Lemme start by saying I’m not much one for writing serious posts and pouring out my thoughts. But we can’t all just post webcomics and silly pictures of cats ALL the time.
So here goes nothin’.
For the past 6 or so months I’ve been in military training for the United States Marine Corps. On June 6th of 2010 I went to Boot Camp at MCRD San Diego, which, if you’ve never seen it, is literally right off the runway of the San Diego airport. If we’d been able to hop the barbed-wire fences, we would have come down right on the takeoff strips. It sucked, as it was meant to, but Graduation was pretty much the proudest day I’ve felt in a long time.
After boot camp (Graduated Sept. 2, 2010) came Marine Combat Training, or MCT. Now whereas boot camp was mostly focused around marching/drilling, instant obedience to orders, and attention to detail, MCT was where the FUN SHIT happened. More emphasis on combat marksmanship, hiking, basic combat maneuvers, and such. Now, the combat instructors reminded us that this was nowhere near enough training to work effectively in a modern combat zone. But it was meant to lay a foundation so we understood the basic concepts of foot/vehicle patrols, weapons maintenance and function, etc. Basically, we got to shoot machine guns, throw a couple hand grenades, and hike around with big backpacks. Oh yeah and this all took place in scenic Camp Pendleton, CA. GO MARINE CORPS.
And now, the final stage has been the Field Radio Operator Course here in 29 Palms, CA, where I have been living for the past 3 months or so and will (thank the Lord) be leaving next Thursday. This place has been….well to put it bluntly, a hell-hole. Yes, as a Marine Base, it’s great. The food is good, there are plenty of hills to climb, and the weather is…passable as long as it’s not summer time. The only problem is IT’S ONLY A MARINE BASE. Did I mention I’m a RESERVIST. Most of the Marines around are active duty and as such are somewhat….isolated from the civilian world at least for the next 4 years. But I LIKE the civilian world: Movie theaters and grocery stores and malls and most of all, PEOPLE WHO AREN’T MARINES. Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with us, we like America and it’s all a big brotherhood and all. But imagine you were stuck living with ONLY your family for months at a time. That’s what it feels like a little bit. We’re all a little bit too much alike (in part because similar minds seem to gravitate towards the same professions, but also in part due to the institutionalization and uniformity of the whole shebang) and there’s not enough…..diversity. All i can say is it will be good to get back to the Bay Area indefinitely :)
And don’t let my griping about some of the minor flaws of the Marine Corps. convince anyone that I regret joining in the slightest. The training I’ve received through boot camp and since then has motivated me to do more with my life than I ever planned on before I joined. The Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment struck me especially hard and I’ve spent a large chunk of the last 6 months pondering how I can better incorporate them into my daily life and my interactions with the world, both in the military and out. And I was never a “fat-body” before I joined but various instructors have instilled in us the absolute importance of physical and mental preparedness. It may be one of us who has to carry a wounded brother out of a combat zone, alone and with no help. I mean, this was always something I knew about in the back of my head, but I never really KNEW it and fully considered it until being trained and motivated by various NCOs and Officers.
I can honestly say that, despite a few…frustrations I’ve developed against the USMC, it was probably one of the best things I’ve done for myself, both career-wise and character-wise.
So this is where I’ve been, and what I’ve been doing for the last 6 months.
Oh yeah, and why did the little boy drop his ice cream cone?
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BECAUSE HE WAS HIT BY A CAR
