Failure Rate at TBS

[gaijin6423]

Yeah, there were definitely some folks who needed to get dropped from my company at TBS. But they didn't. In fact, they got their first choices, despite being ranked at the very, very BOTTOM of the company. The thought of one specific individual out there, leading Marines in Iraq still makes me shudder... Moral of the story? If you have a pulse and don't literally tell your SPC to go screw himself, you'll probably make it through...much to other people's chagrin.

That being said, why would anyone want to be such a dirtbag? Your life at TBS will go much easier if you just do what you're supposed to do, and try not to make an ass of yourself.

 

[Crowbar]

Moral of the story? If you have a pulse and don't literally tell your SPC to go screw himself, you'll probably make it through...much to other people's chagrin.

No no no. That's what I was trying to get across. It may have been like that a year or two ago, but no more. Maybe it's because OCS for a while let anybody and everybody graduate, but our company is definitely taking out the trash these days. Will they graduate? Maybe eventually. But not on the first try.

 

[VAmookie]

Yeah, there were definitely some folks who needed to get dropped from my company at TBS. But they didn't. In fact, they got their first choices, despite being ranked at the very, very BOTTOM of the company. The thought of one specific individual out there, leading Marines in Iraq still makes me shudder... Moral of the story? If you have a pulse and don't literally tell your SPC to go screw himself, you'll probably make it through...much to other people's chagrin.

That being said, why would anyone want to be such a dirtbag? Your life at TBS will go much easier if you just do what you're supposed to do, and try not to make an ass of yourself.

I may be way out of my element here, as i wont start TBS until probably november, but i have quite a bit of employment experience and sometimes those people who suck @ss in educational settings really shine in practical settings. I would say this is the exception not the rule, but im just looking to give some marines the benfit of the doubt.

 

[Malice 1]

OK, so what happens to the guys that get "dropped"?

I imagine that the medical guys get recycled.
"lack of self confidence"?!?! What the hell happened to him?
And what of legal discourse? Say I get 3 reckless driving tickets in one weekend.
1) I am required to report them to the SPC, correct?
2) what the hell happens? DO I get recycled, or do I get kicked out of the USMC, regardless of my contract?

 

[KBayDog]

Three reckless driving tickets in one weekend? Uh...I hope you know the difference between two silver bars and a shiny set of silver eagles....

They are surprisingly lenient at TBS - most of the turds have been weeded out by that time, and the mistakes lieutenants make are generally for being clueless, not for having poor character.

Unless you do something criminal, or something that brings such discredit to the officer corps (fraternization, pissing yourself in front of the MPs, etc.) you'll probably get a butt-chewing and maybe some in-house paperwork. If you start to show negative trends, they will be dealt with differently (poss. drop to next company). If you do something so blatantly stupid or criminal (like what I listed above), you can expect to go bye-bye very quickly.

We had one bubba in our company who was a good guy, but he just needed more time to develop. He was dropped to the BEGINNING of training with another company the day before he was supposed to graduate with ours.

 

[KBayDog]

Don't think it's like OCS, where they can drop you because you have B.O. or something.

Sure, TBS is still a screening/evaluation process, but it's no more a screening/evaluation process than the "real" Marine Corps. In fact, you're better off at TBS - they expect and want you to make mistakes! Get them out of the way at Camp Barrett, before it REALLY counts.

Like jmw said - just do your best. That's all they can ask of you, and that's all you can give.

 

[Malice 1]

Ok, so I gotta know:

What exactly happens to the medical drops? For example: some guy has a catastrophic knee failure during his 8th week. How long will they let you mellow in Mike Co. before they boot you from the corps entirely?

 

[E5B]

...catastrophic knee failure...

Too funny!


Usually the Corps wants the Marine to heal up (or best he/she can) before the medical discharge is given.

 

[Taxman2A]

How long will they let you mellow in Mike Co. before they boot you from the corps entirely?

Like everything else at TBS- it's situationally dependant. As you might imagine getting a commission revoked is almost as much of a bureaucratical nightmare as getting a commission in the first place. Many of the "catastrophic" med drops get surgery after surgery, and don't get discharged until well into their 1st Lt years. I have seen people booted in as little as 2 months for (serious) integrity issues.

 

[3RDMAW]

Don't mean to rag on anybody, but evals in training cycle of people as bags of anything is pretty silly. After you get some time in the FMF, then you start finding that it's what's inside the person..... how fast they run, how far they march, how intelligent they are (especially using AFQT scores) is truly meaningless.
I knew too many enlisted and officers who were "marginal " that were the best Marines to serve with, and way too many TRAINING WONDERS that were useless to every judge a Marine by those standards.
If you get in your head that the people who are a little slower, or not as smart as you are some how less valuable to the Corps, turn in your bars before you get your people killed.
I was in the Corps from 69-82. I don't believe in old Corps or New Corps, or Air wing or ground. It is simply THE CORPS. Gentlemen and ladies if anyone who is trying at all in your platoon or company, is failing, you are ALL FAILING !! The Corps is where we think of others, and act for others, and aid others....especially other Marines !!
If you think someone "slipped under the radar" or "skated by" remember the same process that promoted them, promoted you! That wouldn't say a whole lot for the process.. would it ? It has the same ring as saying "they are a AIR WING MARINE" , implying that they are somehow more or less of a Marine.
When you've held a dying PFC, or walked the funeral line then think about how you evaluate others.
Till then, my best wishes go with you all. Support, help, guide, and be for others. "SEMPER I's" kill good Marines

 

[Coota0]

That's got to be the single most difficult part of TBS. Student Company Staff runs around with their heads in their butts. Until it's your turn, then you run around with your own head in your butt.

So it's like NROTC?

 

[ColdSteel]

Don't mean to rag on anybody, but evals in training cycle of people as bags of anything is pretty silly. After you get some time in the FMF, then you start finding that it's what's inside the person..... how fast they run, how far they march, how intelligent they are (especially using AFQT scores) is truly meaningless.
I knew too many enlisted and officers who were "marginal " that were the best Marines to serve with, and way too many TRAINING WONDERS that were useless to every judge a Marine by those standards.
If you get in your head that the people who are a little slower, or not as smart as you are some how less valuable to the Corps, turn in your bars before you get your people killed.
I was in the Corps from 69-82. I don't believe in old Corps or New Corps, or Air wing or ground. It is simply THE CORPS. Gentlemen and ladies if anyone who is trying at all in your platoon or company, is failing, you are ALL FAILING !! The Corps is where we think of others, and act for others, and aid others....especially other Marines !!
If you think someone "slipped under the radar" or "skated by" remember the same process that promoted them, promoted you! That wouldn't say a whole lot for the process.. would it ? It has the same ring as saying "they are a AIR WING MARINE" , implying that they are somehow more or less of a Marine.
When you've held a dying PFC, or walked the funeral line then think about how you evaluate others.
Till then, my best wishes go with you all. Support, help, guide, and be for others. "SEMPER I's" kill good Marines

I just got chills from reading that. I think they should add humility to the leadership traits.