g0at Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) I am currently elisted in the DEP program, Marine Corps. Of course I do not have the support of my parents, but I will soon find out if DCI has aided me in Boot camp. My only worries is not getting sent to IRAQ, but not getting the job I want. Edited November 14, 2005 by TealMello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I've been fortunate to receive a number of such stories which ended up in the DCI.org Fanfare column. Drum corps is great preparation for the military. Most have said that boot camp was nothing compared with all-day rehearsals in the hot sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Bennett3rd Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Did you by chance get your marching training in Dutch Boy ? B) Dutch Boy was where I first had my own spot, but I marched with a local fife and drum corps for 4 years prior. I also hung out at Sunriser rehersals, filling spots in practice and learning how the BIG PICTURE worked. I was lucky enough to have a HALL OF FAMEr under the same roof. THANKS DAD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Bennett3rd Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I am currently elisted in the DEP program, Marine Corps. Of course I do not have the support of my parents, but I will soon find out if DCI has aided me in Boot camp. My only worries is not getting sent to IRAQ, but not getting the job I want. What job are you looking for? Do you have a CONTRACT yet? Don't let the recruiters tell you where to go... if it were up to them, I would have been in a BAND in GUAM. Because I had contact with the Drum and Bugle corps, they helped me negotiate the recruiter fiasco and I got exactly what I wanted WITH A GUARANTEE. Don't let the slick talk fool you. Good luck (future) Devil Dog... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I went into Air Force Basic a couple of months after 84 finals....it was like summer camp after months of rehersing at Mars and on tour... One day they re teaching the flight how to march, do facing movements and direction changes on the march...alll of which are 2nd nature to people like us...so I'm kinda zoning. Flight 1st Sgt. walks by, notices my lack of attentiveness, and calls me to the front of the flight, thinking to make an example of me. He demands to know why I'm not paying attention...I tellhim (after the proper reporting statement, of course) that I'd been marching competitively for 8 years and just came off a season with a 5 time world champion drum and bugle corps. "All right, Airman...drill down!" He put me through the paces....but I nailed everything. He just stands there for a moment, and turns to address the flight. "If anyone has troubles marching, see this Airman." And he just walked off! Some of my flightmates -- who had never been in a real pressure situation -- asked me later how I could've been so calm. I just told them when you perform in front of 30,000+ screaming people in competition for a world championship, having the guy with the Smokey the Bear hat in your face was nothin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 The marching thing was cool, but my drill instructors all said I moved TOO smoothly and it didn't look like everybody else. They soon realized that I just marched better than the platoon. Ha! My drill sergeants in basic training called me a little NAZI because of my technique. They obviously didn't know what they were talking about. Since then, I've always reference military marching as "just walking in step". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle z Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 <==uncle z was lucky enough to be placed in the squad behind the guy that COULDN'T march to save his life. I spent the first two weeks kicking him in the bottom of the feet to get him in step so that he wouldn't be recycled. And what thanks did I get??? KP duty on Columbus Day--while the rest of the basic training brigade got to go drink beer at the PX. :( Drum Corps didn't help a lot when I went to Language School, either. But that year spent in Monterey was kewl, nonetheless!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodave Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 I marched prelims in august 1982. I Joined the army and left october 20th a mere 60 days later. I went to basic training at fort dix NJ...piece of cake. the road marches..the excercising....the yelling and screaming.... the sleeping in the woods.....a breeze compared to the previous 6 years of drum corps. I mean jeez...the army shuts down on saturdays and sundays..does everyone know that? wanna start a war? do it on a saturday, sunday or holiday, cuz the army isn't home. for one thing.. I could march on day one. Not only could I march, but better than anyone there. Yes the army marches..but its a very sluggish sort of marching. No snap. No perfection. No one cares. Unless of course you're part of some special army drill team or something. another...discipline. I couldn't believe what it took for some of the other guys to get some. some guys never even made it through basic training- sent home crying. The army for me was extremely easy. I excelled at everything I did. I stayed until 1989- a little more than 7 years - (missing all of those great years of drum corps.) Drum corps made me self disciplined, motivated, goal oriented. The army was just a place I got to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 BUMP !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobH Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 I think so! Went to the U.S. Naval Academy in 73, tried out for the Drum and Bugle Corps on snare and I guess they hadn't had a former Drum Corps member in their ranks, so I spent the next 4 years between studying Ocean Engineering working very hard on (pre DCI) "drum corps stuff" - high mark time, loud horns, M&M, color guard stuff, writing music, doing halftime shows, traveling to places to perform, worrying about everything and everyone, putting up with an awful lot of crap, living a life that most drum corps members today couldn't tolerate, but ended up ok, I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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