No weapons for E-4 and below on watch

[BigIron]

Small price topay to have a virtuoso in every chair. It stands to reason that they don't display crossed rifles within their rank insignia, but a lyre. No false advertising.

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I didn't know that either. I see from the USMB website that most if not all members are world class symphony type musicians. Most with Masters/Doctorates in Music or Performance. I guess the money they can make as E-6 to E-9 (maybe some WO types) is better than they can get out in town doing the same thing.

From their website.....

Recruit Training (Boot Camp)

Marine Band members are the only members of the U.S. Armed Services not required to undergo recruit training.

The Marine Band's mission is "to provide music and perform such other functions as are directed by the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps." Unlike other Marine Corps musical units, the Marine Band has no assigned secondary combat role, and its members are exempt from all such training. Marine Band musicians report to Washington fully trained to perform their primary duties in the accomplishment of the band’s unique musical mission. Therefore, there is no requirement for band members to undergo recruit training.

New band members are instructed by the Drum Major in appropriate military and band-related subjects. This ongoing process of instruction gives each musician essential knowledge about his or her role in the U.S. Marine Corps.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

You guys had to memorize Marine Corps trivia at Navy OCS?

I think we had like a 30 second class on how not to look like an asshole in front of the Corpsman

Yea, all ranks, Marines' Hymn. You know since we had Marine DIs.

 

[jmcquate]

Small price topay to have a virtuoso in every chair. It stands to reason that they don't display crossed rifles within their rank insignia, but a lyre. No false advertising.

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Having seen Silent Drill and the President's Own perform a Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial, it's well worth it. Like seeing Santa Claus at the North Pole.

 

[usmarinemike]

I am really glad that wasn't part of the gouge at OCS to memorize.

And here I was thinking that all the knowledge I studied for all those Marine/NCO of the Quarter boards was only going to be useful when I was an old, old man cornering some poor 2ndLt in the cereal aisle at the commissary.

 

[HueyCobra8151]

And here I was thinking that all the knowledge I studied for all those Marine/NCO of the Quarter boards was only going to be useful when I was an old, old man cornering some poor 2ndLt in the cereal aisle at the commissary.

You are halfway there man, you probably already have the power to corner junior Corporals and below. Sadly, any rank higher than that will have developed the ability to E&E the wave of BS.

 

[Lawman]

I didn't know that either. I see from the USMB website that most if not all members are world class symphony type musicians. Most with Masters/Doctorates in Music or Performance. I guess the money they can make as E-6 to E-9 (maybe some WO types) is better than they can get out in town doing the same thing.

From their website.....

Recruit Training (Boot Camp)

Marine Band members are the only members of the U.S. Armed Services not required to undergo recruit training.

The Marine Band's mission is "to provide music and perform such other functions as are directed by the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps." Unlike other Marine Corps musical units, the Marine Band has no assigned secondary combat role, and its members are exempt from all such training. Marine Band musicians report to Washington fully trained to perform their primary duties in the accomplishment of the band’s unique musical mission. Therefore, there is no requirement for band members to undergo recruit training.

New band members are instructed by the Drum Major in appropriate military and band-related subjects. This ongoing process of instruction gives each musician essential knowledge about his or her role in the U.S. Marine Corps.

One of the guys I was in Highschool with ended up in the Presidents Own. Great guy but he'll agree if you asked him after Basic Training he never touched another weapon in his time in the Corps. He came in right out of Highschool and the recruitment process is completely unique to that MOS. Apparently you have a lot of downtime as well as the option to do what a lot of us did with our technical backgrounds from flight school, get College Credits for it. Combine that with the GI bill and yeah I dont blame them for getting their moneys worth and perfecting their art.


Side note... the Secondary MOS for the band down here is Air Defense Artillery... Yeah that's real comforting to think how often they train with that equipment and the result if they had to actually do it.

 

[SynixMan]

You want f'ed up? I paid a civilian to administer and grade and my markmanship quals in rifle and pistol. Sometimes, the Navy is screwed up. At least the former OCS CO got pistol FAM training into the course. We got exactly jack there.

 

[BigIron]

You want f'ed up? I paid a civilian to administer and grade and my markmanship quals in rifle and pistol. Sometimes, the Navy is screwed up. At least the former OCS CO got pistol FAM training into the course. We got exactly jack there.

We got pistol time at OCS (1998), but it was madness -- folks shooting up, down, the dirt in front of the targets.... Old SSGT was sweating.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

I remember shooting at OCS. Shoooooter standby.

 

[Jim123]

We got pistol time at OCS (1998), but it was madness -- folks shooting up, down, the dirt in front of the targets.... Old SSGT was sweating.

Heheheh... the guy next to me shot his target a few times, shot the dirt, shot my target (once), and also shot the target next to his (once). After all of us finished shooting, the guy two down from me looked at his target at the same time I looked at my target, and then we looked across at each other and without saying a word suddenly everything was clear. Priceless.

 

[...aywkubttod]

We got pistol time at OCS (1998), but it was madness -- folks shooting up, down, the dirt in front of the targets.... Old SSGT was sweating.

It's pretty much the same now, but they had us shooting indoors in Newport, so the walls and ceiling are like swiss cheese.

 

[BigRed389]

You want f'ed up? I paid a civilian to administer and grade and my markmanship quals in rifle and pistol. Sometimes, the Navy is screwed up. At least the former OCS CO got pistol FAM training into the course. We got exactly jack there.

Why did you even pay to do the qual? I agree it's fucked up, but you didn't have to get the qual. And if it's a required qual, you sure as shit shouldn't have to pay for it.

 

[A4sForever]

.... it was madness -- folks shooting up, down, the dirt in front of the targets.... Old SSGT was sweating.

Madness .... madness.

Last time I did the 'range' @ NUW -- out past the ol' antenna farm and golf course between the two 90 degree turns on Crosby Rd (for those of you who are 'ancient' or in the 'know') ...

A new B/N ... nicknamed 'ACE' ... who, coincidentally looked EXACTLY like the U.S. Congressman from NY's 17th district -- 'cept ACE had MUCH larger/bigger glasses:


(NY 17th District U.S. Congressman -- ACE's twin)

We were qualifying w/ the 1911/A1 and .38 M&P ... but ACE, being 'visually challenged' ... went running out to the target(s) after the range was called 'safe' -- only problem was he had a little 'list', and as such he ran to my target (I had been standing next to ACE at the firing line) ... whereupon he announced LOUDLY:

"LOOK AT MY SCORE !!! I QUALED !!! LOOKS LIKE I'M AN EXPERT !!!" ...

The MAA's and GM's just looked at the ground and shook their heads ...as ACE had only cut the paper (his) 8-10 times out of 50 or so rounds ...

 

[phrogdriver]

Having seen Silent Drill and the President's Own perform a Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial, it's well worth it. Like seeing Santa Claus at the North Pole.

You sure it was the President's Own and not the Drum and Bugle Corps? The Marine Corps Band looks more like an orchestra and has every instrument. The Drum and Bugle Corps is all brass and instruments people hit. It also has "real" Marines in it, as opposed to the President's Own.

Usually it's the Drum and Bugle Corps doing the Sunset Parades at the Marine Corps War Memorial and the Friday night parades at Eighth and I, as well.

 

[SynixMan]

Why did you even pay to do the qual? I agree it's fucked up, but you didn't have to get the qual. And if it's a required qual, you sure as shit shouldn't have to pay for it.

For my rifle and pistol ribbons. Sorry if I wasn't clear.