I'm posting this here at the suggestion of someone that read my story on /r/USMC. Please forgive my typing and grammatical errors as I have a broken wrist in a splint right now.

Story Time

Alright, gents. Sit back and read the story of the legend that requested mast as a recruit at the world famous resort Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island during second phase in the year of Lord when iron sights were still in effect. By the way, it's been almost 23 years since this happened, so the specific details might be off, but this is the general story.

We are on firing week at the shooting range. There was talk that the safety range officer was out to prove a point with safety violations. This, later on in the week, caused my Senior Drill Instructor (SDI) to have a sit down with us and tell us that our marksmanship issues were not entirely our fault as the coaches were really fucking with us. This was backed-up by the Primary Marksmanship Instructor (PMI). At the same time, my particular coach was a dipshit what was more involved in bullshitting with the neighboring coaches than my marksmanship.

Well, since I'm quick at things, I would fire a round and then immediately place my rifle on safe and start getting my rifle book ready to mark where I hit my target. Since my coach was entertained with gossip, he often wasn't looking at me. On day 1 or 2, he hears I fire a round, looks at me, and sees that I'm looking at my book instead of down range. He accuses me of a negligent discharge, starts chewing my ass, and i get reported to the safety officer. They did ask me if I committed a negligent discharge, and I didn't know what that was because i'm from Miami and didn't understand those words, so I just said yes as is protocol for when you fuck up as a recruit and a Marine asks you if you fucked up. They tell me how dangerous that is, it violates rules, blah blah blah, while I'm recruit-yelling "AYE SIR! AYE SIR! AYE SIR!" It was that type of ass chewing that's a few Marines ripping me up while other recruits laugh internally. So, they say they will give me one chance or I'm kicked off of the range. Later that day, like the bitch recruit that I was, I went to tell the SDI that I didn't conduct a negligent discharge once I learned what that was. He knew me by now, believed me, and told me to just be extra careful. Later on in the week, the SDI huddles us in the squad bay and tells us that we are being fucked with by the range safety officer because he's out to prove a point, and that it's probably fucking with our marksmanship skills because everyone is so stressed out by getting kicked off of the range and shit. They were being extra dicky.

I think it was probably day 4, and we're out there again. Same fucking shit happened. I fire a round, rifle on safe, and immediately look at my rifle book. Fucking coach loses his mind and starts saying, "That's it. You're done!" Of course, I couldn't clear that up and say he is wrong because that would be crazy, so he takes me to the range safety officer. He immediately informs me that I am getting kicked out of his range. That means i have to get held back for a week and lose my platoon. Luckily, my heavy hat saw I didn't negligent discharge, but the safety officer didn't give a shit and went with the word of his coach. Now, i'm fucked on firewatch in the squad bay crying that I'm a fucking loser that I was going to lose my platoon and has to write home to tell them I failed and will be graduating later. While on firewatch, the SDI comes in and tells me he heard that the heavy hat saw I didn't commit a negligent discharge, and that if I wanted to stay with the platoon, it might help to speak with a higher up. So i asked him how to do that, but he said he couldn't tell me. I then remember knowledge week and ask him, "What if this recruit requests mast?" He said that would work. Then, he tells me that I am going to get a lot of shit from the Commanding Officers (COs) because they're going to be pissed that I'm doing this. He also said the Company CO will likely not be useful and try to talk me out of it, but if I kept going up higher, that it will get resolved. Apparently, that range safety officer had been starting problems for a while, so I had a case.

I get to the Series/Company Gunny, and he's giving me shit, but more so to test my conviction. He wasn't truly upset with me. Instead, it was like training or a crucible trying to see if i would go through with it. I then see the Company CO, and he tries what he can in his professional officer tone and looking at me like I'm a dickhead for doing this. He says that he called around and that there is nothing that can be done, I need to accept that I messed up, nothing could be done about it, and accept that I'm getting held back. I told him that I wanted to request mast to the 3rd Battalion (Bn) CO. He told me to sit outside. He calls back in after what felt like ages but could have been 30 mins. He tells me he made a few phone calls and that the range safety officer has ultimate control over the range, so there is nothing anyone can do. Not only that, but I already missed a firing day. I'm not in good shape to qual. I'm just fucked. He then asked me if I really wanted to proceed with requesting mast to the Bn CO. i confirmed, then got sent back to my squad bay.

