A Typical Day at TBS

[sgtdube]

OK everyone, I know that I am jumping the gun, but I am very excited abou tgetting back into the fleet. I go to PLC this summer and next and will graduate in 08, sigh...
I wondered if anyone could tell me what the heck goes on at TBS. I mean give me a typical day there.
S/F
Sgt Dube

 

[KBayDog]

Get up entirely too early, go to class while most people are sleeping, then stay there until about 5 or 6. Then wait around for the student staff to get "The Word" to you.

There are no "typical" days, but most days are like the one I described above. Figure 0600-1800 most days.

 

[ZGXtreme]

So... basically a just like the fleet!

 

[USMC454]

I am at TBS right now.... and was prior enlisted... its basically like being treated like a Lcpl but being expected to act like an officer. Sorry Im bitter... Ive been here too long. Typical day: 0600-1800, usually in the field every two or three weeks. Classes when you arent in the field, PT maybe twice a week with graded PT events every three weeks or so. If you live in the BOQ you basically never leave work, some retard is always busting in your room with some vital word he needs to pass or some information he needs from you. The personality of your SPC (Staff Platoon Cmdr i.e. the Captain) will dictate alot about the time you have here. But really... its only six months and its not that bad... but its worse than it really needs to be. The BS factor is HIGH so, yeah... alot like the fleet.

 

[KBayDog]

If you live in the BOQ you basically never leave work, some retard is always busting in your room with some vital word he needs to pass or some information he needs from you.

I was a brown-bagger, but that's the one thing (above all others) that drove me nuts about TBS - the lack of respect for the privacy of others. I made it a point to knock and wait for acknowledgement before I even considered entering someone's room. After all, I considered the rooms to be the single guys' homes.

99.9% of the other lieutenants would simply barge in, or at best, knock once and come in anyway. I was known for being a very, very big a$$ when it came to such intrusions.

There was one case when a female Marine just opened my door and walked into my room during chow, looking for my roommate. Fortunately, I was just eating lunch and watching The Price is Right. I read her the Riot Act, because if the tables were turned and I barged into HER room, I'd be standing tall in front of The Man.

Simple, common courtesy is all that I asked. Too bad I never received. I guess that's one of the reasons I was ranked 28/29 by my peers.

 

[gaijin6423]

They don't call them "spear" evals for nothing.

I think I lucked out when it came to most of the people in my Plt at TBS. But Fox CO traditionally has a higher number of priors than most, so a lot of people were already dialed in when it came to stuff like barracks life. It got to the point where we'd be laughing so hard at the ludicrous situation we were in (i.e., sitting out in freezing rain, just collecting layers of ice), that we'd get yelled at for not being "tactical". Which, of course, just made us laugh all the more.

Kbay, you're absolutely frigging right about the barging-in thing. It wouldn't kill people to have just a hint of common courtesy. Sh!t like that would get you knocked out in my old units, but hey, that would be 'hazing' now...

 

[skidkid]

There is a bit of method to the madness. Yes you re treated like Lcpls, yes you are expected to behaev like officers but it gives you some appreciation of the life of a Lcpl. I even found myself at one very low point saying to myself "Self, if you marry that girl you have been dating for a month or so you can move out of the barracks and get more money and life would be so much better." Luckily I didnt but I now understand the mentality and I think that helps when I talk to my Marines about such things. Its only six months and there are plenty of funny stories. Do waht the Lcpls do, go get rip roaring drunk on the weekends.

 

[KBayDog]

Too bad us prior Lance Criminals couldn't CLEP TBS

 

[skidkid]

Price you pay for who you are (heard this used in may contexts, it is basically the catch all for the Marine Corps)

 

[sgtdube]

Thanks for the scoop everyone. I must admit that it does sound like being a non-rate again. In my unit, if you were a non-rate, you got no privacy. When I was a CPL and SGT, I had the right to barge into any of my nuckle heads room without warning, during working hours of course, and that was not much becuase we were always in the grass, oh the life of the grunt...
And yes, I agree, it is a small price to pay for being a part of the wolrld's finest...
S/F
Sgt Dube

 

[Shadow9660]

Some good gouge gentlemen; I just graduated OCC 188 and I'm reporting to TBS on 6 APR ( Mike Co.) ...just a couple of questions:
1.) heard it was SEVERELY overcrowded right now, as in the gymnasium being partitioned for rooms, and 4 to a room...any word on living situations as they stand right now?
2.) I'm shipping my POV to the base. Will it be able to be dropped inside the gates, or will I have to meet it outside, and how to get stickers? thanks

Also, any tips or advice on what to expect for this cycle is appreciated...thanks.

 

[theduke]

parking stickers and stuff will be handled en masse during zero week (your first week at TBS...mostly inprocessing)

 

[USMC454]

Shadow, you guys will be in Charlie Co when you pick up. You guys I assume will be in O'Bannon Hall which techically has two rooms connected by a bathroom meant for four people. While I seriously doubt the Colonel is going to turn the Gym into a BOQ, I did hear that you guys have like 350 Lts as opposed to Alpha and Bravo which have around 250... so the likely hood of having less than four to a room may be remote. As for what to expect... you will probably hate your roomate, your SPC, and most or your squad. The snow and freezing rain will probably extend into mid june, and you will most likely break your leg on the E course and get dropped to Mike co. after about three months... Have Fun!

 

[skidkid]

That bitter as a new Lieutenant? Its going to be a long 3-6 years for you. I had a blast at TBS, yes it was crowded four Lts in my room as well as a brown bagger. They were all great guys and we are still close. I didnt particularly like my SPC but he did his job well. Great memory running inot him in the fleet when we were both Captains "Hey Dude what's up?"
I was in DC with above mentioned roomates every weekend and had a blast.
Give it a chance, learn something and realize if you act like a bitter douchebag there it will follow you the rest of your career.

 

[USMC454]

You are right, its not that bad. And yes, it can be fun a times. But I still retain the Marine's right to *****. And Im not that bitter, you just caught me at the end of a bad week. But point taken anyways........