5 problems infantry Marines will understand
SUMMARY
Marine infantrymen thrive on hardship. Whether it's training and deploying to austere environments, learning to do more with less, or figuring out how to catch Z's anywhere, grunt life in the infantry is very different from the rest of the Marine Corps.
There are also some problems specific to the infantry community. We came up with five, but if you can think of some more, leave a comment.
1. Physical training often consists of "death runs" and they feel just like it sounds.
Physical training is a part of being a Marine, but it's much more demanding as an infantryman. Life in the grunts usually means waking up early to go on a "death run," which isn't that far off the mark. While the Marine physical fitness test (PFT) has a timed three-mile run, grunts can expect to go way beyond that.
On "death runs" that I've personally been on — also known jokingly as "fun runs" — our platoon commander or platoon sergeant would take us on runs over the seven-mile mark at an insane pace. And for extra fun, sometimes we wore gas masks. Gotta love it.
2. Your platoon commander is guaranteed to get you completely lost at some point.
When he's not running you into the dirt, your platoon commander is supposed to be planning missions and leading. But sometimes that means leading you into who-knows-where. It's a running joke that second lieutenants are terrible at land navigation, but it's not that far off. He's guaranteed to get you lost at least once. Let's just hope it only happens in training.
3. I hope you're ready for the non-grunt company First Sergeant who wants to "get back to the basics."
Infantry Marines hold the 0300 military occupational specialty, as do their officers with 0302. But since company first sergeants perform mostly administrative duty (compared to Master Sergeants who remain in their field), they aren't required to hold the infantry MOS. Although plenty of them do come up from the infantry ranks, some come from completely unrelated fields.
Grunt first sergeants are usually focused on the mission of the infantry (locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy), but first sergeants outside of the MOS sometimes focus on "getting back to the basics" — aka cleaning the barracks, holding uniform inspections, and marching properly. These are all good things for junior Marines to be exposed to in their careers. Just don't expect them to like it.
4. Excuse me sir, do you have a moment to talk about prickly heat?
Training in the field can lead to some weird physical problems for grunts. In humid places, Marines can expect something called "prickly heat" — a very annoying rash that develops after sweating profusely. When you're out in the field for days or weeks and not able to take a shower, that tends to happen quite a bit.
Then of course, there's that terrible smell you develop. But luckily, you're around a bunch of other people who smell terrible so you don't even notice. Great success!
5. Range 400.
This legendary training range is a rite of passage for infantry Marines. With machine guns firing over their heads and mortars dropping down in support, grunts rush forward to attack a fortified "enemy" position in 29 Palms, California. It sounds awesome, and it is. It's also an ass kicker.
"It's the only range in the Marine Corps where overhead fire is authorized," Capt. Andy S. Watson explained in a Marine Corps news release. "We are also granted a waiver to close within 250 meters of 81mm mortar fire. Normally, it is only 400 meters. Therefore, Range 400 gives Marines a realistic training experience of closing close into fires. They can't get that anywhere else in the Marine Corps."
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