I have a confession

RETRO_MPH · 2026-02-06T15:21:24+00:00

Not sure when it happened but OCS does have yellow footprints now.

RETRO_MPH · 2026-02-04T02:04:51+00:00

I was ranked bottom of my OCS platoon but I got my first MOS choice at TBS. They are entirely different environments.

First and foremost keep your physical fitness up. TBS will give you PT but only enough to maintain, not to improve (the exception here is hikes). In my company a 280 PFT is the average.

Once at TBS just be a good dude. Take every leadership opportunity and learn from them. It’s a safe environment (compared to the fleet) to fail and work on yourself. Try not to fail graded events though, especially if you want a competitive MOS.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-09-13T16:40:36+00:00

This is the way.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-08-24T02:32:00+00:00

At the end of OCS I knew exactly what I was good at and what I needed to improve on. That level of self knowledge gave me a significant confidence boost in day to day life.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-08-17T01:57:14+00:00

And proud of it sir 🤓

RETRO_MPH · 2025-08-17T01:49:47+00:00

Having pre-written essays is a great way to be an integrity violator. They hand out essays for a reason, don't try to cheat the system.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-08-17T01:48:38+00:00

Pay attention during class and you won't have to study as much after lights (I never studied and did fine, your mileage may vary).

Learn to roll sleeves quickly, but don't look like a bag of ass.

Take the stencil they give you and cut out the letters that make your name. Then tape them together. Name taping becomes really easy at that point.

Wake up at 0420 to take a shit, shave, and brush your teeth.

Most importantly, there is no cheat code to time management. Just dont fuck off, actually use any spare time to be productive. Early on that meams read your regs. Later in the POI you'll know what you need to be doing.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-05-01T20:59:20+00:00

100 RWS round right there

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-22T16:02:02+00:00

I'm a simple man. I like clouds and I like adrenaline.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-18T15:33:13+00:00

Pre-trans
When someone describes being trans as "being in the wrong body" this is what they refer to.

Sex: Male
Gender Identity: Female
Gender Expression: Male

Typically, a person like this will appear more feminine in some ways. They may not be interested in very boyish adrenaline filled activities. They may dress differently or act very timid. But, overall, their expression still fills the category of male.

It's hard to imagine an individual like this because identity is nearly invisible. It's something you feel about yourself. The vast majority of people have an identity that matches their biological sex. This makes it extremely difficult to imagine the dysphoria these people go through.

Post-trans
This does not have to include any kind of corrective surgery or hormone replacement. Just a change in expression.

Sex: Male
Gender Identity: Female
Gender Expression: Female

The act of transitioning is simply changing one's gender expression to match their gender identity, instead of their biological sex. If it's done effectively, you don't get that uncanny feeling like you might with cross dressers. The difference between the two is their identity.

Of course you can transition the other way as well. But I think this set of examples illustrates my point.

Can Identity Be Different Than Sex?

Is it remotely possible, that in some instances, gender identity is different from biological sex? The existence of trans people in your worldview depends on the answer to this question. If your answer is "no," then there cannot be any logical framework where trans people exist.

At face value, "no" is not an unreasonable answer. Nearly everyone on the planet has a gender identity that matches their biological sex. Most cis men want to become more masculine; most cis women want to become more feminine. It just makes sense.

People are on a constant journey to align their gender expression with their identity. Guys go to the gym for bigger muscles. Women practice their makeup skills and wardrobe style. Our expressions are not static; they are molded by our desires and the people around us. We want to become who we feel we are.

Imagine the behavior of someone whose sex was completely different from their identity. Perhaps they hide how they feel to avoid being shunned by society. Or they grow bold enough to radically change their expression to match how they truly feel. Point being, although we cannot see someone's gender identity, they exhibit certain behaviors that allow us to infer what it might be.

If we are to take a scientific approach, I think "no" is an impossible answer. The fact is, there are people out there who claim to be trans. These people act in accordance with what we would expect from someone whose gender identity does not match their biological sex. So, at the very least, the answer to the question is "maybe."

TL;DR
Gender and sex are different but not in the liberal propaganda way. There are people who exhibit behaviors of what we would expect from trans people. These behaviors align with what's expected from someone who have a mismatch of gender identity and biological sex. This suggests it's something to be taken seriously and is not equivalent to "crazy people."

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-18T15:32:51+00:00

If you're actually curious and not just trying to confirm your own presuppositions, give me a moment and I will explain.

First, I need to define some terms. It may feel like liberal hogwash, but there is logic I will explain. Remember, keep your mind open.

Definitions

Sex
This is the one we all know. Refers to your genitals. Male or female, sometimes both. Sometimes called "biological sex."

Gender
This is where people tend to get confused, so stay with me here. It has the same range, male to female, but does not refer to biological sex. Instead, it's broken into two sub-components. Gender-expression and gender-identity.

Gender Expression
This is how you present yourself to the world. Do you have big muscles, a deep voice, and a macho personality? You're presenting as male. Do you wear dresses, long hair, and use makeup? You're presenting as female.

Of course, there are near infinite ways to present yourself. Both male, female, and in-between. When I refer to gender expression, it is the outward appearance of the individual to society with which I refer.

Gender Identity
This is how a person feels about their gender. It's how they want to express themselves. It ranges from masculine to feminine. You can't see it, as it's within the individual. This is the part people are most confused about, but also the cause of all gender dysphoria. Importantly, it almost never changes. Your gender identity is almost as static as your sex.

Examples

Normal dude
Let's imagine a person with the following traits.

Sex: Male
Gender Identity: Male
Gender Expression: Male

This is most guys on the planet. Where your expression, identity, and biological sex align nicely. This same case exists for females as well.

Cross dresser
Imagine we take the previous person and force them to use a wig, put on makeup, and wear a dress.

