AFTER FACING THE MOST VICIOUS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGE OF MY LIFE
VICTORY IS ABSOLUTE, I AM A MARINE
Sorry to spoil the ending with the attention getter but it's true, I've finally made it. We kicked Monday off with the gas chamber. Let's just say I underestimated it. I didn't believe a gas could mess me up so bad. Once subjected to CS gas I started coughing so bad I couldn't breathe. My lungs were burning and my eyes were glued shut because they stung so bad. I had snot running down my face as I was forced to do jumping jacks. It was horrible and I've promised myself to never underestimate something as much again.
Tuesday was the start of the Crucible. We woke up at 2 AM and were immediately up and hiking to our first Crucible stations. Everything looked foggy and confusing in the dark and we were all frightened of the unknown. The toughest and most notable challenge on Tuesday was Basilone's Defense. Essentially we got split up in our 4 man fire teams and had to charge up a heinously steep hill while carrying ammo cans full of sand weighing around 35 pounds each. We had to stay aligned with our fire teams all the way up or we would be made to do it again. Every fire team ended up doing it at least twice. My fire team did it 3 times because we couldn't align. It was a heart popping experience. When we hiked to other stations we'd grab the handle of the recruit's pack in front of us. It sucked because the recruit in front of me was 5'2" so I had to bend way over while power walking 3-4 miles to the next challenge. Speaking of which, we ended up hiking a total of 54 miles during the Crucible. We also only had 3 MRESs to eat during the 2 1/2 days. This got especially rough for me at the end because I shared a full MRE with other recruits as they'd either had theirs stolen or were horrible at conserving food. We also got 3 hours sleep per night. It's technically supposed to be 4, but we all had an hour of firewatch because of our small platoon. Another notable part of the Crucible was the Battle of Fallujah. Here it consisted of 12 stations replicating obstacles in Iraq, such as crossing rivers, evacuating injured Marines, and assaulting through sewers. It was honestly pretty fun despite how challenging it was.
Wednesday had more challenges. I don't remember much because I was so dead tired. I just know I'd black out while hiking to a station, then get woken up because I'd run into the recruit in front of me or stumble on a rock. Before then I'd never thought it possible to fall asleep while walking. We sparred in the afternoon. I was matched up with recruit Apple (6'1", 175 pounds). I personally wasn't looking forward to the fight because I'd already sent a fellow recruit back a couple weeks. They denied my request to fight someone from another platoon. Anyway, my fight with Recruit Apple was dumb. Basically I pumelled him for a minute straight all the while listening to the Senior and First Sergeant yell at him for being a sissy. He kept turning his side to me, so doing what I was supposed to I started chain landing kidney shots. After a while the First Sergeant, apparently bored, told me to start throwing uppercuts. I did, three times, and feel terrible about it still.
Thursday we woke up at 2AM again and marched 10 miles to the Reaper. Everything was foggy and foreboding just like Tuesday. I didn't realize I had gotten to the Reaper until I was standing right in front of it because of the fog. The Reaper consists of 4 major hills. The first one is the biggest and kills your motivation, the last one is the steepest and must be charged up. It was a heart popping experience and by far the most physically challenging obstacle in boot camp if done how it's supposed to be done (some limp wristed Mary's took breaks between hills). After the Reaper we hiked back to our Eagle Globe and Anchor ceremony. It was such a great feeling knowing I had conquered every obstacle to come before me within the past 3 months. What can I say, you can't stop this beast. My best friend here at boot camp, Brock Groom got promoted to PFC. He requested I pin his chevrons on him during the ceremony. It was such a great honor. I've realized I have a completely new outlook on life thanks to boot camp and God. To sum it up, no guilt in life, no fear in death. Everything happens for a reason and is in God's hands so why worry about the future or dwell on the past? I can honestly say I can't think of anything I fear right now aside from reverting back to the unsure and lazy person I used to be. I'm much more open to exploring life and am excited to do so.
Bertroche Out
PS: Ask me about my rifle salute the next time you see me.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Postmarked 07/11/2009
AS I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR THOU ART WITH ME.
Sunday, July 5th. I head to The Crucible tomorrow and start it at 2:00 in the morning. 56 hours with little to no sleep and 3 MREs to barely satisfy my hunger. Hiking a total of 54 miles, hitting speed bumps all along the way, and finally climbing The Reaper. I look forward to it. Please keep me in your prayers.
The past week has been good. A recruit from our platoon, Recruit Coronado, failed the final PFT and had to retake it. Company Commander, Captain Montgomery walked into the squad bay and asked for a motivator to accompany Coronado on his PFT. The guide and squad leaders were gone, so a couple recruits stood up and said "Recruit Bertroche is a motivator, sir." Of course I didn't want to do the PFT again, but it was a good feeling to have the support of my brothers. I also went rappeling the other day off a 75 foot tower. The drill instructor told me to give him some enthusiasm so I screamed "OOHRAH!" and jumped off, falling all the way down til barely 4-5 feet from the ground and stopping myself. He shouted, "A little too much enthusiasm." It was good times.
Apparently I scared my parents with thoughts about marriage. Don't worry, I was barely serious, just scheming on how I can make more money, a typical Bertroche trait.
Last night was fantastic. We got to see fireworks from Sea World and Disneyland from our squad bay. It's nice to have a reminder that the real world is still alive and well, and I have something to look forward to when I get out of here.
On a side note, I attended the Protestant mass with a friend today. No offense to anyone of course, but I liked it more than most Catholic Masses I've attended. More singing and praising God and less automatic robot going through the motions. I hate cutting letters short, but a lot to to today to prepare for The Crucible. I don't know the next time I'll get to write, probably not till next Sunday, when I'm a Marine.
OORAH!
Patrick
I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR THOU ART WITH ME.
Sunday, July 5th. I head to The Crucible tomorrow and start it at 2:00 in the morning. 56 hours with little to no sleep and 3 MREs to barely satisfy my hunger. Hiking a total of 54 miles, hitting speed bumps all along the way, and finally climbing The Reaper. I look forward to it. Please keep me in your prayers.
The past week has been good. A recruit from our platoon, Recruit Coronado, failed the final PFT and had to retake it. Company Commander, Captain Montgomery walked into the squad bay and asked for a motivator to accompany Coronado on his PFT. The guide and squad leaders were gone, so a couple recruits stood up and said "Recruit Bertroche is a motivator, sir." Of course I didn't want to do the PFT again, but it was a good feeling to have the support of my brothers. I also went rappeling the other day off a 75 foot tower. The drill instructor told me to give him some enthusiasm so I screamed "OOHRAH!" and jumped off, falling all the way down til barely 4-5 feet from the ground and stopping myself. He shouted, "A little too much enthusiasm." It was good times.
Apparently I scared my parents with thoughts about marriage. Don't worry, I was barely serious, just scheming on how I can make more money, a typical Bertroche trait.
Last night was fantastic. We got to see fireworks from Sea World and Disneyland from our squad bay. It's nice to have a reminder that the real world is still alive and well, and I have something to look forward to when I get out of here.
On a side note, I attended the Protestant mass with a friend today. No offense to anyone of course, but I liked it more than most Catholic Masses I've attended. More singing and praising God and less automatic robot going through the motions. I hate cutting letters short, but a lot to to today to prepare for The Crucible. I don't know the next time I'll get to write, probably not till next Sunday, when I'm a Marine.
OORAH!
