Commuting - Hey everyone!

Hey everyone. I'm joining the Marines and won't need my beloved Marin Novato any more. I'd really like for someone that will use it to have it. Thanks!

Can't afford the bike, but please accept my humble gratitude and thanks for joining up, serving our country, and protecting the freedom we enjoy.

You are doing an awe-inspiring and humbling thing.

You should post this over in the for sale forum.

Hey everyone. Read my sig! I'm joining the Marines and won't need my beloved Marin Novato any more. I'd really like for someone that will use it to have it. If anyone wants it, please PM me! Thanks!

I did that in 1980. The Marine Corps is exactly what you make of it. Best thing I have ever done. It straightened me out and made me look at almost everything differently at least for the last 24 or so years. Good luck and make it a very good thing for you too.:thumb:

Semper Fi from a former 0311/0321. Best of luck! :thumb:

Wow! Iam in awe. Thank you for serving our great country!

Thank you for serving your country. Good luck with the bike sale and with boot camp. You could also try Craigslist, as well. Suggestion: start ramping up your running miles slowly now to avoid shin splints, etc.

I remember the first time I kinda offhandedly mentioned my plans to someone, someone I didn't even know, and how I got the most sincere, heart felt thanks in reply. It completely rocked me back on my heals. I don't know if I'll ever completely get used to it but I do my best to be humble in return.


Can't afford the bike, but please accept my humble gratitude and thanks for joining up, serving our country, and protecting the freedom we enjoy.

You are doing an awe-inspiring and humbling thing.

It's my pleasure. I have a culinary arts degree but I've still been considering it for years now. It's one of those things that just keeps coming up and won't get out of my mind. I just got tired of what I was doing and where I was in life so I made the decision.

Thank you so much.


Thank you for serving your country. Good luck with the bike sale and with boot camp. You could also try Craigslist, as well. Suggestion: start ramping up your running miles slowly now to avoid shin splints, etc.

I'm not TOO dead set on selling the bike cuz I really like it and I know I'll more than likely use it later on so I'm not going to be too heart broken if no body buys it. It'd help a lot (consider it a military support donation?...lol) but isn't completely vital or anything.

I've been going to the gym since March (I think...) for reasons completely unassociated with the military (I was getting too damn fat) and started running around august I guess. Funny you mention shin splints...MAN do I get that **** bad some times. It's getting better but that first time was a bit rough. I'm doing surprisingly well as far as all the physical stuff goes. Doing half the stuff I do now with ease 6 months ago would have killed me.

One thing that keeps me going a bit is the fact that the only thing you can prepare for at all is the physical aspect of it all. My plans are to get far enough along by the time I leave that I can use the morning PT time as more of a therapy and break from the crazyness than a torture session.


You should post this over in the for sale forum.

Tried...I have to pay $25 to be able to. Spending money to be able to try to make it seems like a cop out.


I did that in 1980. The Marine Corps is exactly what you make of it. Best thing I have ever done. It straightened me out and made me look at almost everything differently at least for the last 24 or so years. Good luck and make it a very good thing for you too.:thumb:

I need not ask you if you'd do it again, then...lol I know the mental aspect of it is huge and I think my mind couldn't be in a better place. I really am looking forward to the whole thing...the challenge of it, especially. I'm 25 now, so I really think it's a little easier for me in some ways, but I couldn't imagine doing something like this as a kid straight out of highschool or as someone that enlisted spur of the moment. I'll be ready...as ready as possible, at least. I feel bad for the many that aren't when they go.


Semper Fi from a former 0311/0321. Best of luck! :thumb:

Awesome! I should be 4067 but I'm kinda of entertaining the thought of driving tanks or being a combat engineer or something. Not 100% sure yet. Semper Fi, Marine!


Wow! Iam in awe. Thank you for serving our great country!

I look forward to it!

The responses I've gotten in this thread were completely unexpected. Thank you all so much.

Brent Bialik
USMC Recruit

Keep the bike, even if you have to put it in storage for a while. You don't think I did 20 without riding do you?

