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Making the Corps
Thomas E. Ricks, the Pentagon correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, offers a fascinating, insider's look at Parris Island, the training ground that turns out the best, most disciplined soldiers in the world. With a new afterword by the author.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
88 people are currently reading
1533 people want to read
About the author
Thomas E. Ricks
18 books440 followersThomas Edwin "Tom" Ricks (born September 25, 1955) is an American journalist who writes on defense topics. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. He writes a blog at ForeignPolicy.com and is a member of the Center for a New American Security, a defense policy think tank.
He lectures widely to the military and is a member of Harvard University's Senior Advisory Council on the Project on U.S. Civil-Military Relations. He has reported on military activities in Somalia, Haiti, Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Ricks is author of five books: the bestselling Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq (2006), its follow-up The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008 (2009), The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today (2012), the novel A Soldier's Duty (2001), and Making the Corps (1997) (from wikipedia)
He lectures widely to the military and is a member of Harvard University's Senior Advisory Council on the Project on U.S. Civil-Military Relations. He has reported on military activities in Somalia, Haiti, Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Ricks is author of five books: the bestselling Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq (2006), its follow-up The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008 (2009), The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today (2012), the novel A Soldier's Duty (2001), and Making the Corps (1997) (from wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
January 18, 2021
This book lines up pretty closely to my own experience in Boot Camp circa 1989.
September 20, 2022
A 12 hour unabridged audiobook.
Having left Parris Island a little over twenty years ago, I was curious about this account that was written a few years before my own experience. Perhaps it would rekindle my memories? It definitely gave me an insider view of the behind the scenes to boot camp.
If it was just focused on how the Corps makes Marines I would have given it 4 stars. But that was perhaps half the book. The rest covering a broader spectrum of Marine history, current events, even army training. Some parts of this were interesting but much of it was not enough to keep it at 4 stars overall. But I did like this book.
Having left Parris Island a little over twenty years ago, I was curious about this account that was written a few years before my own experience. Perhaps it would rekindle my memories? It definitely gave me an insider view of the behind the scenes to boot camp.
If it was just focused on how the Corps makes Marines I would have given it 4 stars. But that was perhaps half the book. The rest covering a broader spectrum of Marine history, current events, even army training. Some parts of this were interesting but much of it was not enough to keep it at 4 stars overall. But I did like this book.
August 12, 2019
Boot camp is iconic, maybe infamous. Boot camp is the 11 weeks where hardassed drill instructors turn snotnosed civilians into Marines.
R. Lee Ermey, in his most famous role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket
In Making the Corps, Ricks uses the journey of Platoon 3086 through Parris Island in 1996 as a lens to understand the Marine Corps as a whole, and their place in the American defense posture in the 21st century, and American society. The Marines are self-consciously about a warrior culture, the living legacy of Semper Fi, and boot camp is where that foundations of that culture are laid. Ricks is both caught up in the myth-making, he genuinely likes the Marines, but he has enough to distance to see warning flags where appropriate.
First, boot camp. The point of boot camp is to mold individualist and lazy teenagers into decisive, calm, and collectivist professionals. Every Marine is a rifleman, and every Marine should be prepared to kill, and if necessary, die, for his brother Marines. The yelling, the PT, the discipline, is all designed around this simple goal. In 1996, Parris Island had a 24% attrition rate, including injuries, psychological breakdowns, and 'Failure to Adapt'. While it's tough, it's not sadistic or particularly dangerous. We're a long ways away from the bad days of Ribbon Creek incident, where six recruits died while marching across tidal flats on the orders of a drunk DI, or the post-Vietnam funk. Ricks manages to make enough of the 55-odd recruits of Platoon 3086 individuals to give character to this transformation, without losing touch with the big picture.
The boot camp parts are interspersed with musings on what the Marines might do going into the 21st century. It's been over 20 years and two medium-sized wars, so a lot of this Clinton-era speculation feels very dated. But even with a pre 9-11 mindset, Ricks manages to grasp the essential contradictions of a highly disciplined warrior elite in a nation that is increasingly anything but.
R. Lee Ermey, in his most famous role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket
In Making the Corps, Ricks uses the journey of Platoon 3086 through Parris Island in 1996 as a lens to understand the Marine Corps as a whole, and their place in the American defense posture in the 21st century, and American society. The Marines are self-consciously about a warrior culture, the living legacy of Semper Fi, and boot camp is where that foundations of that culture are laid. Ricks is both caught up in the myth-making, he genuinely likes the Marines, but he has enough to distance to see warning flags where appropriate.