Patrick
Monday, July 6, 2009
Video of Recruit Bertoche With His Platoon
Website: http://www.devildogs.info/Hotel%20Company.htm
Click on 2162 under the Hotel Company 17 July 09 heading. I am the 3rd recruit shown immediately as the video opens up and pans the top left row of my platoon.
Click on 2162 under the Hotel Company 17 July 09 heading. I am the 3rd recruit shown immediately as the video opens up and pans the top left row of my platoon.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Postmarked 06/29/09
WITH ONE MOTION OF HER WANTING MIND
THE REAL WORLD BEGINS TO FADE
AND ALL THE HATEFUL THINGS I HAVE BECOME
TEMPORARILY GO AWAY
I've been daydreaming a lot lately. PT week leaves one with much free time. I've thought about everything I'm going to do when I get out of here: What I'm going to eat, all the loved ones I'm going to see, how nice it's going to be to lay on a couch and watch/do what I want. I've been more relaxed the past couple days than throughout the entirety of bootcamp. Other recruits have noticed as well. Apparently I haven't been on their ass for being slow individuals as much lately.
Today is Sunday, meaning next week is finals week, then the Crucible. 10 days until I'm a Marine, 19 until I see the first friendly face in 3 months. Each day is now slowly getting better and more motivating. I will ace my finals, I will crush the Crucible, and I will level the Reaper. This I promise you.
THE REAL WORLD BEGINS TO FADE
AND ALL THE HATEFUL THINGS I HAVE BECOME
TEMPORARILY GO AWAY
I've been daydreaming a lot lately. PT week leaves one with much free time. I've thought about everything I'm going to do when I get out of here: What I'm going to eat, all the loved ones I'm going to see, how nice it's going to be to lay on a couch and watch/do what I want. I've been more relaxed the past couple days than throughout the entirety of bootcamp. Other recruits have noticed as well. Apparently I haven't been on their ass for being slow individuals as much lately.
Today is Sunday, meaning next week is finals week, then the Crucible. 10 days until I'm a Marine, 19 until I see the first friendly face in 3 months. Each day is now slowly getting better and more motivating. I will ace my finals, I will crush the Crucible, and I will level the Reaper. This I promise you.
Postmarked 06/29/09
SIDE STRADDLE HOPS AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
MARINE CORPS MARINE CORPS DOUBLE TIME IT
So I was caught going to the bathroom during morning clean up today, something that is a definite no-no. I was taken to the quarterdeck and my IT session was kicked off with push ups and steam engines. Steam engines are a ridiculous workout that I don't even want to go into right now. Anyway, everything was going fine, my muscles were getting killed and becoming ever close to failing on me when SURPRISE....I was told to start doing mountain climbers. Now, I'm no girl when it comes to working out and pain, but I absolutely, completely hate doing Marine Corps mountain climbers, which require your toes to align or go past your fingernails. Give it a try if you ever get bored. It sucks, I promise you. Anyway, I figured if I was going to get slayed, I'd have some fun with it first. I looked away from my DI and caught the eye of my good friend, Recruit Borque. I winked and started my mountain climbers. I did 18 or 19 before I stopped and sat down. Drill instructor, Sergeant Vega, obviously surprised asked, "What the fuck, why'd you stop?" and in the straightest face I'd ever kept I replied, "Sir, this recruit has reached the top of the mountain sir." Slightly taken aback, but still maintaining his bearing, he leaned over and said, "Well, we'll have to get back down that mountain now won't we?" I wasn't done yet. Yelling out my obedient "Aye aye sir" I dropped to my back and started rolling around on the quarterdeck. He stopped me and asked in the most curious, non-DI tone I'd ever heard from him, "What the hell are you doing now?" I enthusiastically responded, "Sir, this recruit has found a more efficient way to get down the mountain sir." He turned his head to the right and put his hand over his face as if scratching it, but it was obvious he was hiding his smile. He told me to get the hell up and get back to cleaning, then walked off. I guess it pays to use some ingenuity every once in awhile.
MARINE CORPS MARINE CORPS DOUBLE TIME IT
So I was caught going to the bathroom during morning clean up today, something that is a definite no-no. I was taken to the quarterdeck and my IT session was kicked off with push ups and steam engines. Steam engines are a ridiculous workout that I don't even want to go into right now. Anyway, everything was going fine, my muscles were getting killed and becoming ever close to failing on me when SURPRISE....I was told to start doing mountain climbers. Now, I'm no girl when it comes to working out and pain, but I absolutely, completely hate doing Marine Corps mountain climbers, which require your toes to align or go past your fingernails. Give it a try if you ever get bored. It sucks, I promise you. Anyway, I figured if I was going to get slayed, I'd have some fun with it first. I looked away from my DI and caught the eye of my good friend, Recruit Borque. I winked and started my mountain climbers. I did 18 or 19 before I stopped and sat down. Drill instructor, Sergeant Vega, obviously surprised asked, "What the fuck, why'd you stop?" and in the straightest face I'd ever kept I replied, "Sir, this recruit has reached the top of the mountain sir." Slightly taken aback, but still maintaining his bearing, he leaned over and said, "Well, we'll have to get back down that mountain now won't we?" I wasn't done yet. Yelling out my obedient "Aye aye sir" I dropped to my back and started rolling around on the quarterdeck. He stopped me and asked in the most curious, non-DI tone I'd ever heard from him, "What the hell are you doing now?" I enthusiastically responded, "Sir, this recruit has found a more efficient way to get down the mountain sir." He turned his head to the right and put his hand over his face as if scratching it, but it was obvious he was hiding his smile. He told me to get the hell up and get back to cleaning, then walked off. I guess it pays to use some ingenuity every once in awhile.
Postmarked 06/29/09
I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT MY FAMILY
'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO TAKE
Had a pretty bad day today. We lost drill instructor Sergeant Lozano and picked up drill instructor Sergeant Satterfield. This whole mixing DIs in and out of the platoon hurts us so bad. Sergeant Satterfield is a vicious but fair DI. However, his skills in teaching drill aren't anywhere near our former DI's. It hurts me to say this, but the little faith I had left in the platoon is gone. No one works together anymore. Everyone just fights and yells at each other. I've always been a more sensitive, "let's all get along" type of guy, but even I have been getting in recruit's faces lately. Our DIs, and so called "father figure", our senior DI, have been calling us a garbage platoon for two weeks straight now. Not to mention, I'm top 5 most disliked by my Senior because I receive so much mail. He doesn't like the fact that people care about and support me. Hmm, ok.
In other news, we've been eating sack nasties instead of in the chow hall lately. Sack nasties are small, brown bags consisting of a bologna sandwich, an apple, small bag of Ruffles, and a granola bar-pretty much the same stuff your mom probably packed for you when you were in 2nd grade. It's even less food than before and my theory is they're preparing our stomachs for the crucible. It just sucks when it happens during PT week.
Now, on to fun and not-so-depressing news. We had final pugil sticks today and it was awesome . It was lead series (2161, 2162,& 2163) vs follow series (2165, 2166, & 2167). The setup was a big fort. Our senior drill instructors stood at the top and yelled down at their recruits. I remember hearing things such as "Look at me Bertroche, don't you fucking lose", "You better not let me down" and "Kill him! Keep hitting him!" I had to fight 3 times. The first time I broke the padding off the backside of the pugil stick from a horizontal buttstroke (cross to the face). The second time my opponent kept trying to push me away and was playing very defensive. The SDIs yelled at him and we reset the match. The third time I was finally able to finish him off. Out of our whole platoon of 48, 8 lost. Yea, we're juggernauts.
