Recruits hear Marines' call to duty, honor

[Barrett808]

Recruits hear Marines' call to duty, honor
By MATT MURPHY, Sun Staff
Second of two parts

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- In the face of a bloody war with no end in sight, the U.S. Marine Corps continues to find men and women willing, if not eager, to lay their lives on the line.

“I was kind of looking forward to it. All of my brothers and sisters are over there,” said Marine recruit Kevin Hayes, 18, of Shirley.

“His brothers and sisters” are his fellow Marines, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hayes is on the deck of the training pool at Parris Island Recruit Depot in South Carolina, where, on any given day, 4,500 recruits prepare for battle.

They are called “warriors,” and it is no secret on Parris Island that recruits could find themselves in the deserts of Iraq within three months of graduating basic training.

(more)

http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_3258938

[DS1]

1. meh

He's still a recruit with a looong way to go if he's still at the pool, not my 'brother' yet.

[TomInTib]

3. "on the deck of the training pool" from Shirley,SC (pop

If I remember correctly the pool is on maybe the 3rd day.
Man, that was some funny shit going on there. Guys joining the Corps who couldn't SWIM.

Anyway, what the hell are they doing quoting some hick kid talking out of his shivering ass about something he knows nothing about?

Talk about ace reporters.

[DS1]

5. I remember it being really early in training,

probably so if they do have to give you extra lessons, they can work them in.

Still, I've never since watched that many people sink like rocks to the bottom, some of them just standing there looking up until someone dove in and got them. Hey, dude, at least thrash your arms around and show us you want to live :crazy:

[Jara sang]

2. The Marine Corps is a good way of thinning out populations.

Both friend and foe. Those guys are cannon fodder.

[greiner3]

4. For every one that enlists;

Means one less chance my 20 year old son has of being drafted; regardless of the crap they say about it won't happen.

[Inland]

6. No surprise. The Marines get the guys who want to fight.

They aren't scared off by a nasty ground war overseas. That's the job they wanted, or they wouldn't be joining the marines.

On the other end of the scale are the national guard potential recruitees. You know, the ones that are sold on the idea of extra money for working weekends and over vacation defending their neighbors.

Somewhere in between are regular Army potential enlistees.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

7. What's this about pulling out of Iraq?

:sarcasm:

[donkeyotay]

8. Honor? They should read this about this soldier

Westhusing, 44, was no ordinary officer. He was one of the Army's leading scholars of military ethics, a full professor at West Point who volunteered to serve in Iraq to be able to better teach his students. He had a doctorate in philosophy; his dissertation was an extended meditation on the meaning of honor.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1950262

[stanwyck]

9. In Iraq within 3 months?

of basic training? Damn. My son went through boot camp at Parris Island 3 years ago, then infantry training at Camp Lejuene, then went to Okinawa. He didn't get to Iraq until he'd been in a year and received extensive training. (he's back from his second tour now). I'd read that infantry training had been shortened, which is wrong. But sending these Marines to a war zone in only 3 months seems like desperation.
By the way, he's one of those liberal Marines who voted for Kerry. Yes, they exist. Just ask Hackett and Murtha.

[MADem]

10. I had an interesting conversation with a guy who was USMC years back today

He has a kid just out of high school this past year who basically lives in his parent's basement, sits around, plays video games and smokes dope. He has no job, no interest in looking for one, but he was going to go USMC via the Buddy system with a pal of his. The buddy dropped out, the kid still wanted to go. But darn, the crap the recruiter gave him to wash the pot out of his system didn't work, so now they won't take him.

The guy is at the end of his rope with the kid, who is a surly layabout with a large dose of attitude (family problems--parents have split, mother is reliving her teen years) but he figures better alive and with an attitude than coming home in an aluminum personnel transfer tube...