First, boot camp. The point of boot camp is to mold individualist and lazy teenagers into decisive, calm, and collectivist professionals. Every Marine is a rifleman, and every Marine should be prepared to kill, and if necessary, die, for his brother Marines. The yelling, the PT, the discipline, is all designed around this simple goal. In 1996, Parris Island had a 24% attrition rate, including injuries, psychological breakdowns, and 'Failure to Adapt'. While it's tough, it's not sadistic or particularly dangerous. We're a long ways away from the bad days of Ribbon Creek incident, where six recruits died while marching across tidal flats on the orders of a drunk DI, or the post-Vietnam funk. Ricks manages to make enough of the 55-odd recruits of Platoon 3086 individuals to give character to this transformation, without losing touch with the big picture.
The boot camp parts are interspersed with musings on what the Marines might do going into the 21st century. It's been over 20 years and two medium-sized wars, so a lot of this Clinton-era speculation feels very dated. But even with a pre 9-11 mindset, Ricks manages to grasp the essential contradictions of a highly disciplined warrior elite in a nation that is increasingly anything but.
August 25, 2017
Just did a re-read of this & it's just as interesting/excellent/compelling as I remembered it. The profiled soldier stories are compelling and the author does a magnificent job detailing their lives at Parris Island. I loved their stories and the way the author peals back the curtain and shows the reader just what these Marines experience in boot camp. It's a raw, unflinching and ultimately, sympathetic, portrait of the men who make up Platoon 3086 - where they came from, their experience in camp and their lives after they graduate (or in some cases, fail to graduate).
IT'S EXCELLENT & I recommend it to anyone looking for a great story.
IT'S EXCELLENT & I recommend it to anyone looking for a great story.
November 21, 2017
This is the best book about USMC boot camp and how Marines are made, plus a bit of information about the Marine Corps overall, the differences from other services, the role of the military in modern American society, and some problems of modern society. There are a few particularly interesting points: that the military is the best option for turning many of the bottom half of society into successes, and then that the marine boot camp method doesn't actually work any better than the more laid-back Army model, despite being far more demanding for the recruits.
It's a bit dated since it was written in the 90s -- both because the boot camp process has changed substantially (some of which was detailed in the end of the book), and because at the time the book was written, the military overall was looking for a role, wondering if it would be used again after the Cold War was over -- then Iraq (and second Afghan war) happened, briefly mentioned in the afterword written in 2007, which completely changed the US military.
It's a bit dated since it was written in the 90s -- both because the boot camp process has changed substantially (some of which was detailed in the end of the book), and because at the time the book was written, the military overall was looking for a role, wondering if it would be used again after the Cold War was over -- then Iraq (and second Afghan war) happened, briefly mentioned in the afterword written in 2007, which completely changed the US military.
January 30, 2018
The author discusses the origins of the United States Marine Corps and how it developed its reputation as an elite combat force. It follows a group of young men as they go through Marine Corps boot camp.
September 19, 2022
My main motivation for listening to this audiobook was to get a better understanding of what it's like for United States Marines to go through the transformation from civilian to solider. As this book chronicled a platoon going through the bootcamp experience only a few years before my husband, I thought I could perhaps understand his journey a little bit better as well. From this perspective, the book was a success for me. Finding it difficult to distinguish one recruit from another at first, over the course of the book to get to see where everyone falls within the pack--those who emerge as leaders, those who fail, and those who straddle in the middle. The aspects of the book which were less interesting for me was when it veered into the current state of the Marine Corps, both as distinct from the other services and from American society as a whole. This felt almost like a completely different book, and one that while interesting in some respects, didn't necessarily help me to understand the individual experiences of the recruits. However, one thing that did stand out to me from this perspective was how different military mindsets and motivations were from ordinary citizens, even 30 years ago. As a teenager in the 90s, I don't know that I ever realized how complacent and amoral society had become. The scary thing is that things have only gotten worse in the ensuing years, and I can only hope that the U.S. Marine Corps continues to hold the line, maintaining some level of honor, dignity, and respect in a place that has very little of any of those virtues.
