[Polynikes]

Originally Posted by fistVSface

I remember when I first came into the Marine Corps. Boot Camp was the toughest test of my life up until that point. It felt like 13 weeks of hell. When I graduated I thought "damn that shit sucked, but now I know what I can do and I'll probably never have to go through anything like that again." Looking back, even right after graduation, the physical part wasn't so tough. It was the absolute mindfuck of the whole situation that made it tough. Well, 10 days later I was reporting for training at the School of Infantry. We ran almost EVERY day, went on hikes that seemed endless, lived out in the wilderness for days at a time, and basically got our asses torn up for 6 months. That shit was tough. Physically, yes it was absolutely grueling. Mentally, at the time it was the hardest thing I had done, but just the knowledge that I could make it through that shit made me feel invincible. I could take on any challenge. Nowadays all that shit seems like it was easy as hell, because right after that I got out to the fleet, and that's where it seems like they genuinely have no regard for your health or safety when training, but I'm thankful for every minute of it.

Then 2004 rolled around and I was in Fallujah. There are some things I'd really rather not remember, and there are some good friends who now only exist in memories. I know quite a few guys I served with who are tough as nails that are all kinds of fucked up in the head. I'm sure I wasn't quite the same when I came back, but I'm lucky enough not to suffer from PTSD. The reason we made it back alive and (mostly) sane is because of the intense mental strain we endured through our training. Our NCO's and SNCO's never took it easy on us, and I have them to thank. The average guy off the street? He probably would have blown his brains out over there, or something would have gone wrong inside of his brain carrier group.

I guess the point of my rant is that most guys these days are pussies because they've never had anyone push them. They've never tested their limits. They've never surpassed their limits, physically or mentally. These days I'm a Sergeant so now the responsibility falls upon me to impart upon them the same attitude my superiors gave me, and as much as they'll hate it, one day they'll understand. I feel like we're the last of a dying breed and that tradition must be kept alive. There are very few truly tough men in our society these days, and I'm glad the Corps is able to recruit some of them.

Great post and Semper Fi.

You're right about everything. When I was in SOI (picked up in August of '99), we trained through 3 hurricanes, one of which was Floyd. It rained on us the ENTIRE time I was there.

All day, all night, it never stopped.

That was a humbling experience.

I'll tell you what, if you can patrol through the rain for days at a time, you're a hard bastard, especially if you're staying tactical the entire time. At about the third or fourth day when your feet are torn up and your entire body is waterlogged/pruned, all you can think about is going home and getting into a dry bed. You just want it to stop ASAP.

You're digging into your ruck to get out some gear like a radio or something, and your gloves are saturated and it feels gross, your boonie cover is saturated and it's dripping water down your body, and no matter how hot it is outside, you're going to start getting extremely cold.

Then severe hunger sets in, followed by extreme exhaustion, but you can't quit...you have to keep going.

When I was in SERE school, it was about 70 degrees outside, but it rained the entire time we were there. During the survival/evasion portion, me and my buddy spooned for a week.

That same buddy of mine...my room mate in Okinawa...is no longer with us. He fell on November 9th, 2004...In Fallujah by the way...

[Polynikes]

The Conditioning forum is screwed up and it has been for several days now.

I post and it doesn't show up, but it says I posted on the other screen.

Some weird shit in here.

[vince89]

Yeh its like that all across the Sherdog forums, you make a post and it says you are the latest poster on the main index page but then you go to that thread and your post doesnt show up for 10-15 minutes.

[Ziltoid]

Originally Posted by vince89

Yeh its like that all across the Sherdog forums, you make a post and it says you are the latest poster on the main index page but then you go to that thread and your post doesnt show up for 10-15 minutes.

Also, am I the only one that cannot see, on the bottom of the page where it says, Currently active members? I cant see who is logged in. Its just blank.

[vince89]

Yeh I think they may have gotten rid of that and some other things to save bandwidth, I may be wrong though.

