Good God, I want out

[KARL THE GRUNT]

Panzerman.

(I'm actually planning on being a history teacher, Karl).

That is outstanding.

If there is anything I can do, please let me know.
Marines in the classsroom are what this nation needs.

Wives are wonderful, this I know. The Hippy is both a wife and best friend.

P.S.

The Hippy said to warn you that it is hard to get a position as a history teacher. Math or science are much easier.
What you want is a split major. History/ Math or History/ Reading or History/ Science.

Karl

karl

[Sir_Krahn]

My history teacher is a Vietnam veteran and he is the best history teacher I ever had. Veterans in this teaching position could benefit everyone. They don't teach the wars that were fought all the time but it is a huge chunck of the teaching. I just love how he can add his experiences in with the teachings it keeps me interested in history. I used to have a regular civilian teacher and I fell asleep in her class just about everyday.

[SGRock]

Panzer, You are an example to a lot of Marines on selflessness. You love the Corps and you will give it up for your wife. That means a lot, especially to your wife.
You've got a lot of skills and experience that a lot of civilians will never have. You will be an excellent teacher.

[cincymarsdad]

My son took the "IB curriculum" in high school, which included a course called "The Theory of Knowledge" taught to seniors. The teacher is a Marine, and also happened to be the father of Chris' girlfriend. [He wasn't real thrilled with that.] She sent him a "We should date other people." letter while he was at SOI and she started at Ohio State, not surprisingly.

Anyway, he - the teacher - seemed like a good man to me. He spoke at the commemoration of the marker at the high school on 10 November and I recall his first words:

"When there are wars, Marines die."

It was blunt and kind of caught everyone off guard. It stuck with me obviously, simple truth that it is.

Those of you who served have done immeasurably more and need not "apologize" or feel down about not "reupping", especially with a wife at home. Go have babies, coach soccer, teach school,l have an impact on other young minds, and pray for peace. You've served your time in Hell. I know you'll never forget you are a Marine.

As an aside, I attended the services for Corporal Christopher Tyler Warndorf today, a Marine who was to come back in 14 more days and didn't make it. He was departing the service at that time having done two tours in Iraq with 3/8. Many spoke about how friendly, bright, fun, and faithful this young man of 21 was. He sounded like some other Marines I have come to know, and one I knew so well. It breaks my heart. These men are our best, the one's who volunteer in communities when no one else wants to do whatever, the glue, the examples, the teachers, and we're losing them.

Ya'll take care.

[AmericanGirl]

Karl is right, History is a tough field to get into as a teacher, BUT, if its really what you want to do than go for it. I will never be sorry that I got my undergrad degree in history, but I realized it wasn't practical for me to keep pursuing it, but there is a genuine need for teachers and within 10 years a larger portion of the baby boom generation will have retired, and that should make it a little easier to find a good teaching job. Good luck Panzer, I wish you much happiness in all your endeavors.

[Vulture6]

Besides, now it's "Social Studies" or "Civics" long before it's "History"

[KARL THE GRUNT]

Besides, now it's "Social Studies" or "Civics" long before it's "History"

Not in my class. I am a history teacher.

Karl

[USMCRET6391]

Ok now for my nickels worth concerning Panzer's original post. My first reaction being a retired MSgt was to just tell you to suck it up and quit your whining, but as we all know if Marines aint bitching there is REALLY something wrong.

So I am going to give you a bit of historical perspective instead. Things are no way near as petty now as when I first joined. I can hear the groans now, "Oh no anther old Corps story", but bear with me.

When I first went in you were restricted to base one of every four days and at least one weekend a Month.

How did they do this? A little thing called a "Liberty Card". If you were caught off base without it you were run up for Office Hours. All personnel E-5 and below had to sign out on liberty with the Duty NCO at the Barracks and the cards had to be returned to the Duty NCO by 0730 the next morning.

There were 4 duty Sections.

Every day the Unit Duty Officer went to the Barracks @ 0800 and pulled all the liberty cards for that days duty section out of the liberty card box.

If you were married and lived off Base you had to get your liberty card from the SGT Maj or the Duty Officer before you went home and it had to be returned before you had to be at your work section the next morning. If the duty section worked that weekend that also applied on the days that it worked.

Every weekend the Duty Section for that weekend had their cards pulled on Fri Morning and not returned until Monday afternoon @ 1600. So effectively you didn't get off the base for 4 days.

Of course none of these restrictions applied to Officers and Staff NCOs.

I understand your frustration with those who don't seem to pull their load. I can also remember looking at the some of the Gunny's and MSgts when I was a young NCO with their belt buckles hidden by their bellies and what we called called coffee cup palsy, that is, their index finger on one hand was permanently hooked into the shape needed to hold on to a cup handle, and wondering why any one would want to aspire to be one of them.

Somewhere along the way it occurred to me (it might have been the CWO3 I worked for at the time grabbing me by the stacking swivel and telling me snap out of my cheap shit that helped) that the Corps is what YOU make out of it. So for me it was a matter of pride and wanting to set a good example when I became a SNCO. I was always in good shape, always qualified Expert, always in a squared away uniform (well not always, it's hard to have squared away utilities after spending 3 hours in the Engine Bay of an F-4) and always made sure my Marines were taken care of. Yes I had issues with the petty BS and yes sometimes my issues were voiced at inappropriate times but there were also times that my example as a SNCO got things changed when I raised the bullshit flag when I thought things were just not right.

One example:

When I was on Embassy Duty the E-5s and below were required to be in the Marine House by 0200. I placed the same restriction on myself and made sure I was home by that time every night. During one Command Visit by the Company Commander when I was in Rome: after we finished the Det business that needed to be taken care of he wanted to go out to see the sights. After some sight seeing and dinner we ended up visiting several of the popular watering holes in the City. Around 0130 I looked at him and said, "Col it's time to go, I need to be getting home." He asked why and I told him that if my Marines have to be in by 0200 so do I. He said that didn't apply to Det Cmdrs. I said "yes Sir but it applies to me, if you are staying you can get a ride back to your hotel in a cab." He looked at me for a few seconds with an odd look on his face, then chuckled. We finished our drinks, I dropped him off and went home.

I don't know if you are planning on staying in, but there are times when you CAN make a difference.

Semper Fi Panzer.

[Panzerman]

So I am going to give you a bit of historical perspective instead. Things are no way near as petty now as when I first joined.

Heh...we're still doing the liberty card thing. Our libo cards have to be back by midnight, though. I've had eight days off since I got to Oki two months ago, and I'm only scheduled for another two between now and November.

But, I do understand your point, and that's pretty much how I operate.

[Grimmy]

So, btw, have your NCOs started working their SNCOs about what complete cockwads and zeros y'alls senior SNCOs and officers are by pulling this double standard shit, yet?

Shit rolls downhill but stink rises. That's always been the "checks and ballances" in the Corps.

You probably wont ever hear officially of this or find much about it in the public record, but in the early 80s, a battalion or so's worth of the 10th Mar (2MarDiv arty reg) got to such a low point of bad leadership spawned moral problems that it was considered, for all intents and purposes, to be in a state of mutiny.

I only heard of it because I was at 2Mar Div G2 at the time.

[USMC Chuter]

I"ll go ahead and throw my 3r'd cent's worth in.. It all boils down to this, for me. I don't always like being in the Marine Corps, but I love the Corps and I love Marines. I bitch (quietly, and in the right circles) as much as anyone, but when it comes down to it I prefer not to add "former" to my title. Comraderie among Marines, to me, is worth more that whatever bullshit the Corps can think of to drop on my noggin.