January 3, 2009
This book was truly amazing for me. My mom gave it to my dad for Christmas, and he read it in less than two days. It's the first non-firefighting education-related or Mason-related book he's read since a true account of one of the FDNY units that responded first to 9/ll. I picked up the book after coming back from vacation, and it's given me extra insight to my father's military career, and especially his boot camp experience, which is kind of the only part of his past he doesn't ever talk about. I admit to cringing every time the book mentioned how "soft" Marine boot camp, even at Parris Island, is today in comparison to every other time in its history, but especially to the early 70's, beginning the post Vietnam era, which is when my dad joined in '71. But I thought the explanations for why everything is done the way it is now in basic training made lots of sense (i.e. - disorder and chaos and, of course, yelling to help create the cultural shift to begin turning new recruits into future Marines, but no abuse and extremely limited swearing! :) It is no longer the boot came of Full Metal Jacket, thankfully.) What most struck me about the book was how honest it was (and I could sense at some points how carefully the author was trying to maintain non-partisan), but at the same time, I could tell the author really wanted to honor Marines and the history of the USMC, warts and all. And I especially appreciated the new afterword written in 2007, which includes the opinions of some of the Marine recruits central to the original story who have since served in the Iraq War.
September 3, 2011
This book was simply "ok". There were moments when I thought, "This book is good." Those moments vanished too quickly. Ricks is a fine writer when he is telling the stories of the Marines - their lives before, during, and after Basic Training. Too frequently the author jumps on little rabbit trails and delves into the world of politics, military strategies, and outright comparison of the different services.
He is clearly biased towards the Marine Corps and says some things that are not only unflattering and insulting towards the other services but outright misrepresentations of the truth. I admit that it is possible that his material is slightly skewed because of its publication date and that the other services have changed since his writing. I admit it is possible that I am biased because I am a Soldier and did not like the disparaging remarks about the Army.
Nevertheless, Ricks should have stuck to telling the stories of the Marines rather than try to add political, military, and social commentary. At times, his commentary seems added only to increase the length of the book without adding substantively to the primary story. As I said - it was ok. I didn't hate it, but I thought he could have done better.
He is clearly biased towards the Marine Corps and says some things that are not only unflattering and insulting towards the other services but outright misrepresentations of the truth. I admit that it is possible that his material is slightly skewed because of its publication date and that the other services have changed since his writing. I admit it is possible that I am biased because I am a Soldier and did not like the disparaging remarks about the Army.
Nevertheless, Ricks should have stuck to telling the stories of the Marines rather than try to add political, military, and social commentary. At times, his commentary seems added only to increase the length of the book without adding substantively to the primary story. As I said - it was ok. I didn't hate it, but I thought he could have done better.
March 16, 2009
I don't know much about the military, but I'm curious and wanted to know more about it so I read this book. It was a really interesting account of a platoon's experience in Marine boot camp, also filled with broader discussion about the role of the military and Marines in particular. I feel like I have a much better understanding of the Marines now, although this book is a little outdated now. It was written in the mid 1990s so a lot of the author's conclusions/musings felt inapplicable given how the military role has evolved in a post-9/11 world. I'd be interested in an updated perspective.
May 6, 2008
I bought this book as a gift for a Marine friend and ended up reading it myself. This book is a eye-opening introduction to the uninitiated and does a wonderful job of showing how modern Marines are molded during training. Ricks does a masterful job explaining the complex process of shaping disparate young men into a cohesive fighting unit. I highly recommend this book if you have Marine friends and want to gain some insight into their attitudes and values.
January 17, 2009
I went thru Boot Camp in 1967 Platoon 3006. Thirty years later I read this book about Platoon 3086. I am sadden by the lack of values and morals of the young men coming into platoon 3086....but am happy that the Marine Corps now teaches them the Values of the Corps and they understood how important those values are and how lacking they are in todays society. I will always be a Marine...God Bless those young men and the Marine Corps.
January 29, 2013
Since my son is currently in Marine boot camp this was both disturbing and helpful. I now know some things I wish I didn't know, but also have information that will help me understand what he's been through.
December 21, 2021
TL;DR: What was written as current affairs is now popular history and military sociology.
In March 1995, at what we now know to be the midpoint between the Cold War and the so-called Global War on Terror, military journalist Tom Ricks embedded himself in a platoon of recruits going through Marine Corps boot camp at the famed Parris Island. Making the Corps, Ricks' account of that experience, was published in the late summer of 1997, just as I enrolled – as a Foreign Service Officer – in the Marine Corps' Command and Staff College in Quantico. Like Ricks, in my ten years in the State Department (to that point), I had had frequent contact with Marines – the detachments that secured our embassies, and my Ambassador in Jamaica, who had been the first African-American to lead a Marine infantry unit in combat (in Vietnam), and was at that time a Reserve USMC Major General (two-star).
The bulk of the book is, properly enough, taken up with the literal trials and tribulations of the 63 men who seek to gain the title and dignity of being called “U.S. Marine,” which will only come after they complete the eleven week course. Ricks, much like the drill sergeants, focuses his attention on the stand-outs and wash-outs among the recruits. For the D.I.s, those in the middle will do ok without their attention. For Ricks, the ends of the bell curve provide better stories: “reformed” white supremacists and nominally criminal gang members from SE Washington DC are more interesting than fast food employees or even a washed up accountant. And it is interesting – but is it an authentic picture of the Marine recruit in the mid-1990s? Probably not.
