Getting the Boot (A 34 yr old reporter joins the Marines)

The Evening Sun Online ^ | July 04,2004 | Bill Cahir

[alfa6]

Stripped naked in the office shower room, I was appalled.

I had been jogging every other day for several months. Still, when I looked in the mirror, the man I saw was fat and soft, almost unbelievably so. I wondered:

Was there a United States Marine in there somewhere? * * *

The recruiter was ignoring my calls....

Apparently the Marine Corps wasn't dying to sign up a 34-year-old reporter from Washington, D.C. Ordinarily, the Marines recruit young men and women 17 to 27, and college graduates as old as 29. I was far past the regular cutoffs.

Diligence produced a meeting with an officer in charge of recruiting in the Baltimore-Washington region. The major was intrigued. He had me take the Marine Corps physical fitness test.

I ran the three-mile track in 21:10, did six pull-ups and 84 crunches. A perfect score was 18 minutes, 20 pull-ups and 100 crunches. My run time was decent. The recruiters took up my cause.

[alfa6]

Thought this would be of interest today.

Hat tip to http://www.blackfive.net

[alfa6]

Ping for your perusal

I don't post very often hope this works

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[JZoback]

A perfect score was 18 minutes, 20 pull-ups and 100 crunches

Whoa, I could have passed with a perfect score..........................when I was 18 years old :)

[alfa6]

I know what you mean, I know what you mean...

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[JimRed]

Apparently the Marine Corps wasn't dying to sign up a 34-year-old reporter from Washington, D.C.

Since "reporters" tend to side with America's enemies, a reporter of any age sounds like a liability rather than an asset.

[Auntie Mame]

The DI grabbed my M16A2 service rifle, pushed the plastic hand guard against my forehead and bent me backwards until I was pinned against my bunk, also known as a rack.

"Ca-heer, I've been waiting for you to show one ounce of intensity in your f---ing body, and you can't do it, can you, you motherf---ing communist p---y!"

I made a mental note of the insult. The epithet was the most creative I'd heard to date.

LOL!

[JZoback]

Since "reporters" tend to side with America's enemies, a reporter of any age sounds like a liability rather than an asset.

I would respectfully disagree. Anybody at the age of 34 who wants to join the Marines must be a patriotic or a loon

[alfa6]

Did you read the whole article?

Yea I know it's excerpted but playing it safe there.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[mcg1969]

Editor's note: After reading this first-person account of boot camp by reporter Bill Cahir, the Marine Corps has opened an investigation into possible violations of policy by drill instructors. Cahir is Washington correspondent for The Evening Sun.

Very interesting, especially since the reporter himself said he didn't believe that he was verbally or physically abused.

[Mr. K]

good post

[PUGACHEV]

"After reading this first-person account of boot camp by reporter Bill Cahir, the Marine Corps has opened an investigation into possible violations of policy by drill instructors. Cahir is Washington correspondent for The Evening Sun. '

Does anyone with experience in the Marine Corps have any idea what they're talking about here? The reporter's training seems mild compared to say Full Metal Jacket. I know that's Hollywood, after all, but it's the only impression the average person has of what Marine Corps basic training is like

[GVnana]

A reporter with integrity? I'm amazed.

[BigSkyFreeper]

"Ca-heer, I've been waiting for you to show one ounce of intensity in your f---ing body, and you can't do it, can you, you motherf---ing communist p---y!"

[spodefly]

BTTT

[dts32041]

So me your ware face PVT Joker.

Nice to know Marine Staff's can go on and do something else.

BTW has the Marine Staff (Honorary Gunny) pictured in this graphic ever worked with Dale Dye?

[TruthNtegrity]

Bravo for Cahir. He must be intensely patriotic to go through this at his age.

Bravo Zulu for a new, tough but "old" Marine!!

Truthy

[dts32041]

Silly Me "The Rough Riders"

[alfa6]

Marine Corps DI's must operate under very strict rules as to what they can and cannot do to the boots. My recollection of those rules is faulty at best, however from reading the article it appears that there may have been some slight technical violations of the rules.

On a personal note, I too attempeted to become a graduate of the University of Science, Music and Culture, Graduate division, almost 30 years ago, got knocked out on a physical problem. In my platoon was an enlisted man who was in the OCS program with us. In the one brief conversation I had with him before I moved on he told ne that the DI's would be on him like flies on poop because of his EM status.

I suspect that something similar was at work here, after all it is the DI's job to weed out the weak recruits and here you have a recruit that is about 5 years over the age limit. And a reporter to boot :-)

Maybe we can get some more info from some current active duty Marines.
Also there was a book that came aout a couple of years ago where a reporter followed a platoon through boot camp, alas the name escapes me. If I find it I will post back to you.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[BigSkyFreeper]

BTW has the Marine Staff (Honorary Gunny) pictured in this graphic ever worked with Dale Dye?

I don't believe so. They probably have collaborated in the past, but they've never worked together on the same project.

[jmc813]

self bump for later