Here's one way to look at the Brotherhood. Once your unit deploys you all face great challenges and endure hardships you overcome by working together. This is where you truly become one with your unit and you develop your reputation for being counted on when times are hard.

Life takes on a whole new meaning when you become a "Salt" and you're treated a lot better because you've been there done that and have tall tales and sea stories of your own to tell. The "cast system" barriers disappear because now you've proven yourself and truly earned the title of Marine because you've paid your dues.

It never makes sense until you deploy but once you do it’s very easy to find yourself resenting boots (new guys) because they’re untested so you don’t know how much they can take and equally as important they’re taking the place of a tried and proven Brother who just left. Yes, Brother because in enduring the hardships together you super bond with that stinking, smelling, hot, tired foul mouthed a$$hole as much as if he were your own flesh and blood kin.

What becomes the true mark of a Salt's character is when they’ve been around for awhile and they tell the other Brothers to “lighten up on the boots because we were all one once.” It’s the way it was, is and always will be. You’ll live it too so just remember to lighten up when you’ve been around for awhile.