Where the book really disappoints though is the penultimate chapter, Ricks' attempt to predict the coming role of the Marines and the US military. Having belabored the idea that there exists a deep and widening gap between the military generally and the Marines specifically and civilian culture at large, Ricks doubles down. Earlier, he noted that the skinhead and the gangbanger agreed that a “race war” was coming to America (and that Jews were at fault). In this latter chapter, he turns to experts with better credentials but the same bigotry to argue that as the military experiences the then-expected downsizing, and American culture is ravaged by the supposed acolytes of cultural Marxism, the Marines will be called on to maintain peace and order at home. Ricks is blind to oncoming rush of terrorism, even though al Qaeda had already bombed the World Trade Center in 1993 and the USAF barracks in Khobar, Saudi Arabia in 1996 (initially atributed to Hezbollah and its backer Iran), neither of which he mentions, and the Marines suffered 220 deaths in the 1983 Beirut terror bombing (which Ricks does mention).
In that chapter, Ricks worries about the increasing politicization of individual Marine and military officers, taking as his benchmark a mythical past in which US military officers were strictly apolitical, not even voting. The benchmark, the myth, studiously ignores the real history, which saw the former Commanding General of the U.S. Army George McClellan candidacy against his former Commander-in-Chief Lincoln in 1864, General Douglas MacArthur flirt with a run for President in 1952; the cigar-chomping, fire-bombing, warmongering General Curtis Lemay's run for Vice-President in 1968; and the similar role of Admiral James Stockdale in 1992.
Making the Corps is well-written, and Ricks had almost astonishing access to the boot camp experience. A very good effort for his first book-length essay. But in the end, this is descriptive, not analytical or incisive, and it remains a curio for the curious, easily laid aside and forgotten.
In March 1995, at what we now know to be the midpoint between the Cold War and the so-called Global War on Terror, military journalist Tom Ricks embedded himself in a platoon of recruits going through Marine Corps boot camp at the famed Parris Island. Making the Corps, Ricks' account of that experience, was published in the late summer of 1997, just as I enrolled – as a Foreign Service Officer – in the Marine Corps' Command and Staff College in Quantico. Like Ricks, in my ten years in the State Department (to that point), I had had frequent contact with Marines – the detachments that secured our embassies, and my Ambassador in Jamaica, who had been the first African-American to lead a Marine infantry unit in combat (in Vietnam), and was at that time a Reserve USMC Major General (two-star).
The bulk of the book is, properly enough, taken up with the literal trials and tribulations of the 63 men who seek to gain the title and dignity of being called “U.S. Marine,” which will only come after they complete the eleven week course. Ricks, much like the drill sergeants, focuses his attention on the stand-outs and wash-outs among the recruits. For the D.I.s, those in the middle will do ok without their attention. For Ricks, the ends of the bell curve provide better stories: “reformed” white supremacists and nominally criminal gang members from SE Washington DC are more interesting than fast food employees or even a washed up accountant. And it is interesting – but is it an authentic picture of the Marine recruit in the mid-1990s? Probably not.
Where the book really disappoints though is the penultimate chapter, Ricks' attempt to predict the coming role of the Marines and the US military. Having belabored the idea that there exists a deep and widening gap between the military generally and the Marines specifically and civilian culture at large, Ricks doubles down. Earlier, he noted that the skinhead and the gangbanger agreed that a “race war” was coming to America (and that Jews were at fault). In this latter chapter, he turns to experts with better credentials but the same bigotry to argue that as the military experiences the then-expected downsizing, and American culture is ravaged by the supposed acolytes of cultural Marxism, the Marines will be called on to maintain peace and order at home. Ricks is blind to oncoming rush of terrorism, even though al Qaeda had already bombed the World Trade Center in 1993 and the USAF barracks in Khobar, Saudi Arabia in 1996 (initially atributed to Hezbollah and its backer Iran), neither of which he mentions, and the Marines suffered 220 deaths in the 1983 Beirut terror bombing (which Ricks does mention).
In that chapter, Ricks worries about the increasing politicization of individual Marine and military officers, taking as his benchmark a mythical past in which US military officers were strictly apolitical, not even voting. The benchmark, the myth, studiously ignores the real history, which saw the former Commanding General of the U.S. Army George McClellan candidacy against his former Commander-in-Chief Lincoln in 1864, General Douglas MacArthur flirt with a run for President in 1952; the cigar-chomping, fire-bombing, warmongering General Curtis Lemay's run for Vice-President in 1968; and the similar role of Admiral James Stockdale in 1992.
