I get to slowly shorten my life span.

[coachreese]

DID THE FELLA SAY "Social Life"? Wow. I find it amazing how gullible people are before they do something they've never done before. It's like, all the old fundamental ways of breathing stops, and they're afraid to figure out how they're going to breathe as soon as change happens. Social Life? You're a damn person. Talk to people just as you type to us. Nothing changes except the fact that you're owned by people you will learn to be "social” with whether you like it or like it less. As for relationships. Funny. Don't ask someone how to be you. Slow down, think, and breathe the way you know how. No one can tell you that the relationship in the Marine Corps is totally different because when we put our Blues on, chicks have 3 boobs. Nothing is different. Just join, be owned, earn rank, and stay human. There is nothing to fear, and nothing to expect. Cause if you do expect anything, please let it be negative. Not too many open- minded/ positive thoughts go over well in this system. It's hard as hell Xavier but it is what it is. And the cool part about it all, no matter your rank, you're still a HUMAN BEING. Go party, and screw chicks. Stop asking for advice on how to be you! As far as MP is concerned. Take your idea of time and subtract it by...... ALL OF IT. You're owned punk!


SEMPER FIDELIS

[Toogr82h8]

I wouldn't be focusing on relationships either until you're at least a Sgt and can make everyone else stay late while you go home.

Sorry you have had some bum Sgt's....I have always been the last to leave and first to arrive. Even when I had a little shit head showing up at 0330 and leaving at 1900 cause he couldnt figure out the importance of showing up on time.

[NRTrackChamp2004]

Your social life is what you make it, the Marine Corps has nothing to do with that. Being MP you could end up working during the not so lovely hours, probably have 12 hours shifts. As far as being in a relationship, just don't make the mistake of getting married super young, like 50% of the young Marines do. If you're living in the barracks, which you'll mostly likely be, enjoy not having a girl in your room. So, no sex for you mister (atleast not in your room) ((or just dont get caught))

MOS has a lot do with your personal life, some guys, like MotorT mechanics, can have some super long hours, no days off in a week. Admin guys, pretty much have a 7-5 job. My advise, chose a MOS that you know you would find enjoyable.

Good Luck though with whatever you choose.

[notamotogrunt]

First of all DONT JOIN. Christ save yourself. Secondly if you insist on throwing your life away dont do it as a damn MP. You will work stupid hours patroling the hard streets of Lejeune and never really do anything productive for the corps. You work like 12 on 12 off for like three days then its four days off so dont let um fool you that its some grind of a job. HOWEVER, as an MP you will be unanimously hated by the rest of the corps. Youre signing up for a job thats sole purpose is to fuck over other marines. Do yourself a favor and go to the air force become a mechanic then get out and have a skill that will net you a good job when you get out.

[commonsense101]

Social life...If you're single you will live in the barracks. When I got out in 2007 males and females were not allowed in each others rooms unless the door was open. I've recently heard from friends that are still in that males and females are not allowed in each other rooms at all now. I know a couple of buddies who rented 3 bedroom apartments together and divided the rent BUT you still have to maintain your barracks room. There is NO such thing as getting paid overtime in the military!!

[xavier2484]

hey thanks for all the information. i didnt mean like actually being social. i guess i should of said how much time to you have for your personal life and for personal time? and how easy is it to have a relationship while on active duty?

[MPCpl]

hey thanks for all the information. i didnt mean like actually being social. i guess i should of said how much time to you have for your personal life and for personal time? and how easy is it to have a relationship while on active duty?

Well its not easy to have a relationship as an Active Duty MP. If you end up working on "The Road"(patrolling a base) you work a 12 hour shift BUT you'll prolly be spending 14-16hours of your day at work or on your way to work. You have to think of getting to work before your shift starts to gear up and relieve the off going shift and that takes alot of time. So on a work day if your lucking I'd say you get 8-10 hours, tops. When your off you just want to shower and sleep but you can use your 'personal' time for whatever you want as long as you make it to work the time your shift starts(stop drinking 8hours prior of your shift also). For days off its goes from 2 days on. 2 days off(48 hours of 'personal time), 3 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on 3 days off. Oh and you will NOT get holidays off. And on your off days you will sometimes have to go in for 8hours or so for 'training' to make sure your porfiecient with your job and usually any semi-annual training that you have to do as a Marine(shooting, pft...) Any other MP's out there... if I fucked that schedule up please correct me..its been a lil while since I've been on the road.

