Parris Island
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PARRIS ISLAND
“GET OFF MY BUS. YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO GET YOUR THINGS, GET OFF MY BUS, AND GET ON THE FOOTPRINTS OUTSIDE.” It was the middle of the night, we had just arrived by bus from the airport and we were scared to death. Welcome to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. This is a brief overview of Parris Island as seen through the eyes of Recruit Smith, Platoon 1040, B Company.
Marine Corps boot camp is thirteen weeks of physical and mental anguish. There are three phases to the USMC boot camp each with its own challenges. If you can make it through and survive, you will have earned the title Marine.
During the first two weeks you are with what is called an Initial Drill Instructor. His job is to get you used to life on Parris Island. The first two weeks is a whirlwind of activity where you receive everything you will need to guide you to graduation from boot camp. Your clothes, supplies, and rifle are issued to you. You learn the basics of group marching as one and yes, your hair is completely shaved off. After the first two weeks, its time to meet the Drill Instructors who will be with you morning, noon, and night for the next eleven weeks.
We stood at attention on a solid yellow line in front of our bunks as our Drill Instructors were introduced to us. This was a very intimidating experience. They looked mean and angry and shouted degrading and demoralizing slurs at us. Phase I had officially begun.
Phase I of boot camp focused on three main issues; Physical Training (PT), Drill, and Learning the History of the Marine Corps. This is the foundation for which the rest of boot camp is built on. Physical training is geared toward strength and conditioning. By the end of boot camp we will be able to run five miles without breaking a sweat. Drill is learning to perform as one. There are no individuals in the Marine Corps. Its all about being a team. On the battlefield you need to perform as a cohesive unit in order to be successful. Learning the history of the Marine Corps is to let you know who came before you and Marine Corps values. You learn the famous battles the Marines fought in. They teach you to take pride in the uniform you wear and always uphold the reputation of a Marine. We have a very simple slogan “Semper Fi”. It means always faithful, faithful to your God, Country, and Corps. This is the backbone of a Marine.
The highlight of Phase II is the rifle range. Every recruit must qualify at the very least, a marksmen. Failure to do so will result in being recycled back to the beginning of Phase II with a new platoon. We spent two weeks practicing with our M-16 service rifle. We learned how to adjust the sight for crosswinds, how to position the rifle in our arms, and how to use the sight. It was a very exciting period, besides shooting our M-16 we also learned how to shoot a 9 millimeter handgun, M-60 and MARC 19. We even threw live hand grenades. Throwing a hand grenade is nothing like you see in the movies, you really have to be very careful and respectful of the power of a hand grenade. The day of rifle qualification, everybody was extremely nervous. Mother nature was kind to us, giving us a nice sunny day with very little wind. When the day was done everybody in Platoon 1040 had passed and it was on to the third and final phase.
Phase III brings everything together that has been learned up to this point. It tests you both physically and mentally. The highlights of Phase III are Basic Warrior Training (BWT), a hundred question test on Marine Corps history, and a uniform inspection. BWT was exhausting but also exhilarating. We spent two weeks consecutively in the field. During daylight we practiced urban combat,