0311 for 6 yrs, then 2336 for the remainder.

Thanks and Semper Fi

"You earned the title "Marine" upon graduation from boot recruit training. It wasn't willed to you; it isn't a gift. It is not a government subsidy. Few can claim the title; no one can take it away. It is yours forever."

Semper Fi, amigo.

I sold a drum set when I joined the Air Force and wish I didn't. Good luck with boot camp!

BTW you don't need money anymore! All necessitates will be provided! Plenty of exercise!

yeah, don't sell the bike if you don't have to. All my bikes made it through my time in the Air Force.

I am totally ignorant of military rules. Do they not let members ride bikes?

Best of luck and carry on the tradition.
Semper Fi !!
P.I. 1967

Wow...lots of prior/current military on these boards! Very cool.

So I'm not going to sell my beloved Marin. You guys talked me out of it...lol

Thanks all for the good wishes!

Semper Fi!

--Brent Bialik

Another former Marine here with a bit more advice. Don't just run. Do situps and pullups too. I'm not sure if it's changed, but when I was in, a perfect score was 3 miles in 18 minutes, 100 situps in 2 minutes (I think), and 20 pullups.

Also, no matter how much you prepare, you will never be able to "use the morning PT time as more of a therapy and break from the crazyness than a torture session". The DI's will see that you're comfortable and find another way to break you. That's the point, break you down to build you up.

Good luck and best wishes. It will be a life changing experience.

Semper Fi!

I am totally ignorant of military rules. Do they not let members ride bikes?

I can't speak for Marine rules but in the Army, they do allow us to ride bikes. I wouldn't say they encourage bike riding though, especially not for a commute. At my post, they have a 10 mile loop around the airfield but don't have anyway to actually get anyplace not on that one bike path. They don't have bike racks anywhere but at the barracks, gym and commissary (grocery store) and the last time I tried to ride to the commissary, they had put all the carts in front of the bike rack so I had to move them to lock up my bike.:mad: I'd say we're at 5-10 people commuting in my battalion (~500 people)

Only rules they have are light-colored, easily-visible clothing, helmet, light when it's dark (also a state law) and riding on the bike path, when available.

My first 4 years in the military, I wasn't allowed to own a bike on post though so they can make that rule.

I was in the Navy and it's obviously a different situation but we normally had the regular administrative area of a base and then the secure area where the subs were - and in some bases, especially shipyards, they wouldn't allow private autos in the secure area so having a commute type bike was a big plus.

Car parking was also frequently a big headache in other areas. For quite a stretch I didn't own a car and it was fine.

Biggest problem was I couldn't use toe clips with my boondockers. Oh, and bell bottoms don't get along with bike chains too well either.

Best to you on your decision!
My son joined the army and just graduated from AIT today.
I've seen a number of people commuting by bicycle to the Defense Language Institute and the Naval Postgraduate School. :)

Hey, if you like the bike don't sell it! I helped send some stuff to some guys in Iraq. They are spending their downtime riding on post and use the bikes to ride from place to place during on duty times.

You aren't going to be a boot forever.

I have no idea when I'll be able to use it, if I can at all, but I'll probably keep it. I really like it and I dunno if anyone is really wanting it anyway so I might as well keep it...lol

Semper Fi from a former 0311/0321. Best of luck! :thumb:

Did you know a LCPL Alan McDonald Jr?

Or SgtMajor James Lucas?

My first 4 years in the military, I wasn't allowed to own a bike on post though so they can make that rule.

That answered my question. Thanks. And...bummer! :twitchy:

That answered my question. Thanks. And...bummer! :twitchy:

To extrapolate, the military can control every aspect of a military member's life, not just bikes. That is a necessary lifestyle to good order and discipline, cohesiveness of the unit, protection of the service member, etc., many other reasons.

For example; certain service members are not allowed to own motor vehicles. For the ones that are; if they choose a motorcycle, all are required to complete and pass a motorcycle safety course. Or cars may be authorized but motorcycles are not at all. Single personnel may be required to live in the barracks. Married personnel may not be authorized to live off base and must utilize base housing.

