MIGHTY CULTURE

Why 'Crayon-Eater' is actually just a bad joke

The rivalry between branches can best be described as a sibling rivalry. We're always making fun of each other whenever we can, calling the Air Force the Chair Force, the Coast Guard a bunch of puddle pirates — the list goes on. One thing that branches can't seem to figure out, though, is a good, slightly insulting nickname for Marines.

It seems like the other branches tried to find some kind of insult for Marines but, instead, we've turned those monikers into sources of pride. We like being called names like Jarhead. It's kind of cool, really. You're saying our hair regulations are so disciplined it's stupid? Maybe it's your attitude toward discipline that has us always on the delivery side of insults. Think about it.

But one thing that's sorta caught on and is becoming popular is calling Marines, "Crayon-Eaters."

Well, here's why that nickname just won't hold water:

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MIGHTY CULTURE

5 reasons why U.S. Marines could easily destroy an alien invasion

Marines are a tribe of warriors, plain and simple. When it comes to warfare, there are very few enemies (if any) that Marines couldn't match up against. No matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, we give the enemy an absolute run for their money and make them remember why we have the reputation we do. Extra-terrestrial invaders are not exempt from this rule.

Marines don't care where their enemies come from — whether it's another continent or another galaxy, these hands are rated "E" for everyone. In fact, some might say we're pioneers of equality when it comes to kicking asses.

Here's why Marines would destroy an extra-terrestrial invasion:

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MIGHTY GAMING

The Legion was always doomed in Fallout: New Vegas

The Fallout game series does a great job of giving the player choices. Particularly, they give you the option to choose whatever faction is warring over the region of the post-apocalyptic wasteland you're playing around in. New Vegas is no exception. The thing that stands out is the fact that, out of the factions warring over the New Vegas Strip, none of them are really that awesome. The worst of them, however, is Caesar's Legion.

At the start of the game, the looming threat of a second battle of the Hoover Dam is coming with Caesar's Roman Empire inspired Legion and the New California Republic's Troopers and Rangers. Caesar's Legion, with or without the help of the Courier, was doomed from the beginning. Even if they win the battle, eventually, they're bound to fall.

Here's why:

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MIGHTY GAMING

Halo: Reach was one of the best video games about war

Despite the fan base not being filled to the brim with lovers of the game, Halo: Reach remains in the hearts of many of us gamers who dumped a considerable amount of time into the game itself. One thing that might stand out, especially for those of us in the veteran community, is how the game itself depicts war.

Halo: Reach was released nearly a decade this upcoming September, and this campaign still gets a lot of us excited. It had some good characters, each with unique qualities, and the story was amazing. The gameplay is another story, but what we're focusing on here is the biggest thing that stood out: this game is about war.

Here's why Halo: Reach was one of the best:

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MIGHTY MOVIES

Special Forces veterans were the most important part of 'Triple Frontier'

If you haven't given Triple Frontier a go on Netflix, you definitely should. If you're unfamiliar, the story follows five Special Forces veterans who travel to a multi-bordered region of South America to take money from a drug lord. It stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal, and Garrett Hedlund, who all do a fantastic job capturing the attitudes of their characters. But one thing especially helped make this film feel realistic: the presence of Special Forces veterans.

While Hollywood productions generally do have military advisors, it isn't necessarily common that those advisors take the time to work with the cast to really nail down things like tactics and weapons handling. In this case, J.C. Chandor had two Special Forces veterans who did just that — Nick John and Kevin Vance.

Here's why they were the most important part of the production:

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MIGHTY CULTURE

This is why grunts should keep a journal

It may not seem like a big deal but it could help you in ways you never thought.

Grunts may not pass literacy tests with flying colors, but it definitely isn't any indication they're not intelligent creatures. The infantry is full of different types of people with different ideologies and perspectives. Collectively, we can even develop philosophies based on our experience with the job. But what some of us don't think about is recording the thoughts and ideas that bounce around inside our heads.

Keeping a journal is more than just a method of remembering events that go on in your life. Writing down your thoughts and ideas could actually help you develop your mental strength as a warrior. Additionally, there are other benefits that come with doing this, beyond just keeping track of the one thing your First Sergeant did today that really pissed you off.

Here's why grunts should keep a journal:

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MIGHTY GAMING

This is what class an infantry rifleman would be in a tabletop RPG

A Marine Rifleman is a jack of all trades. While our job is to focus on closing with and destroying the enemy, it doesn't stop us from learning the basics of other jobs. Some times, sure, it's to fill up training time slots but, why not learn how to use machine guns or mortars? Learning a little bit of everything is exactly why the infantry rifleman would fall under the class of "fighter" when it comes to table-top RPGs.

"Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles..." Is a sentence you'll find if you look at the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook if you look under the class of "Fighter." The writers of the handbook may not have intended for this sentence to also describe the Marine Corps' main attack force but, it does a nice job of summing it up. But we're not going to stop there.

Here's why the infantry rifleman would be a fighter:

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MIGHTY CULTURE

March is Marine Infantry Month, here's how to celebrate

It's not exactly a national holiday... yet.

Okay, okay. Marines are arrogant; we get it. So, maybe we don't need to dedicate an entire month to one of the finest fighting forces on the planet. Maybe doing so will simply add fuel to their egotistical fire. But the fact is that Infantry Marines are some of the best, most badass creatures on the planet, and we're going celebrate them however we damn-well want.

Luckily, for the celebratory folks among us, the Marine Corps' MOS codes have given us a pretty easy-to-follow structure. So, we're officially declaring that March be Marine Infantry Month, and we're marking the following days on our calendars to celebrate each of the many Marine Corps Infantry sub-cultures.

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MIGHTY CULTURE

No, being a grunt won't doom you after you get out

The idea that grunts don't learn any valuable skills in the military is a huge misconception. Let's talk about that.

So, you're nearing the end of your glorious time in the military, but you spent it all as a door-kicking, window-licking, crayon-eating grunt. Your command is breathing down your neck about your "plan" for when you get out. You realized two years ago that there aren't any civilian jobs where you're training to sling lead and reap souls all the while refining your elite janitorial skills. What are you going to do?

A lot of us grunts wondered this before getting out. But, the idea that you didn't learn any real, valuable skills in the infantry is a huge misconception. You actually learned quite a bit that civilian employers might find extremely useful for their businesses. Aside from security, you can take a lot of what you learned as a grunt and use it to make yourself an asset in the civilian workforce.

Here is why you're not doomed:

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