Now to end with random things. I haven't brushed my teeth in 5 days. I'm so used to feeling gross that it doesn't bother me anymore, and those that know me back home understand how hygiene conscious I used to be. I also screamed out "Aye aye sir" so loud in my sleep last night that I woke up my rackmate and a few others. Counting down the days til I get out of here. Love all of you, miss all of you.
Patrick
'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO TAKE
Had a pretty bad day today. We lost drill instructor Sergeant Lozano and picked up drill instructor Sergeant Satterfield. This whole mixing DIs in and out of the platoon hurts us so bad. Sergeant Satterfield is a vicious but fair DI. However, his skills in teaching drill aren't anywhere near our former DI's. It hurts me to say this, but the little faith I had left in the platoon is gone. No one works together anymore. Everyone just fights and yells at each other. I've always been a more sensitive, "let's all get along" type of guy, but even I have been getting in recruit's faces lately. Our DIs, and so called "father figure", our senior DI, have been calling us a garbage platoon for two weeks straight now. Not to mention, I'm top 5 most disliked by my Senior because I receive so much mail. He doesn't like the fact that people care about and support me. Hmm, ok.
In other news, we've been eating sack nasties instead of in the chow hall lately. Sack nasties are small, brown bags consisting of a bologna sandwich, an apple, small bag of Ruffles, and a granola bar-pretty much the same stuff your mom probably packed for you when you were in 2nd grade. It's even less food than before and my theory is they're preparing our stomachs for the crucible. It just sucks when it happens during PT week.
Now, on to fun and not-so-depressing news. We had final pugil sticks today and it was awesome . It was lead series (2161, 2162,& 2163) vs follow series (2165, 2166, & 2167). The setup was a big fort. Our senior drill instructors stood at the top and yelled down at their recruits. I remember hearing things such as "Look at me Bertroche, don't you fucking lose", "You better not let me down" and "Kill him! Keep hitting him!" I had to fight 3 times. The first time I broke the padding off the backside of the pugil stick from a horizontal buttstroke (cross to the face). The second time my opponent kept trying to push me away and was playing very defensive. The SDIs yelled at him and we reset the match. The third time I was finally able to finish him off. Out of our whole platoon of 48, 8 lost. Yea, we're juggernauts.
Now to end with random things. I haven't brushed my teeth in 5 days. I'm so used to feeling gross that it doesn't bother me anymore, and those that know me back home understand how hygiene conscious I used to be. I also screamed out "Aye aye sir" so loud in my sleep last night that I woke up my rackmate and a few others. Counting down the days til I get out of here. Love all of you, miss all of you.
Patrick
Friday, June 26, 2009
Postmarked 06/23/09
THIS IS STRENGTH AT IT'S FINEST
With two of our drill instructors gone, things have gotten fairly tougher. Our Senior is no longer a father figure, but just another DI. We also picked up a new DI, Sgt Lozano, who has been teaching us drill. Readjusting to new DIs is so hard because surprisingly enough, each is unique and expects something different from us. On the other hand, going thru this hardship has made us much tougher. Getting roared at no longer phases or flusters us. I got yelled at by Sgt. Lozano earlier; his mouth was an inch from my ear, and he yelled so loud my ear kind of blurred it out (like when you're next to speakers at a concert). Yet I didn't mind and still went about doing what I was doing. Desensitization is a fantastic thing.
So, I dropped another $400 for graduation stuff. Definitely wasn't happy about that. I'll be graduating with $2000 if I'm lucky. With having to deal with money a lot more recently, I've started to think of ways to make more; and to my surprise and hyposcrisy, I've started considering getting married at an early age. Let me break the reasoning down for you: As a Private or Private First Class, were I married I would receive an extra $50/month in my paycheck. I would receive $1300 for housing and $300/month for food; not to mention my wife would receive the same fantastic health benefits I have. So, tell me, is it wrong for me to lean towards marriage even if for reasons unconventional and perhaps lacking unconditional love? I honestly don't know.
I'm up to 17 pullups and 120 crunches in 2 minutes now. I'd say I look pretty decent in the mirror, mainly attributed to all my weight loss, which makes every vein and muscle stick out like Christmas lights in June. We have our second PFT (Physical Fitness Test) tomorrow....I'm dreading it. I know I'll do fine, but running is on my top 5 list of least favorite things to do. I'd rather do sprints and burn myself up for 10 minutes than have an irritating exhaustion for 25. Oh well, 3 more weeks of doing things I don't want to do and I can finally end this long dream-like trek and finally be back with my friends and family with a satisfied stomach.
Recruit out.
With two of our drill instructors gone, things have gotten fairly tougher. Our Senior is no longer a father figure, but just another DI. We also picked up a new DI, Sgt Lozano, who has been teaching us drill. Readjusting to new DIs is so hard because surprisingly enough, each is unique and expects something different from us. On the other hand, going thru this hardship has made us much tougher. Getting roared at no longer phases or flusters us. I got yelled at by Sgt. Lozano earlier; his mouth was an inch from my ear, and he yelled so loud my ear kind of blurred it out (like when you're next to speakers at a concert). Yet I didn't mind and still went about doing what I was doing. Desensitization is a fantastic thing.
So, I dropped another $400 for graduation stuff. Definitely wasn't happy about that. I'll be graduating with $2000 if I'm lucky. With having to deal with money a lot more recently, I've started to think of ways to make more; and to my surprise and hyposcrisy, I've started considering getting married at an early age. Let me break the reasoning down for you: As a Private or Private First Class, were I married I would receive an extra $50/month in my paycheck. I would receive $1300 for housing and $300/month for food; not to mention my wife would receive the same fantastic health benefits I have. So, tell me, is it wrong for me to lean towards marriage even if for reasons unconventional and perhaps lacking unconditional love? I honestly don't know.
I'm up to 17 pullups and 120 crunches in 2 minutes now. I'd say I look pretty decent in the mirror, mainly attributed to all my weight loss, which makes every vein and muscle stick out like Christmas lights in June. We have our second PFT (Physical Fitness Test) tomorrow....I'm dreading it. I know I'll do fine, but running is on my top 5 list of least favorite things to do. I'd rather do sprints and burn myself up for 10 minutes than have an irritating exhaustion for 25. Oh well, 3 more weeks of doing things I don't want to do and I can finally end this long dream-like trek and finally be back with my friends and family with a satisfied stomach.
Recruit out.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Postmarked 06/18/09
A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS IT'S WEAKEST LINK
Team week this week and it's been pretty stressful. We don't do a whole lot but clean and sit around, which of course gives us time to get harrassed by drill instructors and demoralized by our senior drill instructor. With our drill instructors gone, we now have new ones filling in every day. Everyone has different expectations and priorities, so we never get time to adjust, only time to get harrassed. This has been by far the most mentally and emotionally stressful week of boot camp for the platoon. I've seen more recruits crying in the bathroom in the last 4 days than in all of boot camp. The worse part is our senior drill instructor has completely changed. He no longer smiles but just points out our flaws and calls us garbage. It's basically the same feeling as a good friend turning on you. My only explanation for his sudden change is he now realizes it's up to him to train us and/or he is very stressed out and has lost some bearing and let it show. Either way, we all feel like the garbage he calls us now and have been fighting amongst one another constantly. My only solace is at night when I can read my letters, particularly from my parents and grandpa (no offense to anyone of course). The love and support they reassure me with is like a steroid for my mind. Which brings me to my next point. I have been truly blessed to have the family I do, and have never realized so until now. When I get out of here, my main priority, other than feeding my face, will be making closer connections with my family, who has shown me unrelenting love in spite of my 20 not-so-appreciatinve years of life. My goal is to be with my parents a good majority of my leave and have friends come over instead of having to visit everyone individually. So please try to work with me when I get back.
