MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO -- High school administrators, teachers, counselors from Recruiting Stations Dallas and Albuquerque, N.M., experienced a week-long synopsis of Marine Corps recruit training during the Educators Workshop Monday through today.
The educators’ first step in their simulated transformation to becoming Marines began with their arrival on the depot.
As the buses came to a halt in front of the famous yellow footprints, drill instructors overwhelmed the vehicles and barked at the passengers, making their intimidating presence known.
After sternly instructing the educators to exit the bus and line up on the yellow footprints with speed and intensity, the drill instructors paced up and down the rows yelling orders and ensuring the educators got into the proper position of attention. After several minutes of controlled chaos, the drill instructors stopped their yelling and took a moment to congratulate the educators because they survived the first two minutes of Marine Corps recruit training. The educators then took a tour of the rest of the receiving process by their drill instructor guides.
“On the yellow footprints, I felt a lot of intimidation and had anxiety of the unknown,” said Paige Childers, counselor, Springhill High School, Longview, Texas.
The educators attended classroom briefs describing the entire enlistment process, including recruiting, joining the Marine Corps, boot camp graduation, the Fleet Marine Force, and Marines’ lifestyles.
“If my students were interested in the Marines, I would tell them it’s a big commitment,” said Childers. “It’s a very honorable profession, and I would advise them to prepare by training physically before joining.”
The educators continued touring many training sites around the depot. They watched demonstrations of water survival training at the depot Swim Tank; Marines tackle the Confidence Course; and received a class and some brief hands-on training with the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
“What surprised me most about this workshop was how it was much more physical than I expected,” said Richard Thomas, head band director, Red Oak High School, Red Oak, Texas. “It’s fun that we are trying to mirror what recruits are doing,” he said. “Not nearly to that degree, but it’s a lot more hands-on than I expected.”
Educators also watched a demonstration of the modified Bayonet Assault Course, and were offered a chance to run through the obstacles themselves. They maneuvered through the course; crawled through tunnels; and navigated a rope bridge, suited in flak jackets and Kevlar helmets while carrying rubber M-16A2 service rifles with training bayonets attached before engaging training targets at the end of the course.
“What impacted me the most was the Bayonet Assault Course,” said Thomas. “It was an eye-opening experience because of the weight of the equipment. It was more physically demanding than I expected, and I have a great appreciation of what marines do.”
The educators traveled to Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar and Weapons Field Training Battalion, Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., as well. There, they got a closer look at some of the aircraft the Marine Corps employs uses, fire computer-generated weapons in the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer and participated in the 12-Stall obstacle at Edson Range. During 12-Stall, recruits overcome 12 problem solving obstacles using teamwork and the limited resources they were given.
Educators leaving the depot today said that they now have a better understanding of the Marine Corps and its young men and women.