Posted: 9/14/2012 10:14:24 PM EDT
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Besides the whole Leonard thing, how accurate is the depiction of basic?
R Lee Emey is totally badass. Are all drill instructors somewhat similar? |
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The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. |
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The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. And the only time a recruit gets ammo is at he range under watchful eyes (which is the best time because the DIs aren't present, probably for good reason). |
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Quoted: Quoted: The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. And the only time a recruit gets ammo is at he range under watchful eyes (which is the best time because the DIs aren't present, probably for good reason). You can get live ammo off the range. I found a couple of live rounds while were policing up the brass. It would have been easy to keep them hidden, but that would be just crazy. I dutifully turned them in. |
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The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. And the only time a recruit gets ammo is at he range under watchful eyes (which is the best time because the DIs aren't present, probably for good reason). You can get live ammo off the range. I found a couple of live rounds while were policing up the brass. It would have been easy to keep them hidden, but that would be just crazy. I dutifully turned them in. For me it was summer of '73 at Parris Island. I don't remember us wearing silver painted helmet liners, but I'm old and have lost a few steps. We were issued deuce gear, but rarely wore the helmets. Vast majority of the time it was just our utility cover (unstarched). I was impressed with how accurately the confidence course was portrayed. We did have an "obstacle course" similar to the ones you see in the army movies behind the "H" shaped building that house the three floors of squad bays. It was used mainly to keep the prives busy if the training schedule had some slack (I was a "scribe" and made up the copies of each day's training schedule on 3X5 cards for distribution to each of the Drill Instructors and we never had a slot for using it). I thought the movie was pretty much on. Not enough beatings. In any case the Senior Drill Instructor would never engage in it. The role of the heavy was left to one of the Drill Instructors. Although different Drill Instructors did seem to have the ass for certain individuals. We lost a set of DIs because some whiny wieny wrote his mama (whose brother happened to be a US Congressman). That was interesting. |
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The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. It was all shot in England. Kubrick does not leave England. The only film in the movie from SC was Archive Footage. The rest was England http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093058/locations |
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I went to boot camp in September 1979 and the boot camp scenes from FMJ are highly accurate. I still get the heebee-jeebies watching the boot camp scenes! LOL!
When I went through we had three DI's; one senior DI and two assistants. In boot camp, whenever you were talking to a DI, the first word out of your mouth was "sir" and the last word out of your mouth was "sir". |
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Is it just me, or does that act only work on kids? I mean, 18-21, guys like would probably have freaked me out. By 22, I was running around the ghetto whacking skels in the head with a handgun. Yell at me like that, I'd laugh. It's almost like a magic trick. Once you know the secret, it's not so amazing anymore. |
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Quoted: Is it just me, or does that act only work on kids? I mean, 18-21, guys like would probably have freaked me out. By 22, I was running around the ghetto whacking skels in the head with a handgun. Yell at me like that, I'd laugh. It's almost like a magic trick. Once you know the secret, it's not so amazing anymore. The thing is, you are isolated within an environment that is structured, and controlled. You are at the bottom, the D.I. is at the top. It's funny, even at 18. They come off with the most off the wall, and colorful phrases. Things that would leave a literary master awe struck. You know that they really can't kill you (and get away with it). However, they've been working a system for generations that is part science, and another part art. Go ahead and laugh. When he says he will PT you until your ass is sucking buttermilk, I don't really know what that means. I do know what it means to be PT'd until you collapse into a pool of your own sweat and vomit. After that, your sense of humor changes a bit. You start to take them pretty seriously. If you're smart, you accept the fact that you volunteered for the challenge, and you have to go along with the program to meet that challenge. Edit; By "PT" I mean that there is a very common, hourly spectacle that goes in USMC recruit squadbays. Something that I've never seen captured or documented in any USMC based film or T.V program. Which is odd to a Marine, because you can't really capture the true essence of recruit training without it. It's called "The quarter deck". It's a slice of concrete at the end of the squadbay dividing the D.I. office, from the head. Recruits that require some sort of discipline or motivation, or those who have committed some minor infraction are called up either individually or in groups to perform any manner of exercises that the D.I. may command, at any cadence he desires, for whatever duration he is allowed (time in the training cycle dictates). You will be ordered to perform a seamless transition of mountain climbers, side straddle hops, leg lifts, bends and thrusts, push ups, sit ups, etc., over and over again. All with the D.I. standing over you, accusing you of going to slow, as he ups the cadence. Stop, and start all over again. By the time he's finished, you're completely spent. |
