During my 5th year we bought beer/food for many of the current members of our outfit as did our former ones.

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Buying donuts for upperclassmen would now be considered hazing according to our new commandant and the school

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We thought so at the time, but just didn't care. We just racked it up to being something that everyone did their fish year.

Army98, some of us were dirt poor. On behalf of those who were, give us a friggin' break. It's not the 99 cent bottles of windex; it's the way things add up day by day.

I incurred about $3,000 of expenses as a direct result of starting a new outfit. Thankfully, the University decided it might be a good idea to reimburse me some of that.

As an underclassman, we had to buy all kinds of stuff for pull-outs that were "strongly encouraged" by upperclassmen and we had to do a class project that wasn't exactly inexpensive. I remember spending almosy $100 on belts and buckles because our upperclassmen wanted us to pull out at Yell Practice. Unfortunately, I got screwed by my buddies who never paid me back.

As squadron commander, (and i can't complain because this was my choice) I paid for all of the fish to go on the outfit camping trip. I believe that as an upperclassman, it is a duty to take care of the younger cadets and do things for them that might make up for some of what they have to spend or go through. I can't count all of the times I bought food for my fish or paid for something because one of my fish couldn't afford it.

did your fish not have buddies??? They should have helped out too??!?!?!A

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Army98, some of us were dirt poor. On behalf of those who were, give us a friggin' break. It's not the 99 cent bottles of windex; it's the way things add up day by day.

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Exactly right. A lot of fish get nickeled & dimed out of the Corps. The day I showed up I had to pay $35 for outfit dues, $20 for T-shirts and $35 for a "fish bag" that had all of my cleaning supplies in it. We went through Brasso like water, and at $2 or $3 a can, it adds up.

And it's not like you can really be a fish, work part time, & go to school full time. Something's gonna suffer badly out of those three.

I was one of those financially not well off fish.. haha. Single mom, made $19k a year, only money i had was the $150 a month from good ol Uncle Sam for my NROTC scholarship. I never felt like it was too much. No one likes spending money, but you have to spend money everywhere.. so keeping that in mind, you save money being in the Corps! I had bonfire to pay for as a fish too.. with the damn pissheads constantly losing the files for the machetes and axes, and us having to buy more. But it was all good.


anyone else find themselves starting a new window while writing your reply to bring up dictionary.com to make sure you spelt the word right and won't have people talking spelling crap!?

Third Aggie - my point was that you would have spent that money (if not more) even if you weren't in the Corps.

I did spend some money in the Corps. And I backed up a lot of my buddies that had no money. But it was a lot cheaper than other things I could have done.

Now a financial boof was Bonfire. I spent a TON of money with that. Last week I found a stack of reciepts that I forgot to turn in totalling several hundred bucks (cross-tie lumber - that was a nice one). We were constantly tossing down credit cards for equipment, fuel, etc.

Definitely.. I didn't work during the school year, just during the summer and winter and saved up some.. and had my monthly stipend. It would really suck to have to do all that.

Wow, you guys got screwed.

Never bought doughnuts or beer for upperclassmen. They bought stuff for us. Yeah we had to have the stuff to keep our rooms and the hall way clean but that was a few dollars a person for the entire year. After our fish year the only money went into stuff we bought ourselves.

Yes pull out name tags cost something but pull out belts and buckles all got worn the next year as part of the uniform so I don't see that as an extra expense.

Army98, understood. I wasn't complaining, though, if you go back to my post. I was just trying to partially answer CT97's question about what we were required to buy.

Gig 'em.

Women are 1000x more expensive than the Corps!

Amen.

true, true.

Nicely played Kubiak!

I dated a SB president. Every little thing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I went through about $300 a month...dry cleaning, supplies, bonfire ( I know that's gone)...cleaning supplies, dues...etc. It was amazing how much money I spent. I'm not complaining, but things were/are expensive.

nice one kubiak lol

If you spen $300/month on that stuff, you're about as sharp as a bowling ball.

$35 one time charge for initial cleaning supplies, bonfire equip, PT gear, etc. Maybe $5-$10 every few months for cleaning supplies (I think one can of Brasso lasted two years). Dry cleaning was less than $10/week. I bought an extra set of brass - maybe $15. $25 dues that mostly went for outfit functions.

Add it all up and you still come out way ahead on housing costs alone. Toss in some corps or military scholarships, $1200 boots, sky diving, the personal trainers we now pay $50-$100/hour for (pissheads), boot chasers... the Corps is a damn good deal.

I agree with Army98. I spent very little money, probably less than my non-reg friends. I would have bought cleaning supplies anyway. I honestly think I bought 2-3 cans of Brasso my entire Corps career. Dry cleaning wasn't excessive. No doughnuts or beer for upperclassmen. On top of all that, as a freshman or sophmore I wasn't buying a tv or dorm refridgerator or couch or other items my non-reg friends were buying.

In addition, I didn't even buy boots as a senior, I borrowed them from the Corps Center. I couldn't afford them and the Corps Center had a pair that fit. Every year Old Ags pass away and donate their boots. They had dozens of pairs to choose from. (I will admit that now I really regret not buying boots, but at the time I didn't see a way of making it work.)

Army98.... Heehee.. An SB Pres. who used to be in the Corps!!

Aside from the financial aspect, the best way I describe my time in the Corps is that is was the best thing I NEVER want to do again. If it is for you it is great. If it is not for you... you'll know it within a week, perhaps with the help of others. It is hard work, but I have always felt the payoff was worth it. Then again, any good payoff comes only with hard work.

A note on the boots.... my current roommate had his boots issued to him from the MPW. Also, if you are in a leadership position, i believe they will issue you a sabre as well. I didn't have a sabre but the few times I was O.D. I just used my Spanish sword from Toledo, Spain or the one my dad had from the Army.

Fish can always be a D.V. (work at Duncan Dining Hall) for extra cash. And there's no rule against having a job... it is just difficult until your junior year when you have a lot more freedoms. I know my outfit actually had parents pull together to help out with tutoring. I never had a crdit card bill until after for 4 years in the corps. The extra freedom caused me to spend more. Freebirds, Wing's n More and other dinings out intake rose significantly when I became a non-reg my 5th year.

My sister '90 used to say "the Corps was the best place to be from but the worst place to be."