Making the Corps is well-written, and Ricks had almost astonishing access to the boot camp experience. A very good effort for his first book-length essay. But in the end, this is descriptive, not analytical or incisive, and it remains a curio for the curious, easily laid aside and forgotten.
November 30, 2020
"If America were more like the Marines, [Luis Polanco-Medina] says, 'there would be less crime, less racial tension among people - because Marine Corps discipline is also about brotherhood.' Jumal Flow says that a dose of the Marine approach could help people 'respect each other more.'" p. 163
My son will graduate Marine boot camp this week (December 4, 2020). While this book was written over 20 years ago, it still gives a glimpse into the lives of those who endure the grueling 11 weeks (13 now during the pandemic). In the late 90's, recruits participated in warrior week and the author noted that warrior week was being converted into The Crucible. My son and his peers endured grueling challenge in cold and mud, culminating in the Reaper, then the EGA ceremony, only to be rewarded with another 10 mile hike back!
The books gets a bit into the culture wars between elites and blue collar as well as the culture race wars. I opened my review with a quote from two men who experienced racism before joining the Marines and how the Marine culture cured much of their hatred for the "other" race. The book also spent a lot of time discussing how the gap between mainstream America and the Marines has widened. The farther the two drift apart, the more difficult it will be to staff a voluntary military force of the high quality caliber the Marines spits out.
Take this summary of a recent study: "About 75 percent of America's 17- to 24-year-olds were ineligible for military service due to lack of education, obesity, and other physical problems, or criminal history in 2009, according to a report issued by the Mission: Readiness group. Since Congress ended the military draft in 1973, the U.S. armed services depend on a constant flow of new volunteers every year. While that figure has since dropped to 71 percent, the problems with military recruiting remain the same." source: https://www.thoughtco.com/us-youth-in...
The more America's mainstream culture drifts from her founding values, the more endangered she becomes in terms of defending her freedom from outside threats. Or said differently, she is being threatened from within. The book highlights this stark contrast of Marine culture and America's culture ... and this was over 20 year ago!
I hope our nation can figure out how to tap the breaks on this slide. After watching the news for the last 10 years - watching as racial tensions rise and seeing the angst and wedge issues being driven into us, lead by talking heads and the never-ending news and social media cycle, the more I'm for a holistic approach for healing us and bringing us together as a nation. I think a required national service or short military stint would go a long way to begin the mending process. And we all could learn a lot from our Marines.
My son will graduate Marine boot camp this week (December 4, 2020). While this book was written over 20 years ago, it still gives a glimpse into the lives of those who endure the grueling 11 weeks (13 now during the pandemic). In the late 90's, recruits participated in warrior week and the author noted that warrior week was being converted into The Crucible. My son and his peers endured grueling challenge in cold and mud, culminating in the Reaper, then the EGA ceremony, only to be rewarded with another 10 mile hike back!
The books gets a bit into the culture wars between elites and blue collar as well as the culture race wars. I opened my review with a quote from two men who experienced racism before joining the Marines and how the Marine culture cured much of their hatred for the "other" race. The book also spent a lot of time discussing how the gap between mainstream America and the Marines has widened. The farther the two drift apart, the more difficult it will be to staff a voluntary military force of the high quality caliber the Marines spits out.
Take this summary of a recent study: "About 75 percent of America's 17- to 24-year-olds were ineligible for military service due to lack of education, obesity, and other physical problems, or criminal history in 2009, according to a report issued by the Mission: Readiness group. Since Congress ended the military draft in 1973, the U.S. armed services depend on a constant flow of new volunteers every year. While that figure has since dropped to 71 percent, the problems with military recruiting remain the same." source: https://www.thoughtco.com/us-youth-in...
The more America's mainstream culture drifts from her founding values, the more endangered she becomes in terms of defending her freedom from outside threats. Or said differently, she is being threatened from within. The book highlights this stark contrast of Marine culture and America's culture ... and this was over 20 year ago!
I hope our nation can figure out how to tap the breaks on this slide. After watching the news for the last 10 years - watching as racial tensions rise and seeing the angst and wedge issues being driven into us, lead by talking heads and the never-ending news and social media cycle, the more I'm for a holistic approach for healing us and bringing us together as a nation. I think a required national service or short military stint would go a long way to begin the mending process. And we all could learn a lot from our Marines.
