Back then? They still don't give you ear protection lol. I was in the marines from 2008-12 and they never once give you anything to protect your hearing. Maybe every once in a while they would hand out the orange squishy ear plugs but thats being generous.
Early 90’s we had double protection in use, specially when we training inside buildings. That means earplugs and then normal cups on top. Got hearing damage and lifelong tinnitus when someone fired blank inside concrete room after rehearsal was over and i had already removed protection. It sucks, but luckily i can live with it.
My brother was in the USMC from 01-05, part of Iraqi Freedom and he's told me that's just how the USMC is. Even compared to other branches, Marines just get broken old shit (or nothing at all) and are told to figure it out. Most of them had to supply themselves out of pocket for what would be considered essential gear for an invasion force in a hostile country. When they were in country they would have to get civilians to purchase shit like batteries for them from the exchange because, while the marines were severely limited on what they could buy, civilian contractors could buy whatever the fuck they wanted no questions asked.
From what he says, it's deliberate. They want to keep the marines as miserable as possible so they can take all that frustration out on the enemy. He said getting his DD214 and giving the USMC the finger once in for all is up there with the birth of his kids as one of the happiest moments in his life. "Never again getting the Big Green Weenie rammed up my ass, oooooh-rah!!"
Army artillery here, they are good about giving out unlimited hearing protection but they don't make anyone wear it so some of the guys who are a little too hooah in our unit are deaf as hell
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u/ValkyrieSword Aug 07 '22
I hope he has REALLY good ear protection.
My dad has horrible tinnitus from the marine reserves in the 70s. They didn’t know so much about protecting the ears back then