[King Kabuki]

It takes self control and restraint not to follow what everyone is doing which is a manly quality in my eyes.

Of course, if you like drinking and/or smoking thats fine. But realistically, most people drink because everyone else does it and its the socially accepted thing to do.

Most people who drink, drink to get drunk.

Traditionally men who drink routinely, do so to not feel feelings.

The whole aspect of the post that was about drinking and smoking was pure jest. But make no mistake, anyone who runs around advertising how tough they are because they DON"T drink or smoke sounds like a vagina. It's something best left unsaid.

Then 2004 rolled around and I was in Fallujah. There are some things I'd really rather not remember, and there are some good friends who now only exist in memories. I know quite a few guys I served with who are tough as nails that are all kinds of fucked up in the head. I'm sure I wasn't quite the same when I came back, but I'm lucky enough not to suffer from PTSD. The reason we made it back alive and (mostly) sane is because of the intense mental strain we endured through our training. Our NCO's and SNCO's never took it easy on us, and I have them to thank. The average guy off the street? He probably would have blown his brains out over there, or something would have gone wrong inside of his brain carrier group.

First things first, as a citizen I thank you for your service.

Secondly, I'm sorry you were at Fallujah. I'm not like most people in this Country, I understand that the Military Generals are probably the most brilliant minds we have in positions of leadership, but they routinely get ignored and the Service gutted by the Civilian Administration we have.

Fallujah was a City we should never have attempted to tangle with, honestly. Those people specifically themselves are a whole different level of toughness as well, and simply would not be subdued by any regime, be it ours or Saddam's.

I don't want this to get Political, just know that there are those of us who are aware of the series of terrible positions the Military has been put in for no reason.

[vince89]

If that were the case, why do people mostly get drunk in bars and clubs? Its because people are too socially conditioned and fucked up to act on their own desires in their everyday lives, its only when they have alcohol or drugs in them that they have the courage to really do what they want. (act like tough guys, talk to women, dance etc) How many people can you say are comfortable approaching a random woman or dancing in public when not drunk and compare that to how many people do it routinely when under the influence of alcohol.

Like I said, of course there are people who enjoy alcohol and enjoy getting drunk for the sake of it - but realistically most people only drink alcohol for the reasons I mentioned earlier in this post.

Also I didnt post that I dont drink or smoke to sound like a tough guy, just giving you a different viewpoint. While Im sure the original article was not meant to be taken as 'srs bsns' it gave off an air of 'If you dont get drunk you are a pussy' which I have to disagree with.

[King Kabuki]

lol You, like the other guy, seem to be missing the jokes in the posts.

People drink in social situations because they go to the places where it's socially acceptable. But how many of those people go to bars and clubs TO get drunk? I think you're making a gross generalization in saying most people only drink to be more social. Those places designated for such activities have rules, as does regular society in-terms of walking around intoxicated, despite how courageous it makes a person.

I live in Las Vegas, this is something we deal with quite a bit. But you can rest assured the bulk of people who go to clubs TO drink, also drink at home, at parties, and anywhere else they can. They don't just drink because they're somewhere socially acceptable to do so. If that were true, then shutting down clubs would be the answer to alcoholism. We tried that in this Country once, and it failed dramatically.

[vince89]

I do get the humor of the posts and Ive read that first article a few times, agree with it and enjoy it. I also like the dirt and ice story that was posted, how I wish that was true.

[Polynikes]

I don't trust a guy who doesn't drink.

Straight up, if you don't drink, you're weird in my book.

If you don't do it, there's a reason for it, and that reason strays from the norm IMO.

I drink because I like the taste of it, and I like the way it makes me feel.

I like to have fun too.

Men, since the beginning of time, have drank, fought, and made up afterwards.

While men and women have make up sex, men and men have fights and makeup drinks.

If sex is the mediator between men and women, then alcohol is the mediator between men and men.

FACT

It is as normal for two men to drink as it for a man and a woman to screw.

So, if you're a man and you don't drink, then you are along the lines of a chick who won't put out.