August 16, 2020
Making the Corps was a very interesting read. I found myself constantly engaged in dialogue alongside Ricks as he follows a platoon through Paris Island. This book brought back many found (and some terrifying memories) of my own experience at Basic Training--though mine was at Lackland AFB with the USAF.
What is most fascinating about this book is that it comes in a dark and uncertain time for the US military: the 1990's. The 90's found the United States alone as the world's most dominant super power. Having survived the Cold War and watched the Soviet Union crumble, the US military found for the first time in decades the need to justify their existence. Ricks makes some interesting points about military culture and the development/progression of the civil-military arrangement. His analysis of the politicization of the officer corps was rather compelling and falls in-line with current research on the subject. He even delves into issues that have finally percolated into popular culture today such as racial divides, domestic protests, and even the naming of major military installations after Confederate Generals. I found myself shaking my head numerous times about how correct or incorrect Rick's predictions about the future were. The events of 9/11 changed everything for the US and our military. These events were both unprecedented and unpredictable, especially in the 1990's.
Having grown up in the 90's and spent my entire career in the Post-9/11 military, I have no recollection serving in a "peacetime" service. This book shows how the institution of the military struggles in those times. It was interesting to see how dark the shadow of Vietnam was throughout this book. While Vietnam obviously still looms large in the minds of those who lived through it, today's America has largely tried to forget it. Throughout my grade school and college education we barely spoke about it. Much emphasis was put on learning about early America and the two world wars while modern American history was glazed over. The similarities between America in the late 60's and early 70's to contemporary America are striking and this book helps shed light on the Marine Corps and the military writ large.
What is most fascinating about this book is that it comes in a dark and uncertain time for the US military: the 1990's. The 90's found the United States alone as the world's most dominant super power. Having survived the Cold War and watched the Soviet Union crumble, the US military found for the first time in decades the need to justify their existence. Ricks makes some interesting points about military culture and the development/progression of the civil-military arrangement. His analysis of the politicization of the officer corps was rather compelling and falls in-line with current research on the subject. He even delves into issues that have finally percolated into popular culture today such as racial divides, domestic protests, and even the naming of major military installations after Confederate Generals. I found myself shaking my head numerous times about how correct or incorrect Rick's predictions about the future were. The events of 9/11 changed everything for the US and our military. These events were both unprecedented and unpredictable, especially in the 1990's.
Having grown up in the 90's and spent my entire career in the Post-9/11 military, I have no recollection serving in a "peacetime" service. This book shows how the institution of the military struggles in those times. It was interesting to see how dark the shadow of Vietnam was throughout this book. While Vietnam obviously still looms large in the minds of those who lived through it, today's America has largely tried to forget it. Throughout my grade school and college education we barely spoke about it. Much emphasis was put on learning about early America and the two world wars while modern American history was glazed over. The similarities between America in the late 60's and early 70's to contemporary America are striking and this book helps shed light on the Marine Corps and the military writ large.
February 7, 2024
“Every Marine a rifleman” is a motto in the Marine Corps. It means that the essence of the Corps resides in the lowest of the low. (49% of the Corps are in the lowest three ranks. Yet the Marines routinely work overseas where their actions can directly affect national policy.) The Marines Corps in general, and Boot Camp specifically, is all about culture. The values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment offer a stark contrast to the loneliness, individualism, and consumerism of today’s youth. In an age where many seem aimless, the Marines know what they wall about: taking care of one another. They are mostly poor kids with lousy educations driven by a fear of failure and a drive to become Marines. Most come to measure or change themselves. Nearly half will enlist on a waiver for crimes, drug use, or medical/psych problems. They will need to earn the title of Marine and that’s why they came to Paris Island.
Boot Camp has five distinct phases. In a society that elevates the individual, they are now in a world where the group is supreme. For many, boot camp is the first time they have encountered absolute and impersonal standards of right and wrong, of success and failure. If boot camp seems to be an anachronism, it is society that has changed, not boot camp. At the end of the fourth phase, they are given their first leave. Each finds that things have completely changed. Most return saying: “it seemed like everyone was losers; they’re self-destructive”, “everyone I saw was overweight and sloppy”, “I couldn’t sit there and watch them mess up their lives”. Unfortunately, living in a culture of excellence tends to make one unfit for the real world.
Ask a soldier to identify himself and he will probably say, “I’m in the Army”. By contrast, a Marine will say, “I’m a Marine”. This small linguistic difference is significant: the first is merely a matter of membership or occupation; the second speaks to identity. The Army seems to be trying to accommodate itself to changes in society. Army boot camp focuses on training, while Marine boot camp focuses on indoctrination. Their culture is one where standards are enforced, teamwork is the rule, and no excuses are accepted.
