Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

This review is NOT for the Marine Corp itself, but for (primarily) the billeting services offered on site. While many of the buildings and rooms will certainly pass as «acceptable», we need to ask ourselves if thats really the standard we want for our Marines and their families who stay here?
Some of the buildings need a lot of upgrading and repair, there are literally holes in the foundation covered up by cardboard. Walk down the halls and you will see this. The key cards for rooms pretty much never work, and you’ll have to go ask the front desk to check the card (to which they’ll tell you there’s «no issue» with it.), No working air conditioning in many of the rooms (unacceptable for super hot SoCal), and shoddy hot water throughout the days and nights.
The Bay View Restaurant offered good food, but not nearly enough seating for the hundreds of graduating Marines and their families on graduation day. The staff stood around and watched several Marines and families look for places to sit and offered no assistance or additional seating. The building the restaurant is in needs repair, too.
We stayed here this week for graduation, and while the ceremonies themselves were outstanding, one can’t help but notice how much improvement this place seriously needs. I understand MCRD is old and historic, highly important, and the #1 place to train Marines on the West Coast… but please put some time, effort, and dollar bills into making it a physically better place for all who pass through the doors!
*** Very long story short: don’t promote your facilities as «outstanding» online when you’re only offering sub-​par, at best.
On ANOTHER note– I want to give major props to all the people doing their job to turn out the nations finest. We really enjoyed watching our little brother come out of this place as a man, on his way to bigger and better things. Semper Fi!

Not even close to the worlds best summer camp. The counsellors were mean and yelled a lot. It didn’t make it very fun. I even heard them yell a few times. The food was okay but it’s so crowded you can’t hear yourself think. Their jungle gym needs an upgrade and most of the houses smell like cheep cologne and butt sweat. General ²⁄₅ would not repeat. Overall ⁵⁄₅ the things I gained from there have changed my life immensely. Not for the faint of heart at all. Your experience may vary though.

Very unique experience.
Not for everyone.
Semper Fi.

5 STARS to my beloved Marine Corps! turning boys into men, especially these damn millennial’s. This place is great, free room and board for 3 months, 3 square meals a day, free fitness trainer, great uniforms (chic magnet), no TAX @ the MCX and you don’t have to be politically correct. WOW sounds like a winner to me.
Semper FI
Corporal JB USMC (RET)

May 2005, Lima co. Plt 2095, senior drill instructor Ssgt Settle… ahh the memories. Semper Fi.

Best Summer Camp ever. We got to go swimming, shoot guns, run around all we wanted, and learn all kinds of fun things. The food was pretty good too. The counsellors were a little grumpy sometimes. They could really stand to relax a little. I’m coming back next year for sure.

How can any place less than 5 stars that recruits our fine brave men and women to defend our freedom? You can’t I can’t. 5 stars is richly deserved.
I work across the street from MCRD and have been in various training classes on his base. There is also a MCX if you are active duty or retired military where they have fabulous deals and you don’t have to pay taxes. There is a discount ticket center where you can purchase tickets to fairs, events, theme parks etc at military rates. You have to either be military or work as a civilian or contractor for the DoD to qualify but if you do it’s a nice perk. Same goes for the state of the art gym.
Grounds are beautifully maintained along with nice historical architecture. I get goose bumps of pride when I’m on base and see the drills the young marines go through.
If you ever have the chance to take a tour I highly recommend it.

absolutely beautiful for a military base ! i love the spanish yellow color on the buildings and the tile roofs and the spanish arches/​architecture with the palm trees. the base has a nice little MCX and Starbucks too. Gym looks nice too.
The Personal Financial Management Center at MCRD San Diego is amazing! The building is a huge wealth of resources, not just for Career Fairs and flyers/​information helping those new to San Diego. The building is well-​staffed and there are people ready to assist with nearly ANYTHING (PCS Orders, Taxes, DIDY moves, Resume help, Free events for Military in San Diego, etc).
I personally like the VITA Tax Services there under Mike McIssac. He has helped my family amend several years of incorrect returns as well as start our latest tax return. This office is the perfect place if you have questions about residency, taxes, VA Loan, GI Bill, etc. Someone there can help you or point you in the right direction. I heard there is also a VA Rep based at MCRD so for any questions regarding your VA file, that gentleman can set up an appointment with you.
One thing I haven’t done yet is attend the monthly classes on various topics ranging from Home Buying, Credit Cards, Retirement, Rental Properties, Buying a new car, and Budgeting. I am going to try to go later this year for sure. Overall, Excellent center that everyone in the military should visit at least once! T

Ah, the memories… the sweet sound of screaming, the pain in my arms and legs, and the view of commercial planes taking off to freedom as I stared off into space… How could I give any less then five stars? Is it the fear I will wake up to the sight of my Drill Instructors standing over my bed once more, smoking me one hour for every missing star? Of course not… HA! Why would you even assume…
To add additional patriotism notches to ones belt, I strongly recommend a visit to MCRD San Diego. This is where boys are trained into men, and history exists in the present.
The grounds are beautiful, in good standing with Marine Corps attention to detail. Take a Tour, and experience the sensation of being filled with pride for your country, and the men who fight on its behalf.

great value if you can go shopping with an active duty or retired veteran. We got discounted tickets to Sea World and the Belmont roller coaster. make a friend with a military member ASAP! :)

Booked myself a 3 month stay and wow! Loud rude activity planners! The food was terrible, and I couldnt even eat unless the organizers approved it. Lots of fun times outside, not! The the activity planners were with me at all times! They made me run every day when I thought I was going to spend time having fun by the pool. I do appreciate their enthusiasm but did they have to constantly scream at me? Was never aloud to sleep in, had to be in bed early and to top it off why was i forced to go on so many hikes all the time? would not return!

