Silent Drill Platoon and Surprise Inspection
Our internet has been almost unusably slow lately, so if I haven't been responding to much or posting as often as I'd like, that's why.
Last night the word in the lance corporal underground was that we would have a surprise inspection of our rooms today for contraband, due to some Marines getting caught with drugs or something. Schauer and I both have Ka-bar fighting knives which are over the size limit we're allowed to have here at school, so we dropped them off with our platoon, which just got back from their extended liberties. While I was there, I caught up with a few of them who had gone to Vegas for their liberties, and it sounds like they had such a good time that if they get the weekend off they're going back. Also, I picked up my one piece of mail, a card from Matt Berge, wishing me a happy Valentine's Day of all things. Thanks, Matt...?
This morning, our test was postponed, because the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the Commandant's Own Band were performing on the General's lawn (our shabby grass parade deck here at 29 Palms). I have been wanting to see the Silent Drill Team since I first heard about them, so I was excited, and man, let me tell you, they did not disappoint. If you're not familiar with them, they are who you think of when you see all the rifle flipping around and all the perfect drill movements. They've been in a few movies as well...I believe you see them in the beginning of A Few Good Men, the Tom Cruise/Demi Moore/Jack Nicholson movie about a punk JAG officer telling some shit-hot Marines how they should run a base. Anyways, even the Commandant's Own Band was simply flawless. They performed a variety of stuff, from the Stars and Stripes Forever to some awful song from that awful hippy musical, Rent. Man, I hate Rent. I rue the day Ali made me listen to it.
After noon chow was the test, which I thought was pretty easy considering how little I studied for it. I wish college classes were this easy. Then after the test was the "surprise" inspection, which took up the rest of the afternoon. It was a huge mess, trying to thoroughly inspect probably 500 Marines' rooms in a single afternoon. We missed chow, so we ordered Papa John's. So yeah, they inspected our stuff, and recorded the serial numbers of our items of value like my PSP, laptop and mp3 player. Only one of our class got caught with contraband, apparently an empty bottle of brandy, and I'm fine with it because I hate the kid. He thinks he's a thug or something and that his growing up on the streets, which I doubt, should mean something to anybody else. I hope he gets kicked out of the class. He's pretty dumb anyways. I do my drinking at the E-Club, sad though that may be, and it keeps me perfectly happy, so why not him?
I checked my account the other day to see if I got paid, and apparently they paid me something like $1200 for travel expenses to and from MCT. That is a huge fluke, like getting a bank error in my favor in Monopoly. If they don't realize their mistake, then that money is mine, but I'm not going to spend it for awhile just in case I have to pay it back. But the same happened to all the other Marines who went to MCT with me, so maybe it's not a mistake, just some sort of overlooked kink in the system. I'm hoping I get to keep it.
That's probably all and more that's really worth mention at this point. Hope everything's going well for everyone else. Semper Fi.
Last night the word in the lance corporal underground was that we would have a surprise inspection of our rooms today for contraband, due to some Marines getting caught with drugs or something. Schauer and I both have Ka-bar fighting knives which are over the size limit we're allowed to have here at school, so we dropped them off with our platoon, which just got back from their extended liberties. While I was there, I caught up with a few of them who had gone to Vegas for their liberties, and it sounds like they had such a good time that if they get the weekend off they're going back. Also, I picked up my one piece of mail, a card from Matt Berge, wishing me a happy Valentine's Day of all things. Thanks, Matt...?
This morning, our test was postponed, because the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the Commandant's Own Band were performing on the General's lawn (our shabby grass parade deck here at 29 Palms). I have been wanting to see the Silent Drill Team since I first heard about them, so I was excited, and man, let me tell you, they did not disappoint. If you're not familiar with them, they are who you think of when you see all the rifle flipping around and all the perfect drill movements. They've been in a few movies as well...I believe you see them in the beginning of A Few Good Men, the Tom Cruise/Demi Moore/Jack Nicholson movie about a punk JAG officer telling some shit-hot Marines how they should run a base. Anyways, even the Commandant's Own Band was simply flawless. They performed a variety of stuff, from the Stars and Stripes Forever to some awful song from that awful hippy musical, Rent. Man, I hate Rent. I rue the day Ali made me listen to it.