Great book EXCEPT the last chapter was full of fallacies and false conclusions. Even after spending all the time researching, he still doesn’t get it.
Boot Camp has five distinct phases. In a society that elevates the individual, they are now in a world where the group is supreme. For many, boot camp is the first time they have encountered absolute and impersonal standards of right and wrong, of success and failure. If boot camp seems to be an anachronism, it is society that has changed, not boot camp. At the end of the fourth phase, they are given their first leave. Each finds that things have completely changed. Most return saying: “it seemed like everyone was losers; they’re self-destructive”, “everyone I saw was overweight and sloppy”, “I couldn’t sit there and watch them mess up their lives”. Unfortunately, living in a culture of excellence tends to make one unfit for the real world.
Ask a soldier to identify himself and he will probably say, “I’m in the Army”. By contrast, a Marine will say, “I’m a Marine”. This small linguistic difference is significant: the first is merely a matter of membership or occupation; the second speaks to identity. The Army seems to be trying to accommodate itself to changes in society. Army boot camp focuses on training, while Marine boot camp focuses on indoctrination. Their culture is one where standards are enforced, teamwork is the rule, and no excuses are accepted.
Great book EXCEPT the last chapter was full of fallacies and false conclusions. Even after spending all the time researching, he still doesn’t get it.
September 9, 2021
The parts of this book that are about training at Parris Island and the time immediately after are OK. They are vague and not a lot is actually said about the training. (For example, the book says they went to the shooting range for two weeks, but nothing about how firearms qualification is done.) If the author's point was to focus on the recruits and DIs, that makes sense. If that had been the entirety of the book, it would have gotten a slightly higher rating.
Sadly, the author spends much of the book - including the last several chapters - writing a political almost-rant on how American culture has gone downhill. At one point, the author points out that the Marines focus more on public relations than the other branches. This book is proof of that. Just about everything in there is an argument about how important the Corps is and why it should have a future. (The book was written 4 years before 9/11. Looking back to 1997 and the changes in the military, the analysis is amusing.)
If you want a book about Marine Corps boot camp, look elsewhere.
Sadly, the author spends much of the book - including the last several chapters - writing a political almost-rant on how American culture has gone downhill. At one point, the author points out that the Marines focus more on public relations than the other branches. This book is proof of that. Just about everything in there is an argument about how important the Corps is and why it should have a future. (The book was written 4 years before 9/11. Looking back to 1997 and the changes in the military, the analysis is amusing.)
If you want a book about Marine Corps boot camp, look elsewhere.
January 20, 2022
An intriguing look into marine corps boot camp (for men). "Making the Corps" also gave an interesting take on the peacetime military (it was written in the mid 90s), all before 9/11 turned the DoD and military strategy and training upside down. This was also written before "the crucible" was implemented into boot camp. The book further dates itself by referencing "don't ask don't tell" and some of the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, which tbh I'm not sure has actually changed much in male boot camp. Ricks did write an afterward after 9/11 though that rearranges some viewpoints and puts the book into a new context.
I felt like Ricks wrote a lot of this as a white guy looking at the Corps from an elitist white-guy standpoint--looking down on anyone who didn't come from a white suburban background, though he does acknowledge that diversity is what makes the Corps great.
Honestly, still a great read for any leatherneck or anyone interested in the Marines.
I felt like Ricks wrote a lot of this as a white guy looking at the Corps from an elitist white-guy standpoint--looking down on anyone who didn't come from a white suburban background, though he does acknowledge that diversity is what makes the Corps great.
Honestly, still a great read for any leatherneck or anyone interested in the Marines.
April 13, 2020
Ricks shadowed a platoon and their training at Parris Island, curious as a journalist what made a man a marine and how they were created. He talked about their hometowns, backgrounds and followed up on the marines 1 year later and 10 years later.
Why I started this book: I'm burning through all my Professional Reading titles. With this social distancing and working from home... my goal is to read at least another 10.
Why I finished it: Fascinating and detailed look at Marine boot camp and the challenges that the armed forces faced 20 years ago. I think that the most interesting part was the worry of losing more budget for the military, especially knowing that within just 3 years they would be swimming in funds. But struggling to find a way to victory.
Why I started this book: I'm burning through all my Professional Reading titles. With this social distancing and working from home... my goal is to read at least another 10.
Why I finished it: Fascinating and detailed look at Marine boot camp and the challenges that the armed forces faced 20 years ago. I think that the most interesting part was the worry of losing more budget for the military, especially knowing that within just 3 years they would be swimming in funds. But struggling to find a way to victory.