I got 3 big-ass food boxes in the mail yesterday. The platoon loved me, the Senior hated me. I guess it's time I request people stop sending food. I appreciate it, however there are ramifications for everything in boot camp and I'm done being the one to pay (and having family pay) so the platoon can be happy, and having no other recruits do the same.
Alot of people have been inquiring on books or video that properly detail what boot camp is like. I understand I can't write enough to explain everything, so the most accurate videos off the top of my head are "Ears Open, Eyeballs Click" and "Earning the Title." Like I said, both are accurate, just keep in mind nothing will ever be able to properly portray the mental and emotional anguish you're put through as those are intangible. No one will ever understand boot camp until they go through it themselves; which gives me a slight sense of pride, while at the same time makes me hate myself for knowing what it's like. My mom asked me to not sugar coat this blog, so I'm not.
Through bootcamp I've become increasingly obsessed with God's Word. I've been seriously contemplating getting the Prayer to St. Michael tattooed across my back. Unless I can find something more important to me, that's probably what I'll do. Boot camp has a way of making one say "screw it." I no longer live in a world of indecisiveness, doubt, and regret.
St Michael the Archangel Defend Us in Battle.
Team week this week and it's been pretty stressful. We don't do a whole lot but clean and sit around, which of course gives us time to get harrassed by drill instructors and demoralized by our senior drill instructor. With our drill instructors gone, we now have new ones filling in every day. Everyone has different expectations and priorities, so we never get time to adjust, only time to get harrassed. This has been by far the most mentally and emotionally stressful week of boot camp for the platoon. I've seen more recruits crying in the bathroom in the last 4 days than in all of boot camp. The worse part is our senior drill instructor has completely changed. He no longer smiles but just points out our flaws and calls us garbage. It's basically the same feeling as a good friend turning on you. My only explanation for his sudden change is he now realizes it's up to him to train us and/or he is very stressed out and has lost some bearing and let it show. Either way, we all feel like the garbage he calls us now and have been fighting amongst one another constantly. My only solace is at night when I can read my letters, particularly from my parents and grandpa (no offense to anyone of course). The love and support they reassure me with is like a steroid for my mind. Which brings me to my next point. I have been truly blessed to have the family I do, and have never realized so until now. When I get out of here, my main priority, other than feeding my face, will be making closer connections with my family, who has shown me unrelenting love in spite of my 20 not-so-appreciatinve years of life. My goal is to be with my parents a good majority of my leave and have friends come over instead of having to visit everyone individually. So please try to work with me when I get back.
I got 3 big-ass food boxes in the mail yesterday. The platoon loved me, the Senior hated me. I guess it's time I request people stop sending food. I appreciate it, however there are ramifications for everything in boot camp and I'm done being the one to pay (and having family pay) so the platoon can be happy, and having no other recruits do the same.
Alot of people have been inquiring on books or video that properly detail what boot camp is like. I understand I can't write enough to explain everything, so the most accurate videos off the top of my head are "Ears Open, Eyeballs Click" and "Earning the Title." Like I said, both are accurate, just keep in mind nothing will ever be able to properly portray the mental and emotional anguish you're put through as those are intangible. No one will ever understand boot camp until they go through it themselves; which gives me a slight sense of pride, while at the same time makes me hate myself for knowing what it's like. My mom asked me to not sugar coat this blog, so I'm not.
Through bootcamp I've become increasingly obsessed with God's Word. I've been seriously contemplating getting the Prayer to St. Michael tattooed across my back. Unless I can find something more important to me, that's probably what I'll do. Boot camp has a way of making one say "screw it." I no longer live in a world of indecisiveness, doubt, and regret.
St Michael the Archangel Defend Us in Battle.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Postmarked 06/15/09
ONE SHOT, ONE KILL-READY TO DIE, NEVER WILL
So I have some depressing news. This last week I've done nothing but shoot the M16A2 service rifle. All 4 practice days I shot Expert and received compliments from my coach such as "Damn recruit, nice groups. Keep shooting like that and you'll get company marksman." However, on qualification day, I only shot Marksman (the basic qualifier). I feel like I was promised a prime rib and instead was given a can of spam. The thing is, every shot that I hit was a dead center 5 pointer, then I'd randomly get marked up for a miss. In this respect, it's reasonable that I get suspicious of cheating (especially since other rival platoons were the ones scoring us.) Anyway, I asked around and other top shooters reported the same thing, but I doubt there will be an investigation. Oh well, I shot well enough on my second qualification to get bumped up to sharpshooter. I think there was some cheating there too as I aced every shot then "mysteriously" missed an entire 8 shot rapid fire (the only one coaches don't check.)
Update: I just finished Field Week (yes this letter just jumped a whole week due to free time becoming non-existent) and I gotta say I've been pushed to my limit and further every day this week. We've done everything from missing meals, to low crawling until we have giant scabs on our elbows and knees, to sleeping in the wilderness with nothing but a sleeping bag and freezing rain as your company at night. Not to mention DIs thrash the hell out of you because there is no one out here but them and us. Aside from that crap, this week has been fun. I've learned how to run a fire team, read a map and navigate with a compass and protractor, and successfully survive and evade hostile enemy during night time. We've also worn camouflage make up about the whole time which has caused more recruits to call me by my recent nickname "blue-eyed devil"-a nickname a few of my black friends gave me after I broke a kid's thumb in pugil sticks. I'm now down to 178 pounds. Veins in my biceps are starting to pop out, making me seem bigger than I am, which isn't much bigger than before boot camp. Have I mentioned yet that I dislike their workout program here?
I humped the 8-mile hike a few days back. We had 2 recruits of the platoon fall out and ride the rest in the back of a truck. One of the recruits was in front of me and when he started to fall out, I grabbed him and hauled him up the rest of the hill they call the Mini Reaper. I felt like a boss afterwards. Unfortunately, he later gave up on another hill. He and the other recruit who fell out, Recruit Spiker who we picked up from another platoon, have been dropped and are no longer with us. I've come to realize boot camp has changed my priorities significantly. For example, I used to be obsessed with getting a firearm after I graduated boot camp. Absolute confidence in myself and my combat capabilities have killed that urge, and the vulnerability and paranoia I once felt is no longer existent. It's a great feeling. I also want to get more involved in my Catholic Youth Group and less involved with drinking and wasting time (no worries friends back home, I'll still be fun:))
On the negative side of my changes, I've become less tolerable of slow or sloppy people. Obese people piss me off. I'm less patient with slow learners, and I verbally attack people whose morals are values I disagree with, disregarding whether or not their feelings get hurt. I know I probably shouldn't be so absolute, but it's the mindset I've been molded into. In lieu of this, I still have my soft spot and am known in the platoon as the go to guy if someone is homesick or had a bad day. If I notice a recruit has been grilled extra hard by the DIs, I'll pull them aside and talk to them until they feel better. They always end up feeling better. This has led to me considering psychiatry or counseling as a profession again. Our two drill instructors, Sergeant Martinez and Sergeant Ponce have gotten into trouble and are no longer with us. I cannot reveal specifics, but it will just be our senior drill instructor and drill instructor Sergeant Vega in control of us now. I no longer feel like a real platoon. I guarantee you we have no shot at final drill now with Martinez gone. Whatever, just counting down until I get the hell out of here.