After noon chow was the test, which I thought was pretty easy considering how little I studied for it. I wish college classes were this easy. Then after the test was the "surprise" inspection, which took up the rest of the afternoon. It was a huge mess, trying to thoroughly inspect probably 500 Marines' rooms in a single afternoon. We missed chow, so we ordered Papa John's. So yeah, they inspected our stuff, and recorded the serial numbers of our items of value like my PSP, laptop and mp3 player. Only one of our class got caught with contraband, apparently an empty bottle of brandy, and I'm fine with it because I hate the kid. He thinks he's a thug or something and that his growing up on the streets, which I doubt, should mean something to anybody else. I hope he gets kicked out of the class. He's pretty dumb anyways. I do my drinking at the E-Club, sad though that may be, and it keeps me perfectly happy, so why not him?
I checked my account the other day to see if I got paid, and apparently they paid me something like $1200 for travel expenses to and from MCT. That is a huge fluke, like getting a bank error in my favor in Monopoly. If they don't realize their mistake, then that money is mine, but I'm not going to spend it for awhile just in case I have to pay it back. But the same happened to all the other Marines who went to MCT with me, so maybe it's not a mistake, just some sort of overlooked kink in the system. I'm hoping I get to keep it.
That's probably all and more that's really worth mention at this point. Hope everything's going well for everyone else. Semper Fi.
posted by Roger W. at 10:45 PM
12 Comments:
Why is the Commandant's Own Band playing something from Rent? Or any modern musical for that reason. I could understand if it was something from an old nad well respected musical. But Rent?
I'm sorry you only had one piece of snail mail, Roger. I'll try to be more disciplined about writing. I guess I got kind of spoiled with the good e-maill access and your blog.
Hey, Roger.
If you start wondering why anything is the way it is in the military you will drive yourself nuts. Could be someone high ranking actually likes Rent!
Did you get your sewing done?
Mrs. T,
I think it's highly unlikely anyone high ranking actually likes Rent. I still refuse to believe that anybody actually likes it; the only reason for somebody to claim they like it is to torment me.
Nah, my sewing is something that can wait til I get back from Iraq. We're not planning on wearing our dress uniforms anytime in the foreseeable future, so it's no real rush.
A valentine from Matt Berge?? I could have told you that he was different, you know; kind, thoughtful, compassionate, sweet...like, well, ALL of your friends. Whether from Auggie or here in Sterling, they are great people and are any parent's dream. I am very proud of you, Roger, and am also proud of all of them. You are a lucky fellow to be blest with comrades of this caliber. Please, Rog, don't tell them I told you any of this!
I spent some time at your link to the silent drill platoon. There is all kinds of excellent stuff to look at there. The rest of the people who post here would be well served to take a look.
Hey, Roger.
Ali loves Rent...you hate Rent...and yet, you two are the best of friends. Ain't that America, home of the free!
That post from Durkin reminds me of a question I wanted to ask. How is it that the United States Marine Corps has size limits on the size of K-bars? That is just wrong on so many levels, I can't even comprehend it. What is the school limit, like 3 inches? I would think the Corps would promote the idea that more is better!
Yeah, sorry about the timing of that Valentine's Day Card. I sent it on about Valentine's Day, I have no idea why it took so long to get there. I'm pretty sure I sent it before the magazine, but somehow the box beat the card in the great system that we all know and love called the United States Postal Service.
Dad,
The Marines in general has no limit on the size of Ka-bars, but the school, because it's an academic setting and students have too much time on their hands, says you can only bring knives that are under 3". Once you get into the fleet, you can carry however big a knife you want, so far as I know, which was why I dropped it off with guys from my unit.
Mrs. T,
Did you just make a John Mellencamp reference? Sweet.
Durkin,
Thanks for the toast. Soon enough I shall be back and we'll have to drink to the breezes.
Matt,
I enjoyed both the card and the magazine, though they did indeed arrive in backwards order. Be grateful; if the SI Swimsuit Issue had shown up after the card, I may have thought you were just trying to cover something up.
Hey, Roger.
Yep...and my beautiful cousin Pam grew up in a little pink house.
A lot of military bases have knife size limits. As far as guns go, I'm not sure you're even allowed to have private fire-arms on base, or at the very least, if you do it has to be registered. I know at Ft. Dix, NJ we were not allowed to have knives over 3". They apparently have this rule due to all the criminals and rival gangs that proliferate inside the Army.
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