Any Marines here?

[timb2]

Other tips for Kaneohe Bay

1- Stay away from the E- Club on base. A bar of Marines fighting over women who are most likely married to other Marines who are deployed in Japan. Also there is a bad corner road going to the E- Club from the barracks and unfortunately there are Bad Hoodrat Marines who will mug another Marine for money or get their jollies beating up someone. 6 on 1 not a fair fight. Get off base and see Hawaii. The tourists women are in paradise and want to have romantic memories with handsome men. Wakiki dance clubs.

2-Avoid clubs with Army or too many locals. A lot of Hawaiians do not like Mainland people there and just like Bad Hoodrat Marines, you can be in a conflict with Hawaiians who just want to get drunk and fight, just like rednecks back at bars in mainland USA. Why avoid Army? Army & Marines don't get along. There will be a brawl. The only time you defend the Army or Navy guys if Hawaiians or other Civillians are messing with them. If its Army vs a Marine you help the Marine.


3- Avoid the tourist traps,avoid wearing the tacky Hawaiian shirts, and site tours.

 

[DZSierra]

I really enjoyed your post. It brought back many recollections from the time when I served.
The advice you passed on to your son was spot-on. And what you said about the recruiters made me laugh out loud!

Thank you.

When I enlisted and told my dad, I thought he would be proud. Ironically enough he kind of chewed my but out, first for choosing the Army, then secondly for selecting combat arms in the MOS field (I figured back then if you can't shoot guns and jump out of airplanes, why enlist in the Army LOL).

2 things he told me I'd never forget

1 - I didn't put 20 plus years in for you to enlist!
2 - Second comment isn't politically correct and could get me banned on his comment about recruiters and my MOS field.

What's funny is my dad lived with us for 4 years before he passed. He and my one boy we're like two peas in a pod and he gave my son driving lessons when he just got his drivers license. It the was stories of my father traveling the world and some of the cool things he got to do that actually convinced my son to join the Air Force. Son has to wear glasses and it took him about 2 years to finally get in just before his 19th birthday. Only sad part that both my son and I agree on is that my father passed away while he was a junior in high school, and never knew his grand son wanted to follow in his footsteps in the Air Force.

On a sidenote, if I didn't mention it, my fathers two brothers served in the Army, as they we're drafted in WW2. Another brother went to Korea in 1951 in the Army. My father enlisted at the end of 1951, and he wanted to enlist in the Army. All 3 of his brothers who served in the Army told him they would literally kick his arse and he would never be welcomed back home if he went Army and told him to Enlist in the Air Force. Ironically enough, dad went to Korea after Basic and went to Laos in the early 70's during the Vietnam war. He always told me and his brothers really were looking out for him even if he didn't know it.
When our son was getting hit with drones and ballistic missiles and basically in "survival mode" over there the other month, I completely understand why now as a parent, my father was really upset when I told him I enlisted without talking to him first. We lost one son at age 17, and if anything happens to our last boy, I just hope I don't lose it LOL. HOWEVER, as noted, son is really loving it. He has mentioned some of the things he's done and seen (one event making national news) and he wouldn't change his choices even though he's sick and tiered of rice and chicken for 3 meals a day LOL

Reality is, last year after son got deployed, an airman was killed off base in a auto accident. Just kind of dumb luck, wrong place, wrong time type of thing. None of us are promised tomorrow what we're doing in our lives, and sometimes we forget that. What is more important than fearing what can happen to us is to follow our dreams, particularly when we're young!

Son told me he wants to take skydiving lessons when he gets home. I told him keep doing good at your job, and since you're in the military, see if you can request airborne training down the road as it's free, same thing as scuba lessons. Once you're in and have a "proven track record", there are always back doors in to somtehing you may want to do IMO.

That said, no matter what branch any young person enlists in, I would be proud of them as their parents. I even told him after his first stint is up, go to the Marines or Army and see how he likes it LOL. Kind of surprised, there seems to be a lot of "cross branching" now a days (serve a stint in one branch, then go to another branch).

 

[DZSierra]

Other tips for Kaneohe Bay

1- Stay away from the E- Club on base. A bar of Marines fighting over women who are most likely married to other Marines who are deployed in Japan. Also there is a bad corner road going to the E- Club from the barracks and unfortunately there are Bad Hoodrat Marines who will mug another Marine for money or get their jollies beating up someone. 6 on 1 not a fair fight. Get off base and see Hawaii. The tourists women are in paradise and want to have romantic memories with handsome men. Wakiki dance clubs.

2-Avoid clubs with Army or too many locals. A lot of Hawaiians do not like Mainland people there and just like Bad Hoodrat Marines, you can be in a conflict with Hawaiians who just want to get drunk and fight, just like rednecks back at bars in mainland USA. Why avoid Army? Army & Marines don't get along. There will be a brawl. The only time you defend the Army or Navy guys if Hawaiians or other Civillians are messing with them. If its Army vs a Marine you help the Marine.


3- Avoid the tourist traps,avoid wearing the tacky Hawaiian shirts, and site tours.

Funny, you brought back some funny memories and things you don't find in the tourist books, particularly air force wives in Alaska.

One other cardinal rule I tried to impress upon my son... DO NOT BE OR GET MARRIED if you enlist. Marriage takes a lot of work and doesn't always work out just because you're in love. Take the stress of a civilian marriage and multiply it by 10 if you're in the military. It can get hard juggling 2 wives at the same time, your wife you married and Uncle Sam who owns you.

My parents were married for 40 years before my mom died. Dad knew her when they were both teens, but he served 2 stints in before they got married and waited until the were 30. Me and my mom spent a lot of time living at my grandmothers when my father was overseas on TDY. It takes a strong woman to be married to a military man.

That's one area where I listened to dad. Didn't get married until my late 30's, and 20 plus years later, still going pretty good.

 

[timb2]

Best advice ,my Father who was a Lifer in the Marines.

1- Do your job
2- Keep your mouth shut
3- Don't take any shortcuts.