Is There Ever Any Time Off?
One may wonder what it is that a Marine does after a long day of work and training has been completed. It’s normal to think that like most people, when Marines call it a day, they hang up their uniform and go out for a good time. But it isn’t always possible for them to do that; sometimes, fun time has to revolve around work.
It’s easy to imagine that being a Marine is a full time job. However, most Marines look at the Corps as a lifestyle more than a job. For the Marines out in Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other place in the world, they have to be ready to do their job at a moment’s notice and so “down time” is eaten up by physical training and mental preparation.
This is perfectly normal since some of us like to workout or read for fun as well. For those who let loose, the thought that tomorrow will be another day of training has to be constantly in their heads. Too much drinking or too much partying will lead to more pain the next day and so they have to practice self-discipline.
The most important thing to remember about a Marine is that life as a Marine is not the same as life as a car salesman, but may be modeled after the life of a priest or a career athlete. The Marine Corps is not a job, it is a way of life and so “fun” revolves around getting the job done as much as training.