It goes on, and on, and on, but it's all part of the lifestyle that a person chooses by deciding to join the military. For the most part, it's up to the command that a military member falls under.

To extrapolate, the military can control every aspect of a military member's life, not just bikes. That is a necessary lifestyle to good order and discipline, cohesiveness of the unit, protection of the service member, etc., many other reasons.

For example; certain service members are not allowed to own motor vehicles. For the ones that are; if they choose a motorcycle, all are required to complete and pass a motorcycle safety course. Or cars may be authorized but motorcycles are not at all. Single personnel may be required to live in the barracks. Married personnel may not be authorized to live off base and must utilize base housing.

It goes on, and on, and on, but it's all part of the lifestyle that a person chooses by deciding to join the military. For the most part, it's up to the command that a military member falls under.

-Never heard of a person being told they could not own a vehicle or any military law that said a person could not own a vehicle.
-If you want to ride your motorcycle on base you have to take a safety course and wear all required safety equipment (usually-Helmet, boots, Vest etc).
-Many bases require lower ranking single members to live in barracks. It has more to do with "housing allowance". If they where to move off base they would have to pay all out of pocket. It depends on the base and the service. Usually once you make a specific rank you have to move out of the barracks (we called them dorms).
-I can not think of a time when a married person was not allowed to live off base.

Army, Marine and Navy might have different rules but my frame of reference is Air Force.


And as far as the military "owning" you and having control over you...sorry but that part is true.

> protecting the freedom we enjoy

The what now?

Steve

I was in the Navy and it's obviously a different situation but we normally had the regular administrative area of a base and then the secure area where the subs were - and in some bases, especially shipyards, they wouldn't allow private autos in the secure area so having a commute type bike was a big plus.

Car parking was also frequently a big headache in other areas. For quite a stretch I didn't own a car and it was fine.

Biggest problem was I couldn't use toe clips with my boondockers. Oh, and bell bottoms don't get along with bike chains too well either.

Back in my Navy days I bike commuted to my shore duty post for three years, no problem.

4067? That's my old MOS, I thought they were getting rid of that MOS. Is it still labeled "ADA Programmer"?

Congratulations and good luck.

If 4067 is still what I think it is, you'll be part of a very small percentage of Marines who have that MOS and will have a good chance of ending up in Quantico VA.

-Never heard of a person being told they could not own a vehicle or any military law that said a person could not own a vehicle.
-If you want to ride your motorcycle on base you have to take a safety course and wear all required safety equipment (usually-Helmet, boots, Vest etc).
-Many bases require lower ranking single members to live in barracks. It has more to do with "housing allowance". If they where to move off base they would have to pay all out of pocket. It depends on the base and the service. Usually once you make a specific rank you have to move out of the barracks (we called them dorms).
-I can not think of a time when a married person was not allowed to live off base.

Army, Marine and Navy might have different rules but my frame of reference is Air Force.


And as far as the military "owning" you and having control over you...sorry but that part is true.

I saw all these things and more while I was in. Like I said it's all up to the command that the military member falls under. That was over a 20 year stint in the Marines.

Used to be that a married Marine that got into trouble (NJP) could be restricted to the barracks (on-base), even if he or she had quarters off-base. I don't think they do that anymore.

> protecting the freedom we enjoy

The what now?

Steve

Got a problem with it?

Thank you for your selfless service.

Yup...4067 is still ADA Programmer...and it's amazing I ran into someone else that knows what it is, really. I haven't seen or heard anything about it except for in the MOS listing book and the couple sites I saw online that described it. I'd be ok with VA. Of all the bases I've seen, I'm yet to see one that really makes me go "eeewwwwww"...I'm sure that's subject to change but, from the Marine bases I know of so far, I'm ok with anywhere.

Any info, help, words of wisdome, whatever regarding this MOS, Wolf? I'm all ears when it comes to this whole thing!