Getting to Boot Camp
Statistically, one percent of the American population can meet the physical standards that the United States Marine Corps requires, and of that one percent, only ten percent will ever attempt the process of becoming a Marine. Most future Marines make the decision to actually go through with the process during their senior year, and for many, it is the first big life-changing decision they have ever made. From the recruiting process to the paperwork needed and actually shipping out to boot camp, the process of becoming a Marine is a long, drawn out process that for some is too much to handle.
For a teenager to make a decision that will end up changing his or her life, and be comfortable with the idea of the change, displays a sense of maturity that most their age have never had to display. The idea of signing up for a job, which being a Marine technically is, that will end up changing everything one knows about the world is a very difficult decision. Everything from the recruiters and their speeches that they make, to the research one does on the side, and even the social acceptance of joining the armed forces, affects the final decision for an individual. Some join up to get away from the home, others to see the world, and even more do it for the life-changing experience. After coming to the conclusion that being a Marine is what is best, one must survive the long, drawn out process of all the paperwork and interviews that must be completed before shipping out. After all is said and done, you are given a ticket to California, or South Carolina if east of the Mississippi River, and you fly out to what is to become the start of a whole new life.
The anticipation of the wait is almost unbearable. You arrive early morning at the airport, awaiting the bus that will take you to the start of what will be the hardest thing you have ever done. Early morning comes around, the sun still not up, and the bus arrives with a lone passenger aboard. Off steps the first glimpse of the months to come, a large, imposing figure that strikes fear in even the most determined of individuals. At this point in time, a wave of regret comes over you, and you start to wonder if this exactly what you wanted to do, especially for the next 3 months.
The start of the three month ordeal starts on the infamous “Yellow Footprints” outside the main building. With Drill Instructors running around constantly, yelling and screaming, the process of getting your inducted into boot camp begins. Starting with the haircut that makes you look like everyone else, to being issued your uniforms and gear needed for the next 3 months, you go through what can only be described as orchestrated chaos. At this point in time, one loses their true identity and becomes a recruit along with everyone else in the same process. You are assigned units and sent off to huge rooms to await training. Around this time, the recruit has been awake for over 24 hours and is emotionally and physically drained. And this is all just the first day.
Through it all, the most difficult part of getting to boot camp is accepting the change in your life. For some, this change comes easy, but most go through a sense of regret and almost back out of the process. The difficulty is there for a reason as in to ensure that the individuals that show up for training truly want to be there and want to become Marines. This allows the quality of the Marines, the final product in a sense, to be top notch, as they are then apart of the most elite military force the United States has.
