52 Area (School of Infantry West)

USA / California / San Clemente /
 military, infantry, training center
SOI West
PSC Box 555081
Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5081

The Marine Corps School of Infantry trains entry-level Marines in basic warrior skills. SOI's training mission ensures "Every Marine is, first and foremost, a Rifleman".

SOI also train Marine leaders from the rank of Corporal to Lieutenant in advanced infantry and light armored vehicle skills.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps_School_of_Infantry
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°23'39"N   117°31'7"W

Comments

  • Camp San Onofre (If I remember right), is where all the Marine grunts go for their MOS school. Non-grunts take the MCT - Marine Combat Training phase of SOI.
  • San Onofre is where Marines that went to MCRD San Diego attend MCT. If a Marine is to become an infantryman, the he does the infamous "Sea Bag Drag" down the road to attend SOI.
  • I can't believe my eyes. In 1966 this was all Quonset Huts from WWII!. Wish I could post some pictures of what it was like way back when.
  • I remember those old quonsets! They were still standing back in the late 80's when I was at SOI. I broke my foot and was sent to a medical platoon which started out in one of the huts and was moved up to a barracks on the hill. I also remember being in the very first round of MCT trainees. Echo company. However, when they first started MCT, ALL Marines were required to complete regardless of whether they were 03's or not.
  • Because every Marine is an infantryman - we all went to San Onofre, from MCRD for 1 month ITR(Infantry Training Regiment)and then to our MOS 'schools'. If you were an 0311 you just went to Horno, for another month of BITS(Basic Infantry Training School)....before anyone went overseas. I remember the quonset huts well, and the ones at Talega too. We called the Talega E-club the 'Talega Tub'... just a quonset with tables & beer.
  • I,too was there in 1966 at Horno for lnfantry training. Do I remember.
  • Just after WW2 this was Officers quarters, and that is a no S**t. Split into two per hut for jr ofc, and Field Grade got one whole hut!
  • I was a corpsman there in the early '70's
  • "Vacationed" there in 1960. I remember it very well except the name of the infamous hill that we used to hike for physical conditioning and motivation.
  • 1989 All went to SO for MCT. MOST was conducted in 52 area if I remember rightly. It was at the base of Mount Mother F#$%er. But the Range that ran more or less North and South along the coast was called the shelf. We did a 12 miler that came up the dry creek and then up to the shelf, had a blister across my entire left heel from the slipping and sliding on the rocks in that creek. Rainman 89-93
  • old smoky
  • I went thru it there in May of 1975 as a recruit. Never forget it as long as I live. This where you figured out you had muscles that you never knew you had before
  • I was a corpsman there in the early '60s
  • I recall two large hills; mount mother and the reaper.
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This article was last modified 13 years ago