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whocarz · 04-03-2006, 10:28 PM

I arrived at the airport in San Diego along with about a dozen other recruits from Colorado at 7 or 8 pm on Monday, December 12th. We went down to the USO to report in, and were told to go get something to eat with the food vouchers we had been given. Twenty minutes later we came back, and all of the recruits that had been there before were lined up against the wall, and there were a few pissed off Drill Instructors that told us to get in line after we had our platoon number written on our forearms in black marker.

We were herded outside and packed onto busses, three to a seat that was meant to only hold two. I was unlucky and got to sit half on the seat and half in the aisle. They make you put your head between your legs during the ride as well, so it's extremely uncomfortable. The bus drives around for about 45 minutes, even though it's only about a five minute trip from the airport to the depot. Once you arrive at the Recruit Admin Building, a DI tells you to get out and stand on his yellow foot prints. Soon enough, you are filed into a room where you have to empty out all of your personal belongings onto a table. Certain things you are allowed to keep (drivers license, bank and credit cards, family pictures, watches, glasses), and everything else is confiscated.

Everyone is then given a warbag that weighs about twentyfive pounds and then lined up out in the hall to recieve your first haircut. Then you are issued a pair of trousers, a sweat top, an eight point cover, a green t-shirt, green nylon shorts, and a pair of briefs. After getting changed in a room full of other recruits, we were then herded into an auditorium to fill out paperwork. Once that was done, we were finally led into our squad bay in the Processing barracks.

I could go on, but it all starts to blur together after that. Just know that we didn't get to sleep until Tuesday night, and yes, we had to shave fast. The Processing barracks squadbay heads were exceptionally small, with about six sinks and eight showerheads, my Processing platoon had 130 recruits in it, and we about twenty minutes to get everyone shaved and showered.

To Mojo, you are probably thinking about the Crucible. It was pretty damn tough, but it could have been worse. If I had gone through it in the summer it would have been a lot tougher, because after nightfall, they aren't allowed to have recruits do much. The only thing we did while it was dark out was humping to and from our bivouac site, and a night assault course.

The reason for the restrictions is to lessen casualties. A recruit from lead series fucked himself up good on the night assault course when he fell into a trench and smashed his head on the trench wall, which was made out of concrete. Another recruit suffered a compound fracture during Field Week while on a three mile night hike, and his femur ripped through his thigh.

There are physical requirements to joining up. There are certain weight minimums and maximums based on your height. Your first week there, you must complete an Initial Strength Test, and you are required to do two pullups, fourty four crunches in two minutes, and a one and a half mile run in thirteen minutes. If you pass, you are sent into a training company, and if you fail, you are sent into the Physical Conditioning Platoon (PCP, also known as the Pork Chop Platoon).

Towards the end of the first month, you are required to pass the initial Physical Fitness Test. The minimum requirements are three pullups, fifty crunches in two minutes, and run three miles in under twenty eight minutes. Note that these are the bare minimums, and the average on the final PFT is somewhere around 10-14 pullups, 100+ crunches in two minutes, and a 21 minute time on the three mile run.

I was not lured into joining by any recruiting trick or ad. My life was going nowhere fast, and I've had the idea that I was born to be a warrior for a while now. So I decided to see if I have what it takes to be one. I'm not quite there yet, but after I'm done with infantry training, I'll have proven to myself that I'm something important.

04-03-2006, 10:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
whocarz Jarhead Location: Colorado	I arrived at the airport in San Diego along with about a dozen other recruits from Colorado at 7 or 8 pm on Monday, December 12th. We went down to the USO to report in, and were told to go get something to eat with the food vouchers we had been given. Twenty minutes later we came back, and all of the recruits that had been there before were lined up against the wall, and there were a few pissed off Drill Instructors that told us to get in line after we had our platoon number written on our forearms in black marker. We were herded outside and packed onto busses, three to a seat that was meant to only hold two. I was unlucky and got to sit half on the seat and half in the aisle. They make you put your head between your legs during the ride as well, so it's extremely uncomfortable. The bus drives around for about 45 minutes, even though it's only about a five minute trip from the airport to the depot. Once you arrive at the Recruit Admin Building, a DI tells you to get out and stand on his yellow foot prints. Soon enough, you are filed into a room where you have to empty out all of your personal belongings onto a table. Certain things you are allowed to keep (drivers license, bank and credit cards, family pictures, watches, glasses), and everything else is confiscated. Everyone is then given a warbag that weighs about twentyfive pounds and then lined up out in the hall to recieve your first haircut. Then you are issued a pair of trousers, a sweat top, an eight point cover, a green t-shirt, green nylon shorts, and a pair of briefs. After getting changed in a room full of other recruits, we were then herded into an auditorium to fill out paperwork. Once that was done, we were finally led into our squad bay in the Processing barracks. I could go on, but it all starts to blur together after that. Just know that we didn't get to sleep until Tuesday night, and yes, we had to shave fast. The Processing barracks squadbay heads were exceptionally small, with about six sinks and eight showerheads, my Processing platoon had 130 recruits in it, and we about twenty minutes to get everyone shaved and showered. To Mojo, you are probably thinking about the Crucible. It was pretty damn tough, but it could have been worse. If I had gone through it in the summer it would have been a lot tougher, because after nightfall, they aren't allowed to have recruits do much. The only thing we did while it was dark out was humping to and from our bivouac site, and a night assault course. The reason for the restrictions is to lessen casualties. A recruit from lead series fucked himself up good on the night assault course when he fell into a trench and smashed his head on the trench wall, which was made out of concrete. Another recruit suffered a compound fracture during Field Week while on a three mile night hike, and his femur ripped through his thigh. There are physical requirements to joining up. There are certain weight minimums and maximums based on your height. Your first week there, you must complete an Initial Strength Test, and you are required to do two pullups, fourty four crunches in two minutes, and a one and a half mile run in thirteen minutes. If you pass, you are sent into a training company, and if you fail, you are sent into the Physical Conditioning Platoon (PCP, also known as the Pork Chop Platoon). Towards the end of the first month, you are required to pass the initial Physical Fitness Test. The minimum requirements are three pullups, fifty crunches in two minutes, and run three miles in under twenty eight minutes. Note that these are the bare minimums, and the average on the final PFT is somewhere around 10-14 pullups, 100+ crunches in two minutes, and a 21 minute time on the three mile run. I was not lured into joining by any recruiting trick or ad. My life was going nowhere fast, and I've had the idea that I was born to be a warrior for a while now. So I decided to see if I have what it takes to be one. I'm not quite there yet, but after I'm done with infantry training, I'll have proven to myself that I'm something important. __________________ If there exists anything mightier than destiny, then it is the courage to face destiny unflinchingly. -Geibel Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else. -Marcus Aurelius Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever? -GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly Last edited by whocarz; 04-03-2006 at 10:51 PM..