Recruit Guidon marching. The platoon Guidon is scarlet and gold carried on a guidon stick; it’s carried by the most squared-away person in the platoon. But it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor; it just has the platoon number sewn onto it.

**Disclaimer ** I am not affiliated or contracted by the Military/MCRD. By hiring me prior to your event, I am your guest and there to capture your family for personal use. One or more person in every photo has an active photo release to Morning Owl Fine Art Photography or is a general overview photo that has been contracted to be taken for personal use.

Top 10 things to know for the first two weeks of your recruit’s time at MCRD:

When your son, daughter, brother, sister, or significant other sets out to stand on those yellow footprints of MCRD Parris Island or San Diego, it can be confusing to get caught up in the military lingo. This momentous occasion mostly seems like hectic confusion and a whole lot of yelling for them as well! Here are the top 10 things you should know to be informed about your recruit’s time in Bootcamp.

1. Your Recruit will arrive Monday night … in most cases. (At the beginning of every week ONE new company is formed, every recruit who goes into Boot Camp at the beginning of that week will be assigned to the same company).

2. You will know they officially started boot camp if you receive a call usually between 8 pm and 4 am (from the base, not their cell phone). In some rare cases, you may not get a phone call at all. This may be because your recruit forgot your number due to all the excitement/stress of the moment or maybe due to time restraints since they follow a very strict time schedule in the first few hours and they have to keep moving.

3. This call is pre-scripted. It will only last 10 seconds and will be a one-way conversation letting you know that they made it there safe and will contact you by mail in one to two weeks. Be ready to answer and have your phone on speaker if want anyone else to listen in. If you want to say that you love them you’ll have to talk over them; after they finish reading their short script they will immediately hang up!

4. Be prepared to NOT hear from them by phone until right before graduation. There’s a very small rare chance they might get to call home later, as a reward for performance, but not anytime soon. And always remember No News is Good News!

5. You will not get their address or information until the Sunday after they go in. Sandboxx will send you an invite to their phone app sometime later this week, then they will update the recruit’s address and all the information you need into their system which will be available on Sunday. At that point, you will have confirmation on which company and platoon they are in.

6. The Sandboxx military mailing system (App) is the quickest way for them to receive letters. It takes 2-3 days for them to get to the base. Sandboxx also allows you to track letters coming and going. let your recruit know that you can track their letters! You and your loved ones should buy a token (letter) package that best suits you. Remember, they will be there for 13 weeks, so write to them often!!!

7. They will most likely get to write you at this point (on Sunday) through regular mail which will take 4-6 days for you to receive. Also, sign up for Inform delivery with USPS. It allows you to see a picture of what letters are en route to you ahead of time.

8. No need to wonder what you can send them; they will write you and let you know what their Drill Instructors (DI’s) will allow them to have.

9. Remember they are not Marines yet! (They haven’t earned the title). They are Recruits! So always refer to them that way, especially in any mail that is sent. Additionally, they are in Boot Camp, not basic training (that’s for the other armed forces).

10. Lastly, recommended FB pages/groups and websites:

Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego 512k followers - Make sure it is the one that was created in 2010! (There are some fake groups out there!) This is the ONLY place that has official access to take pictures of your recruits while they are in Boot Camp! So, if you want to take a first look at the pictures that come out, this is the place!!! Other FB pages then share these pictures with their own groups. Each company is usually featured once every week or two. Random pictures are selected and usually posted at least once a day for all the different companies. (Of course, it always feels like they don’t showcase your recruit’s company enough!)

MCRD San Diego Recruit Family Network 10.4k members - 60 posts last month - “MCRD San Diego Recruit Family Network is a resource for families of poolees and recruits who train at MCRD San Diego. This group is administrated by the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Museum Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit in San Diego, California whose programs educate Marines, support the recruiting effort, and serve as a bridge to the civilian community.”

“The MCRD Museum is located directly on MCRD San Diego. We educate Marines, families, and the general public about American History, the role of the Marine Corps, and the Core Values of honor, courage, and commitment. We look forward to your visit on Family Day!”

MCRD Families and Friends 2.2k members - 350 posts last month - “This room is for the families and friends of those pursuing the title of United States Marine. “ (so this is a good place to get some good advice and some good photos towards the end of boot camp, including class photos!)

Marine Corp Recruit Family support MCRD San Diego 1.4k members - 90 posts last month “This is a closed group for Marine Corps Recruit's family members to gather for support & help get answers for commonly asked questions. As a Marine son & parent myself, I have decided to invest time to return the support that my group gave me. There are no affiliations, endorsements, licenses, or official connections at present to this group.”

Semper Familia _____ Company San Diego (insert company name after Familia once you know it) Bravo (1k) Charlie (1k) Lima (1.2k) “All administrators have been through their own boot camp experience as a parent, and are experienced in helping others in their journey. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Marine Corps. We welcome you and invite you to join us. Please answer the questions in order to be admitted. Email: semperfamilia@yahoo.com”

Battalion MCRD San Diego - Offical marineparents.com groups: 1st Battalion (4k) 2nd Battalion (5.1k) 3rd Battalion (4.4k) “Welcome to the MarineParentsinc.com family. We've been helping recruit and Marine family members since January 2003. We're glad you've found a Place to Connect & Share® and look forward to getting to know you during this 13-week journey. To find information specific to YOUR recruit's training, please go to the "UNITS" section of this group to locate his/her COMPANY. You'll also see "images" with your recruit's company name in the group discussion.”

GFs Fiancees & Wives of Recruits (3.3k) official marineparents.com group for significant others.

(Check these sites right after they go in, You will be able to see which new Company was formed that day, chances are that your recruit is in that new company, but of course, it won’t be confirmed till you get his or her address from Sandboxx).

Websites/links:

Sandboxx “Navigate your military career with confidence, and keep your loved ones connected with Sandboxx. From recruitment to retirement, Sandboxx supports you through your journey – giving you access to career content, lifestyle utilities, and more.”

Recruit training Summary by week from Marines’ official website.

Feel free to ask more questions and give more suggestions in the comments.

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