| Parris Island
Graduation Dates |
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Visit the Recruit Parents Message Board. Click your Recruit's Graduation Date:
Our message boards are OpSEC compliant.
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San Diego
Graduation Dates |
Visit the Recruit Parents Message Board. Click your Recruit's Graduation Date:
Our message boards are OpSEC compliant.
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| Recruit Chat Nights |
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Monday and Wednesday
8:30-10:00pm
Central Time
For additional information about the Chat Room, please see:
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Week by Week at Bootcamp |
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Links with info for each week at bootcamp... More added with every issue!
Recruit Receiving
W9: Basic Warrior Training
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What's After Boot |
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Important links:
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| Support RecruitParents.com |
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Support Our Marines! |
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Show your support of our Marines and their families! Participate in one of the Marine Parents Outreach Programs today! Our Marines need YOU! |
| Sign Up for the Newsletter |
Don't miss our Marine Parents Newsletter!
Sign up now! | |
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Dear Recruit Families,
If this is the first edition of the RecruitParents.com Newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us and to all we extend our CONGRATULATIONS! 
You're on a new journey to become a Marine Parent. The pride is indescribable, but you may feel you are in an unfamiliar world with a whirlwind of emotions and never-ending questions.
If you've been looking for answers to your questions, we can help you.
If your son or daughter has already graduated from bootcamp, you can opt out of the "Recruit Newsletter" by entering your email address on the bottom left side of the newsletter called "Sign Up". Change your options to remove "Recruit Newsletter" from your selections and you'll no longer receive this newsletter but continue to receive the twice-monthly Marine Parents newsletter. |
| Parent Pride and the Roller Coaster |
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Becoming a Marine Parent
 When we start looking back through the family tree, most of us have a family member here and there that has served in the military. For some families, it's a sibling, parent or grandparent, or perhaps it's you who served. Some families have generations of service to the military, while for others it's having a family member serve may be a totally new experience.
Wherever you are in the above schema, one thing is for certain: it feels different when it's your son or daughter that has enlisted in the service. Somehow thanking Uncle John for his service pales in comparison to the emotions you're experiencing as the parent of a soon-to-be Marine.
And this is where the rollercoaster of emotions begins. Some of us experience pride right away. Some of us experience fear right away. Some of us experience relief right away. Some of us experience disbelief right way. Still others may experience commitment, sadness, joy, or disconnect. Sometimes the emotions change from one day to the next and even one hour to the next. But here's another certainty: the range of emotions and the changing emotions is something that the parent of every military recruit goes through.
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| Commandant and Sergeant Major |
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Learning More About the Corps
 Two extremely prestigious, influential positions in the United States Marine Corps are the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. The Commandant is nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. He is the senior officer of the Marine Corps, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Navy and commanding the United States Marine Corps. The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is selected by the Commandant of the Marine Corps and serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant. Learn more about the positions and who currently holds them: General Conway and Sergeant Major Kent.
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| Recruit Training Matrix |
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Information for Recruit Parents
 For a fantastic outline of the training your recruits are receiving during bootcamp, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island web site has an interactive training matrix. The training matrix is a day-by-day synopsis of the training your recruit will receive during his/her 13 weeks of training to become a Marine, one of "The Few, The Proud."
The MCRD Parris Island interactive training matrix for recruit training has been divided into the three phases. Use the tabs at the top of their page to navigate to the different phases of training.
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| First Phone Call |
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| Marine Corps Recruit Receiving
 All new Marine recruits make a phone call home after arriving on the Recruit Depot.
The sole purpose of this first phone call is to notify the family that their recruit has arrived safely.
Don't be offended when your recruit doesn't chat with you during this first phone call. He or she has a script to read you and can say nothing more.
What will your recruit say when he/she makes the first phone call home from recruit training?
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| Graduation Invitations |
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| Announcements Available too!
 Are you hosting a celebration for your recruit's graduation? Or would you like to announce this incredible accomplishment to family and friends? Graduation invitations or announcements are a perfect way to share the pride! The inside of the card begins, "The Few... The Proud! Please join in sharing the pride as (fill in your recruit's name) graduates from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (Parris Island, South Carolina or San Diego, California)." Proceeds support Marine Parents outreach services and programs. Order yours today! Click here for Parris Island...
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| Combat Water Survival |
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| Training Phase I - Getting Started
 By definition, the Marine Corps is an amphibious assault force. Therefore all Marine recruits are required to know how to survive in the water.
Recruits face many challenges during their 13 weeks on the recruit depot, but swim week is especially challenging for recruits who don't know how to swim.
Training in combat water survival develops a recruit's confidence in the water.
Watch the Marine Corps recruiting video entitled "Leap" for a true story of a Marine Drill Instructor who faced his greatest challenge at the pool when he was in boot camp.
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| Four Shooting Positions |
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| Training Phase II - In the Midst
 Recruits are introduced to the four shooting positions during Grass Week, training days 30-34.
A Combat Marksmanship Instructor, or CMI, teaches recruits the fundamentals of weapons safety and marksmanship with their M-16A2 service rifle.
Recruits learn how to fire, how to adjust their sights and how to take into account the effects of wind and weather. They spend hours in the four positions - sitting, prone, kneeling and standing - preparing their bodies to remain steady while they shoot.
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| Press Release Template |
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| Training Phase III - The Final Stretch
 As Marine recruits near the final stretch of training and recruit families gear up for graduation, many recruit parents think about spreading the news that "Congrats!" are in order for their new Marine.
We've had many recruit families ask for a sample template they could use to send their local papers a press release upon their recruit's graduation.
We're here to help and we have a template for you.
Visit RecruitParents.com for a press release template you can send your local newspaper along with a photo of your new Marine. Click here... |
| Hotels vs Billeting |
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| About Bootcamp Graduation
 There are many arrangements to make as you plan to travel to San Diego or Parris Island for your recruit's graduation. We have information that will help as you coordinate your trip.
Use the links below to learn about hotels in the area, as well as San Diego and Parris Island billeting, so you can make an informed decision regarding where you will stay for your recruit's graduation.
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