If you go to the field side its a whole different story. It will depend if your in 'trainup' for deployment(typicall ystarts 6 months out before deployment). If your not in your trainup time you probably will work from 0730-1630(weekends off and you'll get holidays off) maybe a little earlier if your command wont let you PT during 'work' time. If your in your trainup your hours will be really out of whack and you could spend a few weeks in the field only to come back to find your during another excercise the week after. In a trainup you will work so many different time schedule for night training and different day training its not really possible to tell you how it looks like time wise for that period. I'd say anywhere from 14-18 hour days is about typical. And then you leave your loved ones and deploy and most 'relationships' will shatter before you get back.

In the end I wouldn't reccomend thinking about getting into relationships while in your younger years in the Marine Corps but focus on the brotherhood and making lifelong friends and life stories...doing what Marines do...

[Darkhorse_Gunny]

Pop your Mom's tit out of your mouth and make a decision. We don't promise you a rose garden! If you don't think you'll like it, then don't join. We don't "need"you. If you join and then decixe you don't like it, don't come into the chat rooms and bitch.....buy yourself a plane ticket and go home. We won't hunt you down.

If you like being talked to like that, then go ahead and join. You'll do ok.

[xavier2484]

Well its not easy to have a relationship as an Active Duty MP. If you end up working on "The Road"(patrolling a base) you work a 12 hour shift BUT you'll prolly be spending 14-16hours of your day at work or on your way to work. You have to think of getting to work before your shift starts to gear up and relieve the off going shift and that takes alot of time. So on a work day if your lucking I'd say you get 8-10 hours, tops. When your off you just want to shower and sleep but you can use your 'personal' time for whatever you want as long as you make it to work the time your shift starts(stop drinking 8hours prior of your shift also). For days off its goes from 2 days on. 2 days off(48 hours of 'personal time), 3 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on 3 days off. Oh and you will NOT get holidays off. And on your off days you will sometimes have to go in for 8hours or so for 'training' to make sure your porfiecient with your job and usually any semi-annual training that you have to do as a Marine(shooting, pft...) Any other MP's out there... if I fucked that schedule up please correct me..its been a lil while since I've been on the road.

If you go to the field side its a whole different story. It will depend if your in 'trainup' for deployment(typicall ystarts 6 months out before deployment). If your not in your trainup time you probably will work from 0730-1630(weekends off and you'll get holidays off) maybe a little earlier if your command wont let you PT during 'work' time. If your in your trainup your hours will be really out of whack and you could spend a few weeks in the field only to come back to find your during another excercise the week after. In a trainup you will work so many different time schedule for night training and different day training its not really possible to tell you how it looks like time wise for that period. I'd say anywhere from 14-18 hour days is about typical. And then you leave your loved ones and deploy and most 'relationships' will shatter before you get back.

In the end I wouldn't reccomend thinking about getting into relationships while in your younger years in the Marine Corps but focus on the brotherhood and making lifelong friends and life stories...doing what Marines do...



thanks alot for the information that was exactly what i was looking for!. how long have u been an MP for? and from your personal opinion how do u like it? what are some of the pros and cons youve found along the way about being an Mp? do you eventually want to persue a career in LE?

also for anyone who might know this? the MSG Marine security guard is that something u can get into your contract or is it a b-billet thing? thanks

[SSgtAllen3381]

X, listen, a social life in the Corps is no different than working a real job as a Civilian. You work, then you go home and do what ever (legally) you want to do. If you want a relationship...go for it. Just make sure she is single and if she says she's not...make sure you pay close attention to the surroundings. Her husband could be on deployment.

As far as the MP gig, can't tell you much about it. But, I worked some screwed up hours, just like the MPs and I've been married for over 19 years...

