Leadership Stories - My Marine Corps Boot Camp Experience - 6

This is a continuation -story # 6- of leadership stories on my experiences in Marine Corps Boot Camp. I will continue them through my entire experience of Marine Corps Boot Camp.

I woke up prior to the lights coming on. We had just moved into a different squad bay to start our actual training. They referred to them as T-Days. I had 84 days to go since today represented T1.

I was in the very first rack, closest to the head. And again I was lucky enough to claim the top bunk as mine. My foot locker right beside my bunk mates setting out in front of our racks, side my side.

Leadership Stories - Things had calmed down a little bit over the last week...

Everything I was issued since arriving was in that foot locker. They stressed to us over and over again to make sure they remained locked. Locked meant that we had the paddle lock they issued to us on it.

The lights were still out. Thing had calmed down a little over the last week since arriving. I guess I was getting used to it a little. That seems a little hard to believe but true. We were in a routine. Up early. Get dressed and fall out into formation. Go eat breakfast. Come back from breakfast and clean the squad bay. Fall out again and go receive information, sign something, get a physical, get a shot, have our eyes checked, etc. During the day get lunch and supper at the chow hall. At some point end the day.

Now of course there was a lot more to it than that but it was a routine.

Leadership Stories - I was in mid air as I realized they had dumped my rack over..

As I was laying there thinking about everything, all of a sudden the lights came on and my rack was on it's way to the ground. Two Drill Instructor's had completely pushed my rack over. I was trying to catch myself and somewhere on the way down I cut open my thumb.

What in the heck was going on. There must have been twenty Drill Instructor's there. All running through the squad bay getting everyone's attention. They wanted us up and dressed and out into formation again. It was different now though. They were getting very physical with us. Prior to this I don't remember them ever getting physical. As I tried to pick myself off the ground one of the Drill Instructor's shoved me back down and asked was I having a problem. “Sir, No, Sir”, I responded as I tried to get up again.

Back down to the floor again I went. Same questions. Same response.

Leadership Stories - It looked like a bomb had gone off...

My thumb was bleeding. The Drill Instructor was asking if I was going to cry. Same answer, “Sir, No, Sir” as loud as I could respond. My thumb was the last thing I was worried about.

I finally got dressed and outside. It was like a bomb had gone off in our squad bay. Almost every rack was turned over. Every foot locker was tossed. A couple obviously didn't have locks because the stuff in them was everywhere.

What point were they trying to make now? Were they trying to break us down some more?

My mind had been set one that first day that nothing, and I mean nothing was going to get to me. Nothing they could do or say was going to get in my way.

Leadership Stories - The gloves were off...

After everyone was outside the DI (short for Drill Instructor), began to tell us that we were now beginning our official training. The gloves were off and things would be different. He told us that now we would begin the Physical Training (PT) also.

That it was time to separate the men from the boys.

I had been appointed a squad leader earlier because I had previously been in JROTC. I was the squad leader for the 4th squad. DI Staff Sergeant Muto was quick to inform me that no one had ever remained as a squad leader all the through boot camp. Would I be the first? Probably not!

Now in formation he came up from behind me and reminded me of that fact and told me that he would make it his personal goal to keep me from making it also. Now I don't know if he just told me this or not, but he sure made it sound personal. He whispered that he would be watching me. I believed him!

Leadership Stories - Nothing by respect for them...

DI Staff Sergeant Muto, was only one of our DI's. Our Senior DI was Staff Sergeant Trotman. The final DI for our Platoon was Staff Sergeant Spence. Everyone one of them wore their uniforms perfectly. They always looked perfect. Perfectly pressed uniforms.

I don't know where they are today, but I would still have nothing but respect for them.

During the speech we were receiving they informed us that we would now be allowed to visit the PIT. They told us based on our pitiful performance in getting up and out into formation we would be visiting it after breakfast chow.

Not sure what the PIT was but it didn't sound like a fun place to go. I wasn't going to ever jump to any conclusions again after my thoughts of what a Field Day was.

Leadership Stories - If you broke you would start over...

As I look back today at what we went through, there was nothing we could have missed and still made it as a Marine. The idea was to push you as far as you could be pushed and then pushed some more.

If you broke, you started over. If you made it without being broken, you were given the title of United State Marine. I wanted that title!

Off to the Chow Hall we marched!