Leaving Camp Pendleton today and going back to MCRD as a 3rd Phase recruit. Next week will be Team Week which consists of cleaning and helping out at the base. There's supposed to be a lot of down time which means we'll probably get IT'd alot (days we don't do much are days we get screwed up the most because the DIs need to kill time somehow.)
After Team Week, I have Class Week, then Physical Training Week, then the Crucible, and I'm a Marine. I'm close but still so far away. My food list and list of things to do when I get out of here is forever growing. I get so excited just thinking about it. An old friend of mine used to hold a day dedicated to gorging yourself. Being a hungry recruit at boot camp, I think this is a fantastic idea, and since I lost contact with said friend, I've decided to make July 21st that day. So, one I get out, life is one big buffet until School of Infantry. I'll still be working out of course. Someone tell Breuss to send me his address again. The mail I sent him got returned.
Longer letter than usual, but I've had a lot of thoughts to cover. Miss all of you and can't wait to see you in 5 weeks!
Blessed by the LORD my rock,
Who trains my hands for war
and my fingers for battle.
~Psalm 144
So I have some depressing news. This last week I've done nothing but shoot the M16A2 service rifle. All 4 practice days I shot Expert and received compliments from my coach such as "Damn recruit, nice groups. Keep shooting like that and you'll get company marksman." However, on qualification day, I only shot Marksman (the basic qualifier). I feel like I was promised a prime rib and instead was given a can of spam. The thing is, every shot that I hit was a dead center 5 pointer, then I'd randomly get marked up for a miss. In this respect, it's reasonable that I get suspicious of cheating (especially since other rival platoons were the ones scoring us.) Anyway, I asked around and other top shooters reported the same thing, but I doubt there will be an investigation. Oh well, I shot well enough on my second qualification to get bumped up to sharpshooter. I think there was some cheating there too as I aced every shot then "mysteriously" missed an entire 8 shot rapid fire (the only one coaches don't check.)
Update: I just finished Field Week (yes this letter just jumped a whole week due to free time becoming non-existent) and I gotta say I've been pushed to my limit and further every day this week. We've done everything from missing meals, to low crawling until we have giant scabs on our elbows and knees, to sleeping in the wilderness with nothing but a sleeping bag and freezing rain as your company at night. Not to mention DIs thrash the hell out of you because there is no one out here but them and us. Aside from that crap, this week has been fun. I've learned how to run a fire team, read a map and navigate with a compass and protractor, and successfully survive and evade hostile enemy during night time. We've also worn camouflage make up about the whole time which has caused more recruits to call me by my recent nickname "blue-eyed devil"-a nickname a few of my black friends gave me after I broke a kid's thumb in pugil sticks. I'm now down to 178 pounds. Veins in my biceps are starting to pop out, making me seem bigger than I am, which isn't much bigger than before boot camp. Have I mentioned yet that I dislike their workout program here?
I humped the 8-mile hike a few days back. We had 2 recruits of the platoon fall out and ride the rest in the back of a truck. One of the recruits was in front of me and when he started to fall out, I grabbed him and hauled him up the rest of the hill they call the Mini Reaper. I felt like a boss afterwards. Unfortunately, he later gave up on another hill. He and the other recruit who fell out, Recruit Spiker who we picked up from another platoon, have been dropped and are no longer with us. I've come to realize boot camp has changed my priorities significantly. For example, I used to be obsessed with getting a firearm after I graduated boot camp. Absolute confidence in myself and my combat capabilities have killed that urge, and the vulnerability and paranoia I once felt is no longer existent. It's a great feeling. I also want to get more involved in my Catholic Youth Group and less involved with drinking and wasting time (no worries friends back home, I'll still be fun:))
On the negative side of my changes, I've become less tolerable of slow or sloppy people. Obese people piss me off. I'm less patient with slow learners, and I verbally attack people whose morals are values I disagree with, disregarding whether or not their feelings get hurt. I know I probably shouldn't be so absolute, but it's the mindset I've been molded into. In lieu of this, I still have my soft spot and am known in the platoon as the go to guy if someone is homesick or had a bad day. If I notice a recruit has been grilled extra hard by the DIs, I'll pull them aside and talk to them until they feel better. They always end up feeling better. This has led to me considering psychiatry or counseling as a profession again. Our two drill instructors, Sergeant Martinez and Sergeant Ponce have gotten into trouble and are no longer with us. I cannot reveal specifics, but it will just be our senior drill instructor and drill instructor Sergeant Vega in control of us now. I no longer feel like a real platoon. I guarantee you we have no shot at final drill now with Martinez gone. Whatever, just counting down until I get the hell out of here.
Leaving Camp Pendleton today and going back to MCRD as a 3rd Phase recruit. Next week will be Team Week which consists of cleaning and helping out at the base. There's supposed to be a lot of down time which means we'll probably get IT'd alot (days we don't do much are days we get screwed up the most because the DIs need to kill time somehow.)
After Team Week, I have Class Week, then Physical Training Week, then the Crucible, and I'm a Marine. I'm close but still so far away. My food list and list of things to do when I get out of here is forever growing. I get so excited just thinking about it. An old friend of mine used to hold a day dedicated to gorging yourself. Being a hungry recruit at boot camp, I think this is a fantastic idea, and since I lost contact with said friend, I've decided to make July 21st that day. So, one I get out, life is one big buffet until School of Infantry. I'll still be working out of course. Someone tell Breuss to send me his address again. The mail I sent him got returned.
Longer letter than usual, but I've had a lot of thoughts to cover. Miss all of you and can't wait to see you in 5 weeks!
Blessed by the LORD my rock,
Who trains my hands for war
and my fingers for battle.
~Psalm 144
Monday, June 8, 2009
Postmarked 06/05/09
IT'S MY WORLD. YOU'RE IN IT.
So, Phase II is going crazy fast. I'm already 5 days into it and I feel like I've been here two. Up until yesterday, I'd never been IT'd except once for getting so much mail. However, yesterday had a calling for pain. I started the morning out on the quarterdeck because I was slow getting my boots on. They're a little small, so it takes me longer than most people. After that I got IT'd again around afternoon chow time. I was telling my usual sarcastic jokes and got caught laughing...which I need to work on, because not one person here gets my humor anyway. So I'm basically telling myself jokes and laughing at them all day. My third IT was near the end of the day when we were cleaning house. I was caught yet again messing around and telling jokes. The ITs are a lot more intense in Phase II. They leave my entire body feeling like jelly and cause me to wobble a little when I walk afterward.
