3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

U.S. Marine in Service Charlies

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Nothing is sexier than a Marine in his BCG glasses at boot camp. Or maybe not, considering the nickname for the standard issue Marine eye glasses in 2011 were called “Birth Control Glasses” as in you look like the ultimate nerd, they cover your face, make your eyes look big and even cause Mom (me) to snicker a bit.

U.S. Marine in Service Charlie Uniform

If a recruit wears glasses or contacts they are issued  standard-issue spectacles, S9s or commonly called  or BCG’s “Birth Control Glasses” because they are so ugly that no girl will come near you. They have been a staple in the military and are tough, sturdy and just plain ugly.

Marines joke about them, raze each other, but they are just as  much as they are hated they hold a certain affection amoung the ranks. I just read on the Marine Corp blog they are being retired for those interested “Goodbye Birth Control Glasses” is a very good read.

This image was taken on Family Day at MCRD San Diego after the MotoRun. The new Marines change into their Service Charlies uniform, and garrison hat, or cover (Marines often refer to it as their “piss cutter”.) and then have their first five hour liberty to spend with their families on base.

I have two sons in the U.S. Marine Corp, one stateside and one in Afghanistan and have come across a Twitter theme #WarriorWednesday. So I thought why not start a new theme and feature on my blog. I don’t know how long this will last, but at least until I run out of photos and images. So it might take a while.

This photo started off as “PhotoShopFriday posting until I thought of the #WarriorWednesday. I adjusted the levels, color selected the blue sky, and darkened the blues, used shadows and highlights to open up the shadows on his face and then cropped for a better balanced photo.

Marine Corps Boot Camp

If you are interested in what Marine boot camp is all about here are some books that come highly recommended by Marine recruiters for new poolees (recruits waiting to ship to boot cam) and parents of Marines.

Welcome to Hell: Three and a Half Months of Marine Corps Boot CampMarine Corps Boot Camp Survival Guide: Everything You Need To Know To Prepare For (And Live Through) Marine Corps Boot CampThis Recruit: A Firsthand Account of Marine Corps Boot Camp, Written While Knee-Deep in the Mayhem of Parris IslandThere’s Always One!: 50 Rules for Surviving Marine Corps Boot CampThe Making of a MarineMaking the Corps: 10th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword by the Author

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  1. lmao, man those glasses… The name is so spot on too! Tell your sons TY for their service!

  2. I spent the first 8 years of my 24 years of service in the Marine Corps. We have another very effectionate name for the “piss cutter” but I’ll leave that up to your son’s if they want to share this with you!! I hope the this finds them both safe, especially your son in Afghanistan!

    • I seem to remember some “other” term, but like other “colorful” language that they seem to get in the habit of using I usually let it slide through the Mom filter. Thanks for reading and commenting. My Afghan son is airwing supply on base, so he’s safer than most.

  3. I always like to remind people that what comes out of the camera is just the basics to start with, and as I learned this past Saturday at National Train Day festivities in Los Angeles, with programs such as Photoshop, we can make the pictures what we remember or want instead of what the camera chooses to give us. Much more fun.

    • Thank you for the kind comments, sorry about responding so late, I don’t update my blog like I should and get overwhelmed by the number of comments. Please come back again. I’m posting quite a bit in November and December, going to get back on track.