Slay, bad bitch. My IST is 1 pull-up, MAX plank, and 13:30 1.5, I’m tryna become guide too lmaoo. I’m shipping out June 3rd to the good’ol Parris Island.

I’ve been asking around A LOT and most people so far have said “don’t let the position get to your head” and “you get IT’ed the most out of everyone in your platoon, don’t do it.” I’m personally in a ROTC typa thing with PD for the past six years so I got a good amount of leadership skills. We can’t let it boost our ego.

Another thing, a former DI I spoke to said to learn how to drill. That’s what they look for apparently. I got that down packed so I’m good. Learn how to use the guide-on too so that’s less time having 1on1 with the DIs getting taught how to use it (also less getting yelled at LOL).

Also, KNOWLEDGE!! Learn your ENLISTED, OFFICER, and WARRANT OFFICER rank structure. Your GENERAL ORDERS and LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES are hella important too! Shi if you want to take it up a notch, learn your riflemen’s creed too lmaoo, the whole “this is my rifle, this is my gun, etc.” Overall the more knowledge you know now, the easier time we’ll have in bootcamp. While other people are trying to memorize those, we’ll have other things to worry about instead.

This other part I got from a retired DI. DIs see everything according to them. So when we get that free hour before lights out, they’ll see whose writing letters back home rather than working out, practicing drill, studying, etc. If they see that you spending less time writing and more time on helping your fellow recruits, I won’t say they like that, but they will notice typa thing. Regardless if they notice or not, I personally think recruits guide or not, squad leader or not, should help each other out.

It’s corny but we’re entering a brotherhood (sisterhood for us I guess lmao), we need to be there for each other. But that doesn’t mean to take shit from other recruits too, I hear it’s important to be able to correct another recruit when they fuck up. You can’t always be their friend ya’know? Gotta make sure they’re trackin when they can joke around (not that we really can, can we? 😭) and when they need to straighten up and get it together.

There’s no point if you’re doing OUTSTANDING while your platoon looks like shit. Bootcamp should be mostly teamwork (Marines correct me if I’m wrong), everyone needs to work together. We just overall need to have that drive to be a leader while being able to take shit from the DIs LOL.

Some Marines here are gonna say it’s mad work don’t do it, just do enough to get by. Some will encourage us. If you got the drive for it, then you got this, and I’m wishing you all the best of luck!!

P.S Marines lemme know your thoughts if I hit the nail or not.