Mike’s Oustanding Website

So, you just graduated boot camp; or maybe you’re about to leave for boot camp soon. Whatever the case take the time to read the information on this page. My name is Mike Yearsley. I was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. I was honorably discharged after eight years and continued working for the Marine Corps as a contractor and then Federal Civilian. I am sharing this information with you because I love the Marine Corps and I hate to see new Marines get off on the wrong foot. I believe that the more information you have, the easier it will be for you to adjust to the Marine Corps way of life.

1. Four of my friends from my home town joined the Marine Corps while I’ve been in; two of them went UA and were discharged within 1 year of graduating boot camp. Why am I telling you this? Boot camp is not hardest, or only challenge you will face during your career. The four years after will be much harder than boot camp. Prepare to be away from your family and your friends. Prepare to do jobs that you don’t want to do (clean things, paint, pick-up trash). Prepare to have people in a position of authority over you. Some of the NCOs (non-commissioned officers) in charge of you will be great leaders. Many will be lousy. Seek out the good leaders in your unit. Go to them for advice and help. The bottom line is that you aren’t going to be treated like a kid. You are an adult and you will be treated like an adult. If you want to be a child join the Army.

2. Volunteer for things that no one else wants to do. Not only will you experience more new things and better equip yourself to handle new situations; but you will also build a reputation as the Marine who “always does it” so maybe you will be automatically let off the hook when some really big “crap” job comes up.

3. Study! During your first years in the U.S.M.C. read as much as you can about Marine Corps history, customs and courtesies, orders, uniform regulations etc. This will help you enormously when you get sent on a board because you volunteered all of those times.

4. Keep you uniforms looking sharp. Try all of them on at least twice a year. You never know when you will be sent back to the barracks to “change over” to go on a surprise board, or some other high profile “mission”.

5. Be creative with training. Even if you are a PFC, you should constantly be thinking of creative ways to train. For example: ask your Sgt. if you can lead the unit in rifle PT, come up with a class on the MCI that you just did, or go outside and lead your peers in drill practice. Your fellow Marines will appreciate the change of pace and your unit will be tighter and better trained.

6. When you get to Boot Camp, you will sign yourself up for a checking account. When I went through in 1998, we had to use Fort Sill National Bank (We called it “Fort Steal”). Almost every Marine I know had problems with them “loosing” money. I recommend that as soon as you graduate from Boot Camp, go to a bank that you trust and transfer all of your money to a new account. I’ve used USAA Federal Savings Bank for 11 years now and I love them.

7. While you are at your new bank, open a Savings account. Get a direct deposit form and transfer $100 out of every paycheck into it. Before you know it you will have a nice little nest egg and you will be ready for any emergency.

8. DON’T LEND MONEY TO ANYONE! Never lend anyone more money than you are willing to let them keep. There is an old saying in the Marine Corps that you should never lend a Marine more than $10- with this he can get a Happy Meal and a Haircut and that’s all he needs. If you develop a reputation as the barracks loan shark, you’ll have a line outside your door every Friday and you’ll be bankrolling everyone else’s good time while you run around trying to get your money back. (This rule goes for strangers too. At every airport I’ve been in, some “former Marine” comes up and asks if I can spare a “few dollars”. This is the price you pay for your motivated haircut and the Eagle Globe and Anchor on your luggage. Just tell them you don’t have any cash. If you feel bad and want to help out a “former Marine” have them sing the “Marines Hymn” or recite the “Rifleman’s Creed”. Not only is it funny to watch but you’ll find that these guys are mostly just scam artists or former Army soldiers.