The field...you joined the Marine Corps, so...
Why do I have to do this? I'm going to be a pilot...
Why do I have to do this? I know I'm going to be admin...
Why do I have to do this? I'm never going to do any of this shit...
Well...you MIGHT. And you joined the Marine Corps. The field can be fun! If you're going to be a pilot, or other "POG" MOS, the field may be the only time you get to focus on someone from another platoon, pretend they are an insurgent, and just let loose on your M16, or M240, and just annihilate them (with blanks). I went to TBS during the summer, so there was a certain amount of suffering that I did not have to experience, like you Alpha, Bravo, and Golf people will. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..
You will have the following field events:
FEX I-Squad Exercises
PEX- Patrol Exercises
FEX II- Platoon in the Offense and Defense Exercises
FEX III- Platoon in the Offense and Defense, but with Machine Guns!!!
Convoy FEX- with vehicles!
MOUT-Urban Operations (you'll get to sleep inside)
War- This was cancelled for us due to COVID, but I hear it's fun...
You'll also have various nights out in the field at the range, as well as many day-long classes in the field, like Engineering FEX (blow shit up!)
Most field exercises last 3-4 NIGHTS. You'll be given a packing list, and about 15 people will have tactical billets. If you are a Garrison billet holder, you may take accountability before and afterwards, but in the field, who ever has the tactical billet takes over.
For FEX I, these are squad exercises. Approximately 4 people will lead squad exercises during the day, and one will occur at night. You'll have to write an order, and then follow through with your execution. If you want to go infantry and your execution goes to shit, don't worry, a lot of people's go to shit. What you can control is your order. Make it detailed, but succinct. Trust me, it really helps to have a good order and to be a volunteer at STEX.
One assault will go into the next, so if you are a tactical billet holder, make sure your Marines are eating and hydrating accordingly. When I gave my order, one of my classmates collapsed onto my terrain model. So for my "immediate action drills": (practicing buddy rushing and all that), I literally told my squad to eat and hydrate. Yep, I said that in my order.
Some random tips for the field:
There's no such thing as too many socks. I never brought extra boots, but extra socks were a must.
Field-strip your MREs.
You'll be allowed the heat warmers. I never used them because I was in the summer, but those things get HOT.
If you go in the winter, bring hand warmers!
I never thought I would promote tobacco, but I've never seen people fiend over dip like my platoon mates. I never used it, but apparently other people really liked it.
Sun flower seeds. Along with dip, sunflower seeds, flavored, were the drug of choice in the field. I swear I saw a couple seed corners pop up, dealers and buyers alike. "You got them seeds...?"
Keep things dry. Being cold sucks, but I went in the summer and when you're wet, it sucks.
Some people will do anything for a pack of sour skittles. Or the pizza MRE. Or the jalapeno cheese spread.
Bring tent-stakes. They are light-weight, and they are useful for your poncho liner. Some SPCs won't let you make a tent, but some will.
Dummy-cord your PEQ, RCO, and NVGs. This will probably be required but just DO IT DWIGHT. JUST DO IT.
BRING BUG SPRAY. I was always hot in the summer, and roasted in my bivvy sack. I decided to never use it. Instead I slept "under the stars" and sprayed the ever-living hell out of my little area. I went to TBS during COVID times, so everyone had a mask (we didn't wear it in the field), but a COVD mask was useful when going to sleep. I may have looked stupid, but at least I didn't get bugs in my mouth and let my platoon mates see me drooling...
If you don't poop the whole time, this is apparently normal.
For all the ladies in the house, missing your period the whole time at OCS is normal. During TBS, your body decides it's completely okay. The field events are approximately 4 weeks apart so....if you're lucky like me, you'll have your period EVERY SINGLE TIME in the field. Bring tampons. If you don't get it, someone else may be thankful they don't have to have their platoon sergeant deliver them to them....
Regarding orders...for the most part, the tactical billet holders wrote orders, but sometimes the SPCs would make everyone write an order, regardless if the had a billet or not. I did. I always wrote mine in a Rite in the Rain notebook. I only wrote on the right side of the pages, and I left the left side for operation changes or instructor feedback. I was the only one I know that did this. Other people typed theirs and brought that out to the field. Pros and cons for this: Cons: if we handed it into our SPC, I sometimes had to retype it. People lost their orders or got them wet. Pros: It's easier to make corrections on the fly. And apparently, this is the way it's supposed to be done. I got praised by an infantry officer for writing out my orders. It really helps if you always have good orders. If the execution goes to shit, at least you did well on something you can control. The notebooks cost maybe $6.99, but that's less than a case of beer. Or a bottle of wine...
There are three kinds of combat orders: Operation Orders (5 paragraph), Warning Order, and Fragmentary Orders, Write your Operation Orders in your notebook. These should be detailed. A Fragmentary Order is an adjustment to your Operation Order. This should be written on the left side pages of your Operation Order. It'll be side by side of the original order. Trust me, it's easier. The warning order is posting on a tree before you read you order. It has the personnel and equipment.
Your squad will administratively be broken up into four fireteams of four people (give or take). In the academic readings, I noticed that squad exercises were broken up into 3 fireteams. So while my classmates broke the squad into four fireteams for their tactical billets, I decided to split the fireteam into 3 fireteams. Some would have 5 people, but as a squad leader, you are taken out of your fireteam. I made sure to split up the auxiliary weapons accordingly, so that one fire team did not have way more fire power than another. I'll explain about this more in the Auxiliary Weapons page. At first my squad did not like this idea, but at subsequent field exercises, everyone broke the squads into 3 fireteams and rearranged people according. In my Operation order, I would say something like, "the squad will be broken down into 3 fireteams, according to the Warning Order." Then everyone would know to look at the order posted on a tree and reassemble.
Biggest take-aways for the field:
It can suck. But it's temporary.
Don't be a jerk to your platoon-mates. Or anyone.
Bring extra socks.