It's been a week and a day since our last mail call. I've gotta say I really miss hearing from everyone. I don't know why mail processes so slow up here. The weather's also been cold, cloudy, and rainy the whole time here. I definitely miss the sun, especially when sitting in cold bleachers all day learning how to shoot. I've gotten pretty good with shooting the M16A2 service rifle. I'm certainly not the best, but the coach will compliment me on some nice shots every now and then. The biggest part of this week besides the rifle range has been our hikes. So far we've done a 3 and 5 mile hike. Basically we power walk the distance with a 75 lb pack on our back, weapon slung, and kevlar helmet on our head. It's one of the toughest challenges we've met so far, and every hike 4-5 recruits either injure themselves or fall out. While it's tough, I personally enjoy hiking. We get to see amazing landscape and wildlife; not to mention I feel like I can conquer anything once I finish a hike. We've started eating MREs (meals, ready-to-eat)every now and then. Compared to our regular meals, it's like having candy for breakfast, which is really sad when you think about it, because MREs are made fairly bland. My buddies and I have made a checklist of food we're going to eat when we get out of here. To my buddies at home: my first week back I'm going to need help checking all this food off my list, so you better be accompanying me during my triumphant gorge fest. Anyway, here's the list we dream about:
Cinnabon, bourbon wings, root beer float, Oreo blizzard, peanut butter silk pie, beef jerky, sugar cookies, french toast crunch, Burger King rodeo burger, strawberry cheesecake, grown-up grilled cheese, Hu-hot, BBQ chips & sour cream, prime rib, lobster, jar of cherries, cashews, sea salt & vinegar chips, George the Chili King chili dog, Shang Yuen beef lo mein, Twin Bings, and maple frosted doughnut.
We picked up a new recruit the other day. He got kicked out of his other platoon frankly for being worthless. He's not loud, he's slow, and he tries to get out of everything (hikes, PT, etc...). I don't know how I feel about the best platoon having to carry the worst recruit, but hopefully he gets a new mindset soon and starts cooperating and building us up instead of breaking us down.
Other weird random things to note: My thumbs have gotten longer (yes, wtf right?) and my hair that I have is almost completely blond-I'm guessing from being in the sun so much. Also, the other recruits say I look nothing like I do in my pictures. Probably from all the weight I've lost. Thanks for reading.
So, Phase II is going crazy fast. I'm already 5 days into it and I feel like I've been here two. Up until yesterday, I'd never been IT'd except once for getting so much mail. However, yesterday had a calling for pain. I started the morning out on the quarterdeck because I was slow getting my boots on. They're a little small, so it takes me longer than most people. After that I got IT'd again around afternoon chow time. I was telling my usual sarcastic jokes and got caught laughing...which I need to work on, because not one person here gets my humor anyway. So I'm basically telling myself jokes and laughing at them all day. My third IT was near the end of the day when we were cleaning house. I was caught yet again messing around and telling jokes. The ITs are a lot more intense in Phase II. They leave my entire body feeling like jelly and cause me to wobble a little when I walk afterward.
It's been a week and a day since our last mail call. I've gotta say I really miss hearing from everyone. I don't know why mail processes so slow up here. The weather's also been cold, cloudy, and rainy the whole time here. I definitely miss the sun, especially when sitting in cold bleachers all day learning how to shoot. I've gotten pretty good with shooting the M16A2 service rifle. I'm certainly not the best, but the coach will compliment me on some nice shots every now and then. The biggest part of this week besides the rifle range has been our hikes. So far we've done a 3 and 5 mile hike. Basically we power walk the distance with a 75 lb pack on our back, weapon slung, and kevlar helmet on our head. It's one of the toughest challenges we've met so far, and every hike 4-5 recruits either injure themselves or fall out. While it's tough, I personally enjoy hiking. We get to see amazing landscape and wildlife; not to mention I feel like I can conquer anything once I finish a hike. We've started eating MREs (meals, ready-to-eat)every now and then. Compared to our regular meals, it's like having candy for breakfast, which is really sad when you think about it, because MREs are made fairly bland. My buddies and I have made a checklist of food we're going to eat when we get out of here. To my buddies at home: my first week back I'm going to need help checking all this food off my list, so you better be accompanying me during my triumphant gorge fest. Anyway, here's the list we dream about:
Cinnabon, bourbon wings, root beer float, Oreo blizzard, peanut butter silk pie, beef jerky, sugar cookies, french toast crunch, Burger King rodeo burger, strawberry cheesecake, grown-up grilled cheese, Hu-hot, BBQ chips & sour cream, prime rib, lobster, jar of cherries, cashews, sea salt & vinegar chips, George the Chili King chili dog, Shang Yuen beef lo mein, Twin Bings, and maple frosted doughnut.
We picked up a new recruit the other day. He got kicked out of his other platoon frankly for being worthless. He's not loud, he's slow, and he tries to get out of everything (hikes, PT, etc...). I don't know how I feel about the best platoon having to carry the worst recruit, but hopefully he gets a new mindset soon and starts cooperating and building us up instead of breaking us down.
Other weird random things to note: My thumbs have gotten longer (yes, wtf right?) and my hair that I have is almost completely blond-I'm guessing from being in the sun so much. Also, the other recruits say I look nothing like I do in my pictures. Probably from all the weight I've lost. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Postmarked 05/30/2009
CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON.
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE.
A lot has been going on in the past week. That's why I haven't written anyone. I hope everyone understands. I dodged getting dropped to Mike Company (two weeks back). It was almost a certainty I was going to get dropped because I was not allowed to swim until I got cleared of bronchitis by Medical; and we only had four swim days, three of which I'd missed already. Miraculously, on the fourth day, my illness disappeared. I was cleared and swam 2nd Qualification (1st is best, 4th is basic qual). I wanted to try for 1st but there was not enough time since I'd missed 3 days already. The next day I did my first PFT (Physical Fitness Test). I got 12 pull ups, 100 crunches, and ran 3 miles in 24 min 50 sec. I've thanked God every day since for allowing me to pass everything and not get dropped. Not only was it looking like I was going to get dropped because of not participating in the swim, but I also was worried about the 3 mile run. I never ran 3 miles in my life. Going from not thinking I'd make the run in 30 min to kicking it out in 24:50 is truly a helping hand from God.
I had the most regrettable experience yet the other day. We had pugil stick matches again. I was a lot more confident and aggressive this time and charged the kid. I must have twisted his hand an abnormal way, because when I struck to his right he tried to block, but my blow bent his thumb back and broke it. He has been dropped to Mike Company and I've been taking it real hard since. I am the reason this kid will have to be miserable an extra two weeks. I am the reason his family won't get to see him for an extra two weeks.
In other news, I'm done with Phase I now. It went out with a bang. We got first out of the 6 platoons on the PFT and are still Honor Platoon. There was cheating going on from Plt 2167, so they got disqualified for an integrity violation. We got cake, cookies, cashews from Mom, and other great food the rest of the day. It's the first day here I haven't gone to sleep hungry. I'm at Camp Pendleton now. It started out rough as expected- alot of getting punished in the sand pit and people getting IT'd (Intense Training). We had to carry our 70 lb packs over our head from inside our showers to down the stairs and outside back and forth for about half an hour. It was brutal, but I felt like Superman when we were done. The platoon is it's own family now. About everyone gets along like they would with their brothers and sisters. My good friends call me Joseph, and I call them by their first names. A lot of us have been having family issues back home. For some it's money, others it's breakups, and others it's pregnancy. The amount of recruits married or with a kid is crazy. Over half have a child or are married. Three recruits, including our guide, have found out they have a baby on the way. It just blows my mind to think I'm at that age now. I still want to wait until late 20s, early 30s. Building a good foundation just seems like a better idea to me. That's about it for now. We eat better at Camp Pendleton, but also a lot less, so I'm still always hungry. Thanks again for the letters everyone. Love you all.
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE.
