Fleet Marine Life #144 – Open Door
You can’t trust higher ups. They often say they have open door policies. Their open door policy should be used with extreme caution. Whatever you say will be used against you. I have met a lot of higher ups with “open door policies,” but from their records, the “open door” policy felt more like a “trap door” policy.
Honesty is not good in the Corps. I’ve known Marines who burned themselves with honesty. They harmed no one, they did no real wrong, yet they felt compelled to admit they had problems with drugs and alcohol. It was by far the worst decision they ever made.
If you have a problem, be extremely careful who you talk to in the Corps. They may say they can help you, but they may end up being a snake in the grass waiting to bite you in the nuts and inject their venom. One sentence of truth in the Corps can have adverse long-term effects on your career and your life.
Falling through trap doors since 1775.
One marine I knew waited forever to pick up corporal because when he was in MOS school he was drinking with some guys in one of the rooms. They had nothing on him, but he felt honesty was the best policy.
He didn’t feel that way later when he went from being a senior LCpl to a new PFC.
Dear God this is so true. I lied like a rug for four years. I knew the highers would use any grain of truth against me either outright simply to see me miserable or as leverage for future use. Here is the best advice I can give any Marine: Trust NO ONE in the marine corps. Not your highers, not your fellow lances, not even those you think are your friends. The only person I trusted was my wife.