I got another pep talk from my SDI, and he guaranteed me that if the Bn CO didn't fix the problem, that I should keep going to the fucking Base General. The Company Gunny swung by with a hard-ass smile on his face like he was mad and proud of me, then talked to my SDI in front of me about if this shit is really happening or not. At this point, my memory becomes a little hazy. Either the Gunny or my SDI prepped me to do the formal procedure to report to the Bn CO so that I would look squared away. Someone, I assume the Company CO, but I don't remember exactly, escorted me to the Bn Office/Command Post (CP). All I remember was walking across the parade deck feeling hot and disconnected from my surroundings. I even walked right by an officer and didn't salute him even after my escort did. Got a real nice ass-chewing out of that right before meeting with the Bn CO lol. I see the Bn CO. He's the first calm person I've spoken with in 2 months, so that was extra weird. He basically repeats what the Company CO said and that there is nothing he can do. It was a this point that the 3rd Bn logo behind him starts warping and I realize I'm literally hallucinating. He asks me if I plan on requesting mast to the Base General since he can't resolve it. I confirm that do. He has me go outside his office or maybe back to the squad bay. I can't remember exactly, but this wait was for like hours.

He eventually has me come back into his office and tells me that he worked out a deal with the range. I would go to a platoon a week before my platoon, complete firing week with them, skip team week with my platoon, then come back to my platoon. This works out since team week is basically recruits doing chores, so I wouldn't miss out on anything important, and I would be with an entirely different marksmanship unit. Then, he asks me if I'm okay with that or if I want to go to the Base General, then he advises me that going to the General likely wouldn't be helpful considering that I had already missed a day of shooting. I agree with him, and end the request mast there. I get back to my platoon, and the DIs tell the platoon what's up with me. Everyone is happy for me since they thought I was gone.

I get TAD'd to a 1st Bn platoon. It was in this platoon that I learned to have admiration for the quality of my original platoon as these DIs were not on the same level as mine. It was like these DIs enjoyed us suffering while my DIs were hard as fuck but actually training us with dignity. Also, the recruits seemed more like holocaust survivors than actual recruits training to be Marines. One time, a group of 3-4 recruits in this platoon were huddled in a corner of the squad bay discussing that if they pissed themselves in bed enough, they could get out of boot camp. It was oddly sad since they didn't seem proud to be here. Rather, they felt trapped. Anyway, I'm back at the rifle range. My heavy hat (drill instructor; DI) made it a point to check in on me everyday. One day he showed up, he looked at my rifle book and saw I shot two motherfucking possibles on rapid fire in a row. He did his pissed-off smile while looking away, said, "Two possibles, huh? That's good to go. You understand that?" I understood that. Also, one day, I'm at the chow hall with the temporary platoon, and my platoon that's on team week is serving chow. They fucking love that they see me and hook it up with food, which was amazing since this 1st Bn platoon was into food restriction for some odd reason.

Anyway, qual day comes, and I shoot motherfucking expert with points to spare and zero safety violations. That was the "go eat a dick" to the coach and safety officer my DIs wanted. Eventually, I'm out on the parade deck of 1st Bn when my heavy hat comes to pick me up. He tries to start talking smack about 1st Bn through me by asking me questions about who's better at shit. I, of course, empathically respond "3RD BATTALION, SIR!" to everything. One of the 1st Bn DIs comes out and tries to punk me by asking me how many times I went to BAS. I had gone once because they ordered me to when they saw i was looking a wheezy due to heat, and got some A/C and gatorade from the Corpsman. In my defense, I was ready to pass out. I didn't ask to go to BAS. Whatever. Eat a dick. I may have gone to BAS, but I also requested mast to the Bn CO and strong armed that shit as a fucking recruit. For one quick moment at MCRD Parris Island, this recruit was the Base General with the 3rd Bn CO working under this recruit.

My DI escorted me back to my platoon, asked me a few questions about how things went, and if i was looking forward to be back with my platoon. Of course I was! I get back, my fellow recruits are happy as shit to see me back and me too. The DIs let us slightly break composure for a little bit, gives us a talk about having conviction, and then we're back to the normal.

I will never forget my DIs for that. They were the shit. If my DIs are reading this and recognizing the story, you guys are fucking awesome. Obviously, I was part of a greater issue and played my role. We enlisted stuck it to the motherfucking man in motherfucking infamous MCRD Parris Island.

If anyone from my platoon recognizes this story, back me up!