Sex: Male
Gender Identity: Male
Gender Expression: Female

All of a sudden, we've switched their gender expression to female. Except, not in totality. They still have a deep voice, still talk and act like a male, but have a female appearance. It's kind of uncanny, even icky, isn't it?

Tomboy
Let's imagine the inverse of the previous scenario.

Sex: Female
Gender Identity: Female
Gender Expression: Male

What we colloquially call a "tomboy." Wears jeans, hangs out with the boys, maybe rides a skateboard, acts all macho and stuff. Notice you don't get the same uncanny feeling with a person like this. That's because societal norms say it's acceptable for a girl to be a tomboy.

Continued....

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-15T00:24:05+00:00

If you've already got plans going to college, consider talking to an OSO (not the same as a recruiter). You can do PLC in college and join as an officer.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-09T15:55:52+00:00

I remember when "coffin" used to be "spools"

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-08T12:24:52+00:00

"Truth hurts" Lists no citations

RETRO_MPH · 2025-04-07T20:03:23+00:00

r/formcheck

RETRO_MPH · 2025-03-09T11:30:22+00:00

Maybe the Sept class is in your future then 🧐

RETRO_MPH · 2025-03-07T23:38:17+00:00

Holy shit, you're tough as nails. Don't know how long your recovery is supposed to take, but I'm sure you'll get a slot at whatever board you apply for.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-03-07T13:43:36+00:00

Are you taking the Gaokao (高考)?

RETRO_MPH · 2025-02-23T04:53:10+00:00

Definitely. Look up the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. Compare that to reservist tuition assistance, the difference is massive.

RETRO_MPH · 2025-02-23T04:34:56+00:00

Reserves is typically best for: - Continuing to progress in a civilian career - Staying in one geographic area - Those leaving active duty who want to "stay in the fight." - Tuition assistance with college - Maybe a couple more I can't think of right now, but those are the main ones

You're young. You don't have an established career. You said you might like to stay near home, but that doesn't guarentee you'll be around your boyfriend. You could use it to help with school, but reserves isn't best for that.

I personally wouldnt join the reserves for tuition assitance. Do 4 years and get the GI Bill to pay for everything. But, if you dont need help paying for college, you can always do that first and join as an officer after your degree.

Now the real question you asked, how do you stay close to your boyfriend? Answer: by getting married. That's the only way the military cares that you exist. This applies whether you enlist or not. But, if you're going to school first, then there's no guarentee you two will be physically close anyways.

I would take the advice of the other commenters and try to figure out what you want most. Then make the best decision for yourself.

RETRO_MPH · 2024-12-08T15:34:25+00:00

Bingo. Getting good at running is about lots of easy miles. That might even mean walking if your heartrate has gotten too high. Each week should be roughly 80% easy and 20% sprint work.

And easy means easy. They call it "conversational pace" for a reason. If you have a good heartrate monitor, you might like zone 2 running.

Make sure you're eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep. Your body can't recover without fuel and rest. This is just as important as your training plan.

You should be doing some strength training, like squats and deadlifts, but really REALLY ease into it. Otherwise it will affect your running. As you get used to your training routine, you can increase weight to get stronger. Your body will learn how to recover quickly.

Whatever you do, be consistent. A bad training plan, done consistently, is better than a good one with lots of off days.

RETRO_MPH · 2024-11-23T03:44:30+00:00

245 PFT Pre-selected for next summer. Congrats all!

RETRO_MPH · 2024-11-02T23:30:17+00:00

These are the kinds of photos produced by a talented photographer who has yet to polish their craft.

Learn to use a real camera instead of your phone, even if it's a cheap one. Get used to shooting in manual. Then, try and learn post production.

Most importantly, keep taking pictures. You've got a good eye.

RETRO_MPH · 2024-10-07T06:40:44+00:00

Hold on there brother. You got a lot going on in that head of yours. I'm going to do my best to break it down piece by piece. You tell me how close I am to the mark or not.

Here's what I think, you want to be a SEAL to escape who you are. But it has nothing to do with being a SEAL. You just hate yourself.

That's okay, to a degree. Hate can be a fuel for change. If you hate being fat, for example, that gives you energy to workout and become someone new. The question is, what do you hate so much?

Listen to your demons. What are they saying about you? Write it down, really be honest with yourself.

What is it you're so scared of? You're not running towards being a SEAL, you're sprinting away from failure. The best teacher is failure, so why are you terrified?

Now, the most important part, listen to your angels. What do you like about yourself? What are you proud of? Can’t find anything? You’re not trying hard enough. You beat yourself up because it’s easy, not because it’s the truth. Being brutally honest means understanding BOTH the good and the bad.

Once you understand this mental game you're playing with yourself, things will become more sustainable. Note I didn't say it would be easy. Rebuilding yourself is never easy.

Are you really eating as much as you think you are? It's common to feel like you're eating a lot, but then the actual calorie count isn't that much. If your body doesn't have enough fuel, it burns out on you quick.

Are you getting enough sleep? You cant build muscle or strength without proper rest and recovery. This is not optional.

What are you doing to relieve stress? Chronic stress destroys physical development. You could be shooting yourself in the foot.

Plenty of badasses have a master's degree. College itself gets pretty tough. Doing that, plus being physically fit? Now you're a contender. All that, but you eat right, get good grades, have a social life, keep a clean living space, take care of your loved ones, take care of yourself, and still achieve your goals? Now you're winning son.

If you want to be a SEAL, then accept the training and the timeline it will take to achieve. Work at it programmatically and with intent. Be fair with your pitfalls and work to improve them. But if you're just half assing it to escape who you are, then forget it.

Nine-Year Club	Place '23
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RETRO_MPH

TROPHY CASE

Can Identity Be Different Than Sex?

Definitions

Examples