"I just wanted to do something bigger than myself," he said. "I wanted to prove that I could do it. When I called the recruiter, he told me I was disqualified and it just kind of … I don't really know. I just knew I had to do this."
"I just wanted to do something bigger than myself," he said. "I wanted to prove that I could do it. When I called the recruiter, he told me I was disqualified and it just kind of … I don't really know. I just knew I had to do this."
According to the article, the recruiter said, “If you really want this, you are going to have to work really, really hard...”
Wow. He was told of the challenge, faced it and succeeded. Good for him! I don’t even know him and I am so proud of him. You hear of so many stories about people not wanting to put in the time (sweat, blood and tears) to obtain something. This is just such a feel good story on so many levels. Thank you, Islander7!
My son starts tomorrow also.
Good for him! God speed young man!
BTTT
Go get ‘em, MARINE!
The military has long worked with a false axiom, that “every soldier should be an infantryman.” But the truth is that as military occupations become increasingly difficult, using physicality as a discriminator can eventually become self defeating.
In the future, the military will need to recognize that they need top notch personnel for *all* their abilities, not just their physical ones, and that they must be willing to sacrifice one unneeded ability for a much needed one.
Many years ago, at the inception of the Army’s “fat man program”, I saw a superb example of this.
A senior supply sergeant, who was quite obese, but a brilliant logistician who had figured out the Army’s still primitive computer supply system, was summoned to a major post by a Lieutenant General who knew him, who had an enormous planned exercise and hopelessly confused logistics.
It took this sergeant several very intense 24-hour days, with the effective authority of a Colonel, to get the logistics straightened out just in time for the exercise, which was then a smashing success.
The General then rewarded him with a glowing commendation, and was not shy that without his efforts, that exercise would have been a disaster, resulting in unfed soldiers without arms or ammunition or even tents and sleeping bags, no fuel or even fresh water.
The Sergeant was then dismissed from the military for being overweight.
I remember sarcasm at the time that the next Pentagon initiative was going to be the “ugly man” program, to eliminate all personnel who were not handsome, on the theory that soldiers that are not pretty cannot be good soldiers.
Awesome!
I will say also in his defense, I grew up in Pascagoula and when I go home to visit, I’m shocked I didn’t weigh 300 pounds myself! YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM Cajun YUM!!!!
I think Minnesota Fats (poolplayer) was from Pascagoula. Must be some good chow down there.
The Corps appreciates that kind of drive.
If you want it hard enough and work for it.
God bless him. (he’s going to need it.)
Dreamed I was at PI again just the other night,
how I made it I don’t know.
Oooorah!