How would GySgt Hartman rate today's military?

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:24:33 -0500

It's a whole different ball game these days.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Feb 29 at 2016 9:28 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:28:10 -0500

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL That sergeant sure trained performers, did he not?!

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Feb 29 at 2016 9:29 PM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:29:43 -0500

That movie with Clint Eastwood as Gunny Highway was terrible and the worse of the worst IMHO

Response by GySgt John O'Donnell made Feb 29 at 2016 9:42 PM

GySgt John O'Donnell — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:42:09 -0500

Though he's a fictitious chactacter his spirit of leading from the front is alive in all who have earned the honor of the title "The Gunny". As a Gunnery Sergeant of Marines in any era, you lead and mentor because of the mastery of our craft and the tenacity of the warrior spirit which allow us to accomplish the mission the same "today" as our brethren did "yesterday". Marines follow those that say from the front, "Follow Me"!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 29 at 2016 9:47 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:47:31 -0500

IMHO. Gunny Highway would MAYBE last 5 min before every EO/SHARP rep within a 5 mile radius would converge on him like vultures on road kill.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 29 at 2016 10:23 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 22:23:02 -0500

Ok..wait....didn't it just have Gunny Highway up earlier? I know I'm getting old"er", but not that bad...

Response by Cpl Daniel Welle made Feb 29 at 2016 10:25 PM

Cpl Daniel Welle — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 22:25:13 -0500

I am not sure about Gunnt Hartman but, Lee Ermy loves today's warriors. Every now and again you can see him at Brävery Brewing Company in Lancaster Ca.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 29 at 2016 11:19 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 23:19:36 -0500

He wouldn't last 3 seconds without an EO violation. Also, he'd get so angry he'd die from an aneurysm in the next 3 seconds for how thin skinned the Corps has gotten.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2016 11:23 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 11:23:04 -0500

Yes it is a whole different ball game these games because soldiers now a days wear their feelings on their sleeve and go crying to who ever will listen because their parents never talk to them and put them in their place like they should have been. When it happens in the Army by the older NCO's they don't like it

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2016 1:39 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 13:39:35 -0500

Response by Sgt Michael Betts made Mar 1 at 2016 2:33 PM

Sgt Michael Betts — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 14:33:30 -0500

Whenever anyone asks me what Parris Island was like when I went through in 1964, I tell them to watch "Full Metal Jacket". It wasn't about team-building, esprit de corps, or helping each other to survive the rigors of training. It was about "Do YOU as an individual have what it takes to be part of the Marine team?", and "Devil take the hindmost".

Shortly after we began training, our SDI (a master psych-out artist if there ever was one) called us up into a "school circle". He held up a pamphlet and said it was the official guidebook for basic training Marines. He said it was written by a lard-ass colonel sitting behind a desk in the Pentagon, someone who had never trained a boot in his life. He said we could train "by the manual" or by the methods he and the junior DI's knew to be tried and true. If we chose the latter, we'd graduate but be a "bunch of pussies". If we opted for the latter, we'd graduate as REAL Marines. The caveat was that NOBODY would complain to higher authority and if someone did, the rest of us would deny any such thing ever happened. Most of us being 18 years-old and dumber than an oyster, we chose the latter. We had some people who couldn't hack it physically and some who cracked psychologically but those of us who stood on the parade deck on graduation day had no doubt in our minds that we were REAL Marines.

What important lessons does the FMJ boot camp teach? First of all, that the world isn't fair and you've got to suck it up because if the enemy is killing you and your friends, there's nobody to whom you can protest. Secondarily, you are so hardened and tough that as long as you didn't give up, you could prevail over anybody and anything.

Response by SGT Robert Riley made Mar 1 at 2016 5:50 PM

SGT Robert Riley — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:50:10 -0500

The politics that are rampant in today's military would have the pogs and PC parasites come out from behind their respective pillow forts and crucify GySgt Hartman. Can't have such a Neanderthal "terrorizing" our poor little junior enlisted because they can't handle stress. After all, the battlefield is such a nice place with politically correct opponents who honour stress cards and won't yell at the little babies if they get captured

Response by SGT Robert Riley made Mar 1 at 2016 6:13 PM

SGT Robert Riley — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 18:13:52 -0500

With the politics that are rampant in today's military, the pogs and politically correct yahoos who have no true understanding of military culture, will emerge from their respective pillow forts and crucify GySgt Hartman After all, we can't have this Neanderthal stressing out these poor little entitled babies that are making up today's Armed Forces, because the battlefield is such a wonderfully stress-free environment where politically correct enemy combatants honour stress cards and won't curse at you when they capture you.

Response by LCpl James Robertson made Mar 1 at 2016 6:28 PM

LCpl James Robertson — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 18:28:06 -0500

Gunnery Sergeant. Hartman, though he were acting in a movie, the Senior Drill Instructor's in 1972, in my opinion were harder then he. Beatings and assaults were the order of the day, I've seen recruits literally lose there minds and had to be discharged. A Congressional Investigation had to be done at the end of "Boot Camp" where we were forced to lie about what happen in "Boot Camp." All Marines graduating during that time had to write a statement: stating, I have been treated well doing my stay at Parris Island, SC., then the letter were signed and sealed up under threats we would be recycled to day one, and it were impossible to leave the Island, until you testified before the Commanding General.

Response by GySgt Carl Rumbolo made Mar 1 at 2016 7:11 PM

GySgt Carl Rumbolo — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 19:11:26 -0500

Seriously, how would a fictional character rate today's military - what a totally pointless question with subjective answers based on conjecture. smh

Response by Sgt David Hesser made Mar 1 at 2016 9:36 PM

Sgt David Hesser — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 21:36:48 -0500

That movie was so close to reality for when I went thru in 73, just a lot more physical violence toward the troupes, went in with 100 in our platoon graduated 63, we went thru 9 D.I.,s 3 busted for going overboard and I can honestly say I am glad I went thru that, went from a boy to a man and went from a me to a we, learned how important it was to be part of something bigger and more important than myself.

Response by Capt Michael Halpin made Mar 1 at 2016 10:03 PM

Capt Michael Halpin — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 22:03:56 -0500

Every 'Old Corps' Marine knows we had it tougher and harder than today's Marines, but since we were bigger, stronger and tougher, (and better looking!) we could handle it! :)

Response by Cpl Christopher Bishop made Mar 5 at 2016 12:38 AM

Cpl Christopher Bishop — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 00:38:07 -0500

You are presuming he would find it worth bothering to rate at all. Ok we'll give you that much. Beyond that, the word NUMBNUTS likely echoes though the halls.

Response by SSgt Tobias Levene made Apr 3 at 2016 1:27 PM

SSgt Tobias Levene — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 13:27:37 -0400

R Lee Ermey was given the rank of GySgt by Marine general John J. Jones in 2002. Making the first retiree to receive such an .