A lot has been going on in the past week. That's why I haven't written anyone. I hope everyone understands. I dodged getting dropped to Mike Company (two weeks back). It was almost a certainty I was going to get dropped because I was not allowed to swim until I got cleared of bronchitis by Medical; and we only had four swim days, three of which I'd missed already. Miraculously, on the fourth day, my illness disappeared. I was cleared and swam 2nd Qualification (1st is best, 4th is basic qual). I wanted to try for 1st but there was not enough time since I'd missed 3 days already. The next day I did my first PFT (Physical Fitness Test). I got 12 pull ups, 100 crunches, and ran 3 miles in 24 min 50 sec. I've thanked God every day since for allowing me to pass everything and not get dropped. Not only was it looking like I was going to get dropped because of not participating in the swim, but I also was worried about the 3 mile run. I never ran 3 miles in my life. Going from not thinking I'd make the run in 30 min to kicking it out in 24:50 is truly a helping hand from God.
I had the most regrettable experience yet the other day. We had pugil stick matches again. I was a lot more confident and aggressive this time and charged the kid. I must have twisted his hand an abnormal way, because when I struck to his right he tried to block, but my blow bent his thumb back and broke it. He has been dropped to Mike Company and I've been taking it real hard since. I am the reason this kid will have to be miserable an extra two weeks. I am the reason his family won't get to see him for an extra two weeks.
In other news, I'm done with Phase I now. It went out with a bang. We got first out of the 6 platoons on the PFT and are still Honor Platoon. There was cheating going on from Plt 2167, so they got disqualified for an integrity violation. We got cake, cookies, cashews from Mom, and other great food the rest of the day. It's the first day here I haven't gone to sleep hungry. I'm at Camp Pendleton now. It started out rough as expected- alot of getting punished in the sand pit and people getting IT'd (Intense Training). We had to carry our 70 lb packs over our head from inside our showers to down the stairs and outside back and forth for about half an hour. It was brutal, but I felt like Superman when we were done. The platoon is it's own family now. About everyone gets along like they would with their brothers and sisters. My good friends call me Joseph, and I call them by their first names. A lot of us have been having family issues back home. For some it's money, others it's breakups, and others it's pregnancy. The amount of recruits married or with a kid is crazy. Over half have a child or are married. Three recruits, including our guide, have found out they have a baby on the way. It just blows my mind to think I'm at that age now. I still want to wait until late 20s, early 30s. Building a good foundation just seems like a better idea to me. That's about it for now. We eat better at Camp Pendleton, but also a lot less, so I'm still always hungry. Thanks again for the letters everyone. Love you all.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Postmarked 05/19/09
MARINE BOOT CAMP- WHERE CLEANING IS THE FUN PART
After all these years of doing everything possible to avoid cleaning, it's terribly ironic that the highlight of my day is wiping windows or mopping the floor. There goes relativity biting me in the ass again. I've lost 10 pounds in the past week. I now weigh 180. I'm pretty sure I'm going to come out of boot camp a twig. All that means is I'll have to hit weights and supplements hardcore again. I honestly don't get the Marine's work-out plan. We do pull-ups, crunches, & push ups every 4 hours every day. We never have a rest period and our muscles are always exhausted. Everyone I've talked to says they can't do as many pull-ups as they used to. It's dumb and irritating. I got diagnosed with bronchitis yesterday. All of those days of faking sick to get out of school are catching up to me.
Our platoon screw up is Recruit Crutchfield. Not only does he fail at everything, he directly tells us he doesn't care about the platoon and hopes they just send him home. The only word that comes to mind when I see him is "anti-effort." Anyway, every time he messes up bad (about every 3 hours) our guide and squad leaders get punished for it, usually quarterdecked. It infuriates me. On top of it, he eats dessert every day, when we've been entrusted to monitor our own nutrition (he is overweight and sloppy). So yesterday, after he got our guide smoked due to talking back to our Senior Drill Instructor, I saw him in line giggling with a piece of cake on his tray. I snapped, went over to him, grabbed his cake, threw it in the trash, and told him the garbage can deserved the cake more than he did. I walked back over to my spot in line and spotted drill instructor Sergeant Ponce with his arms folded. He nodded at me and walked off. Getting a nod or approval from a drill instructor is about as rare as seeing an atheist at church. Anyway, I'm not proud I lost my temper, but you've got to understand you have to have a completely different mindset here than in the real world.
Other things of note: We got 2nd in initial drill. We were told if we got 1st we'd get to watch a boot-legged copy of X-men Origins. I wanted to see it so bad, but apparently I'll have to wait. I really hate being next to the airport. Knowing every plan that takes off has people going on vacation or going back to their families gets mad depressing. However, being almost done with Phase I is a huge motivation. I have swim week left, then it's off to Camp Pendleton to shoot stuff. Once again, please keep me in your prayers that nothing happens to cause my graduation to get pushed back. It is the biggest worry on my mind right now. Hope to write happier letters in the future. ~Patrick
After all these years of doing everything possible to avoid cleaning, it's terribly ironic that the highlight of my day is wiping windows or mopping the floor. There goes relativity biting me in the ass again. I've lost 10 pounds in the past week. I now weigh 180. I'm pretty sure I'm going to come out of boot camp a twig. All that means is I'll have to hit weights and supplements hardcore again. I honestly don't get the Marine's work-out plan. We do pull-ups, crunches, & push ups every 4 hours every day. We never have a rest period and our muscles are always exhausted. Everyone I've talked to says they can't do as many pull-ups as they used to. It's dumb and irritating. I got diagnosed with bronchitis yesterday. All of those days of faking sick to get out of school are catching up to me.
Our platoon screw up is Recruit Crutchfield. Not only does he fail at everything, he directly tells us he doesn't care about the platoon and hopes they just send him home. The only word that comes to mind when I see him is "anti-effort." Anyway, every time he messes up bad (about every 3 hours) our guide and squad leaders get punished for it, usually quarterdecked. It infuriates me. On top of it, he eats dessert every day, when we've been entrusted to monitor our own nutrition (he is overweight and sloppy). So yesterday, after he got our guide smoked due to talking back to our Senior Drill Instructor, I saw him in line giggling with a piece of cake on his tray. I snapped, went over to him, grabbed his cake, threw it in the trash, and told him the garbage can deserved the cake more than he did. I walked back over to my spot in line and spotted drill instructor Sergeant Ponce with his arms folded. He nodded at me and walked off. Getting a nod or approval from a drill instructor is about as rare as seeing an atheist at church. Anyway, I'm not proud I lost my temper, but you've got to understand you have to have a completely different mindset here than in the real world.
Other things of note: We got 2nd in initial drill. We were told if we got 1st we'd get to watch a boot-legged copy of X-men Origins. I wanted to see it so bad, but apparently I'll have to wait. I really hate being next to the airport. Knowing every plan that takes off has people going on vacation or going back to their families gets mad depressing. However, being almost done with Phase I is a huge motivation. I have swim week left, then it's off to Camp Pendleton to shoot stuff. Once again, please keep me in your prayers that nothing happens to cause my graduation to get pushed back. It is the biggest worry on my mind right now. Hope to write happier letters in the future. ~Patrick
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Postmarked 05/18/09
PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY
These past couple of days have been very physically intense. We did logs yesterday, which is getting 8 people to a telephone pole-sized log and doing squat, curl, and press exercises with it; then carrying it half a mile. Saying it was painful would be an understatement. I currently have 5 inch scabs on my shoulders from carrying it. I was the tallest, so I took the majority of the weight. Oh yea, I don't think I mentioned that I'm the third tallest person in our platoon of 51. That should tell you just how many shorties we have. Now, back to the physical stuff. We did the combat conditioning course today. It was a marathon of performing vicious MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) maneuvers on each other and lugging our partner's dead weight around, utilizing fireman/other carries. The course lasted about 45 minutes nonstop and left us dead. The best part was we had to do pullups, situps, pushups, and drill afterwards. By far my worst experience yet however, has to be this afternoon. Somehow I acquired a dime-sized rock in my shoe. I had to drill (march) for 2-3 hours stepping on this rock repeatedly. It left a proud sore on my foot that I wrapped up in recruit tape.