Good luck. The Corps is only hard if YOU make it that way.

[dkalis]

[QUOTE=SSgtAllen3381;266876]X, listen, a social life in the Corps is no different than working a real job as a Civilian.


I stoped reading there. too much bullshit for my eyes

[ybngifted86]

how can I post my own thread...

[668203]

how can I post my own thread...

Go to the bottom of the page to Forum Jump. Scroll down to Message Board Questions & click. On the next page under archives is Thread Starter - click that & start.
66

[SSgtAllen3381]

[QUOTE=SSgtAllen3381;266876]X, listen, a social life in the Corps is no different than working a real job as a Civilian.


I stoped reading there. too much bullshit for my eyes

I have no problems with that, maybe you should get some counseling and learn how to lead a productive life?

[SNJ785]

X, listen, a social life in the Corps is no different than working a real job as a Civilian.

That is a complete lie, either u are single or u have never had to deploy.
:: Correction you also said u were maired for 19 yrs, meaning... u were probly maried before u joined? or close to it, so u have been able to live out in town, if for you it would be the same as a real civilan job then ur job in the Marine Corp is just a reg 0800 to 1630. I'm 100% sure an MP job isnt as skate as that.::

wow...

[SSgtAllen3381]

That is a complete lie, either u are single or u have never had to deploy.
:: Correction you also said u were maired for 19 yrs, meaning... u were probly maried before u joined? or close to it, so u have been able to live out in town, if for you it would be the same as a real civilan job then ur job in the Marine Corp is just a reg 0800 to 1630. I'm 100% sure an MP job isnt as skate as that.::

wow...

SNJ, it's not a lie for me. I don't take my problems home. I leave them at the gate. I got married about 6 months after I joined. I stayed married when I got out (Sept '93) and my wife and I stayed married when I came back in 3 years later.

I see my Marines living the life they want and they live in the Barracks. Most have girlfriends here and I don't have any "off-time" issues with them and their friends. So, they are doing pretty good for themselves.

I'm in Food Service and our hours are some of the worst in the military. Not every relationship is the same and I'm sure you understand that. I've worked really hard with mine. And YES, I have deployed...many times. Not to include the time spent in the field and at MOS and Military Schools away from the family.

If you know someone that has almost 17 years in the Marine Corps that hasn't deployed, I can't help that, but don't try and include someone that you don't know with that statement. That's like me calling you a punk piece of s#!t and I don't know you from Adam. I don't know you and can't say a bad thing about you.

Have a good one and stay motivated.

[SNJ785]

SNJ, it's not a lie for me. I don't take my problems home. I leave them at the gate. I got married about 6 months after I joined. I stayed married when I got out (Sept '93) and my wife and I stayed married when I came back in 3 years later.

I see my Marines living the life they want and they live in the Barracks. Most have girlfriends here and I don't have any "off-time" issues with them and their friends. So, they are doing pretty good for themselves.

Corp is diff from 93 till now... that is for sure.

And to say that the Marines are living the life they WANT and they lived in the Barracks..... Common now.... Barracks life sucks, and once you sign your name on the dotted line you’re not living the life you want your living the life the Marine Corp wants you to live, you don’t even own your own body anymore, you can get in trouble and charged for getting sun burnt!! It’s called destruction of military property!

[SSgtAllen3381]

Corp is diff from 93 till now... that is for sure.

And to say that the Marines are living the life they WANT and they lived in the Barracks..... Common now.... Barracks life sucks, and once you sign your name on the dotted line you’re not living the life you want your living the life the Marine Corp wants you to live, you don’t even own your own body anymore, you can get in trouble and charged for getting sun burnt!! It’s called destruction of military property!

Exactly. They signed the dotted line and chose to live in the Barracks, the Marine Corps didn't make them/us. Once they find that special person, then they can get married and leave the Barracks. Now, as far as the sunburn thing, I've been in a long time and I've never seen a Marine charged for that...so, I can't speak on that. But, the Marines that do get charged for something, they deserve it. They know the rules and regulations and if not...it's their own fault.