I remember a book I'd read about a Marine sniper who went to Vietnam saying he got a chance to meet back up with his DI there. So I guess some did go but under what circumstances I'm not sure.
shareHe could have gone to Vietnam, but there's no way to know if he would have gone.
Career Marines serve time completing a B-Billet, which is a duty assignment outside of the occupational specialty. It can be either recruiting duty, embassy guard, or drill instructor.
When they are done with their B-Billet duty, they return to their normal job. Depending on his job and other factors, he may or may not have gone to Vietnam when he was done as a drill instructor.
Seeing Hartman during the second half the movie would have been a real treat... but no, he wouldn't have gone. His job was to build his recruits into soldiers, not go fighting along with them.
shareMost likely not, his job was to make killers, and, as proven, he was effective...
Besides, all that talk of “your days of finger bangin’ ol’ Mary Jane Rottencrotch through her pretty pink panties are over!”, diatribes about loving Jesus and the Virgin Mary, name calling, making soldiers pay for another’s mistake, etc., not good for morale....it worked and was needed on The Island, but would’ve worn thin out in the bush, and possibly could’ve gotten his ass fragged....
He seemed too old to wind up in a combat unit. I don't know if this was an inaccuracy in casting -- despite Ermey's excellent performance, he was probably at the outer limits at his real age (43) of a full-time military career.
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