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Marine PLC Juniors breakdown
- Thread starter LizSJM4
- Start date
JonTay
Member
Juniors is basically breaking you down and teaching you how to crawl. They're not trying especially hard to drop people (though they will), but it's more like a haze-fest/introduction. Be loud, be fast, and do exactly what you're told, and you'll be ok. It's easier than seniors, but in my opinion not as enjoyable (I use that word liberally).
Study up on knowledge and customs/courtesies beforehand (I have copies of the Jrs./Srs. knowledge if you want it), and that will save you lots of sleep. Physically Jrs is more cardio-intensive than strength. The longest hike is 6-miles with about 50lbs- not incredibly difficult. Also I'd recommend breaking in boots beforehand, - but that's just general OCS advice.
But basically this is Juniors in a nutshell:
The rules are made up and the points don't matter.
Study up on knowledge and customs/courtesies beforehand (I have copies of the Jrs./Srs. knowledge if you want it), and that will save you lots of sleep. Physically Jrs is more cardio-intensive than strength. The longest hike is 6-miles with about 50lbs- not incredibly difficult. Also I'd recommend breaking in boots beforehand, - but that's just general OCS advice.
But basically this is Juniors in a nutshell:
The rules are made up and the points don't matter.
Wow really?
JonTay
Member
Yes sir.
I might have been conservative with the weight- it was closer to 70+ when I first went but last year they started removing some weight due the number of hip fractures.
At Seniors the longest hike is 12-miles w/ ~65 lbs. The terrain/heat and compounding effects of 5-9 weeks of OCS make injuries pretty common, but it's definitely doable.... for the males.
I only mention that because I just noticed the OP is female. Hikes are a different ballgame there. The females don't receive any special treatment on hikes. It's one thing for a 200 lb male to hump around pack that weighs a little less than half his body-weight, it's another to tell a 105lb female (just for example) to keep up with him while carrying the same weight. I saw very high attrition rates for the females on hikes. Definitely practice hiking with weight before you go.
I might have been conservative with the weight- it was closer to 70+ when I first went but last year they started removing some weight due the number of hip fractures.
At Seniors the longest hike is 12-miles w/ ~65 lbs. The terrain/heat and compounding effects of 5-9 weeks of OCS make injuries pretty common, but it's definitely doable.... for the males.
I only mention that because I just noticed the OP is female. Hikes are a different ballgame there. The females don't receive any special treatment on hikes. It's one thing for a 200 lb male to hump around pack that weighs a little less than half his body-weight, it's another to tell a 105lb female (just for example) to keep up with him while carrying the same weight. I saw very high attrition rates for the females on hikes. Definitely practice hiking with weight before you go.
I was surprised about PLC Juniors only doing six miles. That's definitely different from when I did it. I agree that the attrition for females was high for stress fractures and other medical issues.
I'm pretty sure mileage was the same for jrs and srs back in 2005/2006. I guess a lot has probably changed since then so I shouldn't be too surprised.
USMCmorrison
Member
I'll be there first increment this Summer, Rah! @liz what coast are you on?
My experience is obviously dated (PLC JR 1st Increment in 1974) but talking to senior Marines, the concept is still the same. Bring in anyone qualified and interested to get a good taste and see who wants it bad enough to return. We had 1000+ in JR session and only 325 returned for seniors and they let it be known only 150 were needed due winding down of Vietnam demand signal. Some attrition was natural, but most was due to cranking on the pressure (one guy was late for a watch...actually on time but not 15 min early and fellow candidate noted it in the log so he was done...). So much for trip down Memory Lane. Just do it and try to have fun. One thing that hasn't changed is need to be in condition...don't be a straggler!!
What do you mean by it isn't as enjoyable as seniors? Also could I have access to that Jr/Sr knowledge if you've got it?
PLC question - A young man I coached in high school lacrosse finished PLC seniors last summer and is graduating college - he is commissioning in May - curious as to what the PLC commissioning ceremony is like and is it standardized or up to the local OSO. What uniform will he likely be commissioned in?
Thanx!
Thanx!
For those that don't commission at OCS, the ceremony is pretty much up to them. It depends on what uniforms he actually has. I commissioned in alphas at OCS and didn't even have blues until TBS.
I did it in 84'. Camp Usher. Don't remember a forced road march ever being called a "hike". Can't remember how long they were. It was longer than 6 miles, we did 6 mile Battalion runs. WMs (is that still OK to say?) were mainside. The worst part of the march was doing laps around the parade deck at the end of the march with your squad bays in sight.
I was a 10 week OCC guy. 15 miler was the big one for us. Wasn't the distance that sucked. It was the pace that made it horrible. Much tougher than the 20 miler we did at TBS with more weight. I just remember lots of heat casualties during that 15 miler. Saw a dude literally lose his mind due to heat. Haha. One dude finished but then decided to fall over and start twitching. Can't remember what his internal temp was, but they basically kept him around for a week SIQ to make sure he didn't die then sent him home. It was like week 8 too. Poor bastard.