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Is it just me, or does that act only work on kids? I mean, 18-21, guys like would probably have freaked me out. By 22, I was running around the ghetto whacking skels in the head with a handgun. Yell at me like that, I'd laugh. It's almost like a magic trick. Once you know the secret, it's not so amazing anymore. For starters, you have to want to be a Marine, and that's the price you have to pay. Many have paid it before you, and many will after you. Big difference between that, and not letting some fucker just yell at you for kicks. Also: Wow! That's a lot of code in your post. |
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Quoted: So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! In Recruit Training the Recruit is the absolute lowest form of life on the face of the earth "Lower than whale shit at the bottom of the ocean." every Marine regardless of rank , every sailor regardless of rank, every civilian employee, everyone on the Depot is sir or m'am to a recruit. |
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Quoted: My Dad went into MCRD SanDiego in 66. As far as the boot camp scene, was spot on accurate for how the D.I. were with him. My climbing buddy went to MCRD San Diego in 97 and had not scene the movie before boot camp, said it was spot on also. Um, no. Drill Instructors who slugged and choked recruits would be kicked out back when I was in boot camp in 1980. Now the eloquent and creative use of the f-word and hilarious insults towards recruits? Yeah, I can see that happening. |
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Quoted: Quoted: The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. And the only time a recruit gets ammo is at he range under watchful eyes (which is the best time because the DIs aren't present, probably for good reason). Those practices were instituted because some recruits did the same thing Private Pyle did during Viet Nam.  One of my DIs said when he was in boot camp (around 1970) a recruit loaded a full mag and went crazy on the rifle range. Killed a couple of DIs before they stopped him. |
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Quoted: So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! A recruit is required to call everyone "sir", even Lance Corporals and PFCs, because they are Marines and he is not. |
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So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! A recruit is required to call everyone "sir", even Lance Corporals and PFCs, because they are Marines and he is not. Isn't it correct in the Army to call them Sargent? |
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The movie created a very accurate atmosphere. Ermey of course was spot on as a D.I., but he was pretty much all D.I.'s rolled into one. Also, in reality, a platoon has 3 to 4 D.I.'s that often work in pairs, and are sometimes all present for most of the training day. Also, recruit platoons train in groups of 4 called a series. So, there is often 3 other platoons close by going through the same training cycle. The sets, and costuming were near perfect for the era. The details such as the silver painted helmet liner aka Chrome Dome, on the firewatch was a good detail, except that during summer months, every recruit at Parris Island had to wear one. The cleaning of the squad bay, the skivvies, the foot locker contents. It was all very accurate, but not quite perfect, because most of the film was shot in England. The obstacle/confidence course had accurate layouts, but the surrounding scenery was all wrong. Also, the scene where Pyle kills Hartman could never have happened. Recruits turn their rifles in days before graduation, and Joker narrates that it's the night before graduation, and he draws firewatch. And the only time a recruit gets ammo is at he range under watchful eyes (which is the best time because the DIs aren't present, probably for good reason). Those practices were instituted because some recruits did the same thing Private Pyle did during Viet Nam.
One of my DIs said when he was in boot camp (around 1970) a recruit loaded a full mag and went crazy on the rifle range. Killed a couple of DIs before they stopped him. Damn, do you have any info on that? |
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Drill Instructors have endless energy. I never could figure out where they stored it all 
ETA: I spent my fair shair of time in the "classroom" 
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My Dad went into MCRD SanDiego in 66. As far as the boot camp scene, was spot on accurate for how the D.I. were with him. My climbing buddy went to MCRD San Diego in 97 and had not scene the movie before boot camp, said it was spot on also. Um, no. Drill Instructors who slugged and choked recruits would be kicked out back when I was in boot camp in 1980. Now the eloquent and creative use of the f-word and hilarious insults towards recruits? Yeah, I can see that happening. My SDI stabbed me in the neck with his sword in Jan of 1991
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: My Dad went into MCRD SanDiego in 66. As far as the boot camp scene, was spot on accurate for how the D.I. were with him. My climbing buddy went to MCRD San Diego in 97 and had not scene the movie before boot camp, said it was spot on also. Um, no. Drill Instructors who slugged and choked recruits would be kicked out back when I was in boot camp in 1980. Now the eloquent and creative use of the f-word and hilarious insults towards recruits? Yeah, I can see that happening. My SDI stabbed me in the neck with his sword in Jan of 1991 A punitive measure? |
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So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! A recruit is required to call everyone "sir", even Lance Corporals and PFCs, because they are Marines and he is not. Isn't it correct in the Army to call them Sargent? We said "Drill Sergeant" or "First Sergeant", and then whatever their last name was. Go ahead and say their last name without that prefix, see what happens. 