Five stars to the MCRD for training the brave men and women to become one of the few, the proud… My son being one of them. It is an amazing experience to see the results of 13 weeks of intensive training. The facility itself is rich in tradition and they really cater to the families of the Marines while at the MCRD. The day before graduation is «Family Day» and you get the opportunity to experience just peek at what your Marine has endured. The Drill Instructor Brief was great! «I enjoyed it very much, Sir!»
The pageantry of the graduation ceremony is amazing! It was spectacular to see over 300 19 year olds in formation, trained to serve. I am in appreciation of this once in a lifetime experience.

This Review is so over do. Where do I began to express what I went though as a parent to allow my Son to enlist into the Best Branches of our Military. He went in as a Teenager came out a Man. Don’t get me wrong all our Branches of our Military are the Best, However the Marine’s are an Elite Group. The Few, The Proud, The Marines.MCRD.
The day before your love one Graduates, they have family day. What an experience. First, It allows us to better understand some of your Marine’s experiences during their training.
There’s a lot of stores here for you to do some shopping, and a Starbucks, and only 1 Restaurant.
Their Core Values:
Honor
Courage
Commitment
I recommend that if your ever in San Diego that you visit this. Its a must see. Its all so the Home of the Naval Operating base. So you will see some of our active Battle ships.
The other thing as you enter the base their are armed MP’s at the gate and a big tank. Like Clint Eastwood would say, make my day.
There are so many that I want to personally Thank. R W Gates Colonel, US Marine Corp. Thank You Sir…
SSGT A J SERNA
SSGT J L YOUNG
SGT J S BENNETT
From my Family to yours Thank You All for your service. Happy Thanksgiving.

LOVE IT! We went there today to shop. They have quite a collection and I was pleased. Tom found shoes and I found my some outfits. The clerks there are so helpful and will drop anything to help you find what you want. I would shop there everyday. It’s like a mini mall.

Home sweet home. Hotel Co plt 2102 Dec 1^st 2000. I will never forget my time at the happiest place on earth. I barely remember what I did yesterday but I remember my drill instructors names, faces, the sound of their voices and even the way they called cadence. The yellow stucco, h shaped squad bay buildings. The airplanes taking off and landing. My squad bay faced the airport and I remember being able to lay in my rack and see the fireworks from SeaWorld. That was usually if I had first firewatch, otherwise I was out. MCRD San Diego is where I was born and it’s home. I can only look back fondly on my 13 weeks here. Semper Fi
SDI SSGT Wilson
Di SSGT O’Toole
DI SSGT Krause
DI SSGT Lezard

I visited this place a few months ago & checked in when I did, but didn’t realize I checked into the wrong business :-/​I posted pictures but were on the wrong place :(I visited the recruit depot museum & being of Navajo decent & being a relative of The WWII USMC Navajo Code Talker who’s Congressional Gold Medal’s proudly on display in the WWII section, I got an opportunity to get to talking to a curator & was an excellent visit. I’m proud of all those unsung heroes who’s uncommon valor was a common virtue. Semper Fi!

This rating is for the Bayview Marina Club:
The marina is a hidden gem!
Tuesday — Wednesday 0830 — 1700
Thursday — Monday 0730 — 1700
Holidays 0830 — 1700
I have rented stand up paddleboards (SUP) as well as kayaks from here. The prices until May 2014, were unbeleiveable and unbeatable. It used to be $ 4/​hr for SUP but it’s not $ 9 which is a large increase but still much lower than the open market/​industry. Additionally you go in the marina right there from the slip. The water in the harbor is calm. The atmosphere is generally peacful but the airplanes flying over head does distract a bit.

I absolutely love this place! I go here for a couple of reasons. 1. to paddle board, 2. to study at starbucks.
PADDLE BOARDING
One of the best places I have rented in SD. They recently had a price increase but even at 9/​hr they are still beating the going rate. The staff knows my name. They smile every time I see them. They are ALWAYS helpful. AND they have finally stopped chasing my out to sea with a life vest (i think they caught on that I usually leave it on the dock anyway). Sometimes on the weekends you can run into problems with rentals being out, but if you wait ten or fifteen minutes you will get a rental, or grab a kayak and try some stand up kayaking! Im here at least three times a week, an hour is plenty of time to make it out past the bridges, see the dolphins, and come back. They are pretty flexible on the time, though you rent by the hour they don’t often make a big deal if you are a couple minutes over on your rental. Overall a quick an easy experience. Once you become a regular it’s even easier! I would recommend this to anyone in SD, anyone stationed on a base, family, dependents OR people visiting their new grad!
STARBUCKS
Again, they all know my name. They know my order (not that i’m a fancy tripple shot, extra hot, a little ice… blah blah blah) give me coffee and make it black. thanks! They are really great to me they allow me to sit there all day. They constantly give me water, or try to fatten me up with their delicious samples. The staff has all been there for a while and it would be a sad day if I walked in and they were no longer there.

I’ve always wanted to paddle board, but never found a place fairly priced. MCRD has the hook up! ONLY $ 9 an hour!!! I think 2 hours is more than enough to get accustomed to the board, enjoy the sun, hella photo ops, and get a good workout in. It’s an amazing experience.

It’s always great when I get to go on base.
I’ve been on base for various reasons throughout my lifetime. I think it is neatly landscaped and I love the open feel to it.
Just recently I got to try out one of the gyms. It was great. One of the better base gyms that I have tried. They have an upstairs with cardio machines, a downstairs with free weights and weight machines… and an outdoor area with kettlebells, pullup bars and just a nice wide area to workout in.
The last time I think I was on base was for the City Chase race… that was when I got to use their kayaks… yes… they have kayaks here too!
The MCRD is very cool.