A question for the Marines?

[mikeSF]

My great nephew graduated boot at SD last week. I carried a 4 inch buck fixed blade in a sheath on my field gear for over 23 years. I'm considering giving it to him to wear on his field gear. Are Marines allowed to carry non-issued knives or other equipment on their field gear?
thanks!

[mram10us]

As a usaf guy, i must remind you that marines cannot read, which is why you have no responses :)

[mikeSF]

My Ranger School buddy was a Force Recon Marine. I knew he could read as he used the Ranger handbook to give patrol orders. There has to be more than 1 Marine who can read. :)

[kxp]

I can read and snap a neck just as easy ��

[NAMVET1968]

Most of us can READ.......................WE are the FEW !!

[BOATS]

Should be okay, we could use non issue when in the field in my last expeditionary unit, and since the Marines work for us.... ( ) When he gets to his unit all they can say is no.

[andersaki]

Should be okay, we could use non issue when in the field in my last expeditionary unit, and since the Marines work for us.... ( ) When he gets to his unit all they can say is no.

As you implied, we Marines were part of the Navy. The difference was that we were in the men's department.

[wwc3]

Marines = seagoing bell hops !--------------JUst kidding guys ! Some of my best friends are Marines !!!

[BOATS]

As you implied, we Marines were part of the Navy. The difference was that we were in the men's department.

Go eat a crayon. We kid we kid.

[Friscotxman]

Should be no problem having it, just can't be a part of uniform and or locker inspection....... Semper Fi

[mikeSF]

Thanks for all the replies. He is currently home for the holidays. When he returns he'll start the next phase of training. He called it infantry training. I don't know if all the Marines go through infantry training after boot or not regardless of their MOS. I have always heard that every Marine is an infantry Marine.

[cevans]

I went thru 12 weeks basic book camp, then 4 weeks ITR-Infantry Training Regiment, then 4 weeks of BITS-Basic Infantry Training, then 6 weeks of Recon which got cut to 3 weeks, 2 weeks of Vietnamese language school of which got cut a week short,,,fight to Nam as a casualty replacement for 2nd CAG unit,,stopped at Okinawa for another week of Vietnamese orientation which got cut to 2 days, then flight to Da Nang and straight to the bush after 1 day of gearing up. 2nd day found myself 30 miles west of Da Nang in the bush in a CAP Marine unit. All of that started in Jan 12 of 70.

[cevans]

My dad sent me a Ka Bar knife to me while in Nam. Marines back then approved it.

[tdt91]

I went thru 12 weeks basic book camp, then 4 weeks ITR-Infantry Training Regiment, then 4 weeks of BITS-Basic Infantry Training, then 6 weeks of Recon which got cut to 3 weeks, 2 weeks of Vietnamese language school of which got cut a week short,,,fight to Nam as a casualty replacement for 2nd CAG unit,,stopped at Okinawa for another week of Vietnamese orientation which got cut to 2 days, then flight to Da Nang and straight to the bush after 1 day of gearing up. 2nd day found myself 30 miles west of Da Nang in the bush in a CAP Marine unit. All of that started in Jan 12 of 70.

It's amazing you can remember all the details.
I was lucky enough to never have to go to battle unless you count the Cold War a battle. LOL. I cannot remember nearly as much as you are recalling, maybe it was the $500 a month I spent on partying in the mid 80s.
Anyway, I heard the Army was the best bad ass branch so that's where I went. I think I just improved it a bit.

[cevans]

I broke the tip off that KaBar knife opening a can of C Rations. Wasn’t much but maybe a 1/2 inch broken off,,,gave the knife to my south Vietnamese laundry boy we called them,,,he took the knife to a black market,,got it ground with a tip back on it for me,,and I never opened another can of C Rats with it again. Funny how we remember BS stuff. And I just turned 72.

[NAMVET1968]

Go eat a crayon. We kid we kid.

RED crayons were the best !! S/F/M/F !

[BOATS]

RED crayons were the best !! S/F/M/F !

[cevans]

Hummmmm. I always thought the Navy was a part of the Marines!

[bullet65]

i did not reply as i was in from 1984 to 1990 and do not know current regs. we carried a lot of gear we purchased on our own(danner boots,whisper light stoves for rice)i thought it was a long time for me but im just a boot compared to some of you.Semper Fi

[slt200mph]

When you get to the bush nobody will care if you are carrying a non issue knife. Back in the good old stateside USMC it will be a different story. As far as KABAR quality goes I still have the one I carried during my deployment in Vietnam (all of 1967 and half of 1968) and it is still a very sharp and serviceable knife. I use it all the time.