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My Dad went into MCRD SanDiego in 66. As far as the boot camp scene, was spot on accurate for how the D.I. were with him. My climbing buddy went to MCRD San Diego in 97 and had not scene the movie before boot camp, said it was spot on also. Um, no. Drill Instructors who slugged and choked recruits would be kicked out back when I was in boot camp in 1980. Now the eloquent and creative use of the f-word and hilarious insults towards recruits? Yeah, I can see that happening. My SDI stabbed me in the neck with his sword in Jan of 1991 A punitive measure? I was out of step with the rest of the platoon during drill. 
ETA: He is a retired SgtMaj now. I saw him back in 2005 at TBS. |
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So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! A recruit is required to call everyone "sir", even Lance Corporals and PFCs, because they are Marines and he is not. Isn't it correct in the Army to call them Sargent? We said "Drill Sergeant" or "First Sergeant", and then whatever their last name was. Go ahead and say their last name without that prefix, see what happens. I meant that Marines call their DI Sir and the Army Sargent, or First Sargent, etc. I didn't think an Army recruit called their Sargents Sir but Marines do. |
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So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! A recruit is required to call everyone "sir", even Lance Corporals and PFCs, because they are Marines and he is not. Isn't it correct in the Army to call them Sargent? We said "Drill Sergeant" or "First Sergeant", and then whatever their last name was. Go ahead and say their last name without that prefix, see what happens. I meant that Marines call their DI Sir and the Army Sargent, or First Sargent, etc. I didn't think an Army recruit called their Sargents Sir but Marines do. Marines = sir or you get a kiwi monster on your back side. Well not a kiwi monster anymore
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Quoted: Drill Instructors have endless energy. I never could figure out where they stored it all ETA: I spent my fair shair of time in the "classroom" Or how it was rare to see them in sweaty Charlies. How the fuck did they not sweat in the middle of July  |
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Drill Instructors have endless energy. I never could figure out where they stored it all
ETA: I spent my fair shair of time in the "classroom" Or how it was rare to see them in sweaty Charlies. How the fuck did they not sweat in the middle of July
Scotch Guard |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Drill Instructors have endless energy. I never could figure out where they stored it all ETA: I spent my fair shair of time in the "classroom" Or how it was rare to see them in sweaty Charlies. How the fuck did they not sweat in the middle of July Scotch Guard Ha, no shit. |
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DI's retain a god-like stature for most recruits. It was fairly accurate, although you see a lot more of your other drill instructors than just your senior. My dad was an army drill. He went through basic in late 50s and said it was similar to his experience though his drills had less profanity and more professionalism. They weren't called drills then,btw. The punching etc happened when he was a recruit but he said only for a serious fuck up that they really wanted you not to do again. He said when he became a drill he didnt yell near as much as Hartmann. Nor curse as much. Because he didn't have to. He established early on that he meant business and lots of yelling was not necessary. And he would in fact punch someone who deserved it. Though that wasn't often. And he usually had another drill with him and occasionally two. Though during Vietnam staffing was very lean. |
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So why do they call their DI Sir when he is a sergeant? Some depictions of basic have the DI yelling don't call me sir, I work for a living!! A recruit is required to call everyone "sir", even Lance Corporals and PFCs, because they are Marines and he is not. Isn't it correct in the Army to call them Sargent? We said "Drill Sergeant" or "First Sergeant", and then whatever their last name was. Go ahead and say their last name without that prefix, see what happens. We would get wrecked if we used their name to them directly. We could say a DS's last name to another DS, but never to the one you were talking to. I thought OSUT was kind of fun other than the suck that was Fort Knox. Drill Sergeants are the most hilarious people i've ever encountered in the military. I used to be our old 1st sergeants driver (former drill sergeant), and my current TC is a former Drill Sergeant, they both said it wore them out. |
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Drill Instructors have endless energy. I never could figure out where they stored it all
ETA: I spent my fair shair of time in the "classroom" Or how it was rare to see them in sweaty Charlies. How the fuck did they not sweat in the middle of July
Scotch Guard Ha, no shit. I was never a drill instructor but have been told that my friends that were. Who would have guessed? 18 or 19 year old looking at the SUPER HUMAN not a drop of water on them. Cool dudes 
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