December 12, 2022
A fascinating look at Marine Corps boot camp. It covers a lot of ground specifically detailing the challenging day to day events during boot camp. It's a huge culture shock for these kids and most take it in stride and gradually improve to eventually graduate. There are some kids, however, who simply cannot or will not adjust to this extreme military culture. The book really digs deep into the mindset of not only the recruits but the drill instructors. It brought back lots of memories for me from my USMC boot camp experience in the 80's. Very thorough. The author digs deep into the Marine Corps culture. Great read!
October 2, 2017
Insightful
As a kid, after reading Battle Cry, I wanted to be a Marine it wasn't until I realized that Canada doesn't have a Marine Corps that this dream died. I was curious about the Marines and while this book satisfied that, I wasn't prepared for the insight into my own place of work. So much of what Ricks writes about resonates on an organizational level: how loyalty ought to run downhill, speaking truth to power creates innovation. All of this exists in the Marine Corps. Only drawback is that the book is dated.
As a kid, after reading Battle Cry, I wanted to be a Marine it wasn't until I realized that Canada doesn't have a Marine Corps that this dream died. I was curious about the Marines and while this book satisfied that, I wasn't prepared for the insight into my own place of work. So much of what Ricks writes about resonates on an organizational level: how loyalty ought to run downhill, speaking truth to power creates innovation. All of this exists in the Marine Corps. Only drawback is that the book is dated.
December 25, 2022
Good enough for government work
I was gifted this book and enjoyed reading it. As a prior service Marine, I found this book to be informative and entertaining to read. I resonated with a lot of the same reasons for joining as those mentioned here and also shared the same feelings that they did throughout the different stages of service - from the delayed entry program, through boot camp and active duty in the Fleet Marine Force, to life afterwards as we try to do our best at being civilians.
I was gifted this book and enjoyed reading it. As a prior service Marine, I found this book to be informative and entertaining to read. I resonated with a lot of the same reasons for joining as those mentioned here and also shared the same feelings that they did throughout the different stages of service - from the delayed entry program, through boot camp and active duty in the Fleet Marine Force, to life afterwards as we try to do our best at being civilians.
July 2, 2023
An engrossing book and a must-read for anyone interested in civ-mil relations. Ricks goes beyond chronicling a platoon of recruits through USMC basic training, and briefly explores broader questions like the Corps' role in the post-Cold War world (this was written a few years before 9/11), the military's relationship to the country it serves, the pros and cons of an all-volunteer force, among other questions. Anyone who's ever wondered about the armed forces' role in society should dive into this book.
February 27, 2024
This book serves as a historical account, of a random recruit Platoon 3086, formed in March 1995, and follows their progress from start to finish at the Marine Corps Basic Training Facility at Parris Island, SC. The training led by Marine Corps sergeant drill instructors would challenge individuals both mentally and physically to meld as a cohesive unit. It’s a very interesting process and the philosophy is not much different than what my grandfather Pvt. Ove Mortensen USMC observed at Parris Island in 1918 before he fought in World War I.
January 1, 2021
A good read, overall, as this was written before 9/11, and gives some insight in to how basic training is run. Things have changed dramatically from the initial writing (nearly 25 years have passed), but still has some ideas to share. The afterword has as much to tell the world about a global outlook. The author is clearly a fan of the Marines, but finds balance in the afterword, from a distance. It was worth the time, but it was also very much a love story.
March 23, 2023
A well-researched book and an author who delivers prose of deep understanding and a flowing style. One of the best story tellers out there. He approaches his topic with care and thoughtfulness. Mr. Ricks used to have breakest with company grade officers stationed at MCB, Quantico, back in the day. I met him then, and read this book then as well. Fond memories. As a non-Marine, it is amazing how well he understands us...read it and enjoy!
April 6, 2019
I read this many years ago, after boot - what stood out to me then was the relationship between the Marine Corps and the society it serves. That relationship seems to have an ever-widening gap, with the values of the Corps becoming increasingly foreign to the young people and society from which it pulls most of its recruits.
May 19, 2020
Thomas was granted full access to Platoon 3086 as they went through boot camp and got placed in the corps. Gave as realistic a picture as possible as possible of the culture of the Marines and how the Corps attracts men and boys, women and girls, from America's lower socio-economic strata, and turns them into soldiers.
May 21, 2019
Great book about marine boot camp and the process. The end was good for the time written, but this could really use an update regarding 9/11 and the results of its effect on America’s psyche and on the military. Not the same as the malaise of the mid ninety,s.
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