Now, on to other topics that don't make me cringe. Our guide got his front tooth knocked out during a MCMAP exercise. I tell him jokes just to see his goofy-ass grin now. I had to drop another $120 on a yearbook, dvd, and pictures today. It was voluntary so I can't complain, but I really hate spending money. Mom told me I'd miss her cooking one day. That day is today. I'd give anything for some lasagna or shrimp and white sauce with noodles right now. Miss you all. Signing off.
These past couple of days have been very physically intense. We did logs yesterday, which is getting 8 people to a telephone pole-sized log and doing squat, curl, and press exercises with it; then carrying it half a mile. Saying it was painful would be an understatement. I currently have 5 inch scabs on my shoulders from carrying it. I was the tallest, so I took the majority of the weight. Oh yea, I don't think I mentioned that I'm the third tallest person in our platoon of 51. That should tell you just how many shorties we have. Now, back to the physical stuff. We did the combat conditioning course today. It was a marathon of performing vicious MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) maneuvers on each other and lugging our partner's dead weight around, utilizing fireman/other carries. The course lasted about 45 minutes nonstop and left us dead. The best part was we had to do pullups, situps, pushups, and drill afterwards. By far my worst experience yet however, has to be this afternoon. Somehow I acquired a dime-sized rock in my shoe. I had to drill (march) for 2-3 hours stepping on this rock repeatedly. It left a proud sore on my foot that I wrapped up in recruit tape.
Now, on to other topics that don't make me cringe. Our guide got his front tooth knocked out during a MCMAP exercise. I tell him jokes just to see his goofy-ass grin now. I had to drop another $120 on a yearbook, dvd, and pictures today. It was voluntary so I can't complain, but I really hate spending money. Mom told me I'd miss her cooking one day. That day is today. I'd give anything for some lasagna or shrimp and white sauce with noodles right now. Miss you all. Signing off.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Postmarked 05/11/09
THEY TOLD ME TO BECOME CONTROLLED CHAOS - THE TAZMANIAN DEVIL
I'll kick this off with the good stuff. We had our first pugil stick matches today. Pugil sticks are basically 6 foot poles with pads on each end. They are meant to stimulate bayonet combat. I was actually pretty anxious about this day. I really didn't want to get my ass kicked....but I can boastfully say I absolutely dominated some poor kid from platoon 2161. He was my height and 195 lbs (they match us up according to weight). I waded in and landed two thrusts and a cross to his head before he even landed a hit, which was to my shoulder. Then I got another thrust and cross to his head before the referee blew the whistle. The recruit landed a cheap shot to my head after I turned around to head back to the platoon (out of poor sportsmanship apparently) and got IT'd on the spot. Overall, it's been my best experience here so far.
On another positive note, I performed well on the "confidence course" which is a relay where recruits climb over poles, hoist themselves over high wooden logs, and climb up a 30 foot rope. The rope is very intimidating and 1/4 of the recruits fail to get to the top the first time. I didn't have a problem with any of it. After everyone went through it once, the platoons competed to see which could get through it the fastest. Our competing platoons are 2161, 2163, 2166, & 2167. We won and are currently honor platoon.
Now for the stuff that's been pissing me off. First, I had to drop $150 of my own money on equipment yesterday. I really hope that doesn't become standard. I've also had poor luck in terms of health. I started out training with pneumonia, then moved on to a torn groin, then got a horribly itchy and burning skin rash extending from my shoulders to my hands, and now have acquired dime-sized callouses on my hands. The callouses wouldn't be a big deal except they've now formed into blisters and two have torn open on both sides of the skin (blister skin and tender skin underneath) which causes my hands to bleed a decent amount every time I do physical training. I don't intend to go to medical for anything non life-threatening or permanently disabling. I've seen 5 recruits recycled from my platoon so far, and that is the worst thing I can think of happening right now. So I'm just sucking it up, praying for God to heal me. Which brings me to my next point: If you're not a believer in God before boot camp, you sure will be when you get here. The church services are amazing and faith helps so much with motivation. I even pop open the bible from time to time to find some inspiration. I hear the swine flu is getting crazy. We had a kid in our platoon infected with it. He was discharged immediately. Poor guy. Oh...back on the topic of things that are irking me....We get 30 second showers. I honestly can say I've never been so frustrated trying to take a shower than here with 12 stalls and 50 recruits all trying to get clean at the same time. At least I don't have hair so shampoo isn't an issue.
That's about it for today. I miss all of you and would LOVE to get more letters. They help so much! Take Care and God Bless.
I'll kick this off with the good stuff. We had our first pugil stick matches today. Pugil sticks are basically 6 foot poles with pads on each end. They are meant to stimulate bayonet combat. I was actually pretty anxious about this day. I really didn't want to get my ass kicked....but I can boastfully say I absolutely dominated some poor kid from platoon 2161. He was my height and 195 lbs (they match us up according to weight). I waded in and landed two thrusts and a cross to his head before he even landed a hit, which was to my shoulder. Then I got another thrust and cross to his head before the referee blew the whistle. The recruit landed a cheap shot to my head after I turned around to head back to the platoon (out of poor sportsmanship apparently) and got IT'd on the spot. Overall, it's been my best experience here so far.
On another positive note, I performed well on the "confidence course" which is a relay where recruits climb over poles, hoist themselves over high wooden logs, and climb up a 30 foot rope. The rope is very intimidating and 1/4 of the recruits fail to get to the top the first time. I didn't have a problem with any of it. After everyone went through it once, the platoons competed to see which could get through it the fastest. Our competing platoons are 2161, 2163, 2166, & 2167. We won and are currently honor platoon.
Now for the stuff that's been pissing me off. First, I had to drop $150 of my own money on equipment yesterday. I really hope that doesn't become standard. I've also had poor luck in terms of health. I started out training with pneumonia, then moved on to a torn groin, then got a horribly itchy and burning skin rash extending from my shoulders to my hands, and now have acquired dime-sized callouses on my hands. The callouses wouldn't be a big deal except they've now formed into blisters and two have torn open on both sides of the skin (blister skin and tender skin underneath) which causes my hands to bleed a decent amount every time I do physical training. I don't intend to go to medical for anything non life-threatening or permanently disabling. I've seen 5 recruits recycled from my platoon so far, and that is the worst thing I can think of happening right now. So I'm just sucking it up, praying for God to heal me. Which brings me to my next point: If you're not a believer in God before boot camp, you sure will be when you get here. The church services are amazing and faith helps so much with motivation. I even pop open the bible from time to time to find some inspiration. I hear the swine flu is getting crazy. We had a kid in our platoon infected with it. He was discharged immediately. Poor guy. Oh...back on the topic of things that are irking me....We get 30 second showers. I honestly can say I've never been so frustrated trying to take a shower than here with 12 stalls and 50 recruits all trying to get clean at the same time. At least I don't have hair so shampoo isn't an issue.
That's about it for today. I miss all of you and would LOVE to get more letters. They help so much! Take Care and God Bless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
