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MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN
DIEGO, Calif. (December 13, 2002) -- As the brakes on the bus squeak to a
sudden halt, his heart begins to race with anxiety. The warm, hurried breaths of
the skittish teenager sitting next to him seem to echo in his ear as they both
wait, eyes shut tight and heads tucked down in a modified fetal position. The
screeching sound of the door flying open pierces a brief moment of silence.
Suddenly every second feels like an hour as he anticipates every sound and every
action in the dark world around him. One, two, three footsteps ... then the
voice, "Look at me right now!"
Many people have heard the saying, "you never get a second chance to make a
first impression." Drill instructors at Receiving Barracks Company here don't
worry much about that. Every week, they introduce hundreds of young men to
Marine Corps recruit training. For the drill instructors, it's just another day
at work. For the recruits, it's a night they'll never forget.
"We're the first drill instructors they see," said Staff Sgt. Amman E. Catalan,
senior drill instructor, Receiving Barracks Company.
"We have to maintain the high intensity and professionalism Marine boot camp is
known for. They're all expecting what they've seen in 'Full Metal Jacket,'" he
said.
One thing Stanley Kubric left out of his classic Vietnam-era war film is any
mention of the celebrated yellow footprints that are embedded in the memories of
every Marine.
"My first night on the yellow footprints made a monumental life impact on me,"
said 1st Sgt. Michael L. Kufchak, first sergeant, Company H. "How can any Marine
not remember their first experience in recruit training? It ascertains the fact
that you've been removed from all the creature comforts of civilian society and
you're now in a military environment and exposed to a very directive
atmosphere."
Four rows of 15 sets of yellow footprints painted with heels together at a
45-degree angle lie just outside the Receiving Barracks Company. These simple
training tools are literally the first step in the 13-week indoctrination
process that is Marine Corps recruit training. After the recruits step onto the
yellow footprints the process of introducing them to the position of attention
is expedited, and without even realizing it, they've participated in their first
military formation.
Once the position of attention is learned, recruits are given a short block of
instruction on the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
From there, they are rushed inside and put through a thorough screening for any
unauthorized personal items, or contraband. It is during this time the recruits
have their first one-on-one interaction with a drill instructor. This is usually
where they discover how intense, demanding and intimidating Marine Corps drill
instructors can be.
"The high stress level of recruit training is introduced here in order to
prepare the recruits for what they will experience at their training company,"
said Catalan.
While the recruits get understandably stressed out at this point, they have yet
to undergo any significant individual change, but that changes quickly when
civilian clothes are replaced with combat utility uniforms and haircuts are
administered.
"The first night has to be the most important because we strip away that
individual identity and get them all looking the same," said Staff Sgt. Daniel
Santiago, senior drill instructor, Receiving Barracks Company. "They begin to
realize it doesn't matter who came here wearing designer pants or ripped jeans.
Once they're here everyone is the same, and that helps them understand the
importance of working as a team."
In addition to haircuts and uniform issue, recruits are also issued a "smart
card" which acts as a debit card and contains a microchip that stores personal
information, such as immunization records.
The Marines responsible for issuing smart cards, clothing and equipment and
processing the recruits' records are not drill instructors, but they also play a
vital role during a recruit's first night of training.
"The recruits' careers begin here," said Staff Sgt. Juan C. Guzman,
administration chief, Recruit Administration Branch. "We're the ones responsible
for making sure everything is in order administratively. It's vital that
information is correct."
Without being properly processed the recruits cannot go to a training company.
"Our mission is to ensure recruits are properly processed before they go to a
training company," Catalan said. "But there's more than just the yellow
footprints and the drill instructors. We do our job, but we can't function
without the Marines behind the scenes. We do about 60 percent of the job, and
they do the other 40 percent."
Recruits are assigned to Receiving Barracks Company for an average of two to
three days while they undergo the in-processing necessary to prepare them for
what they will encounter at their actual training company. This includes dental
and medical examinations, an initial strength test and administrative
requirements.
Of all the nights recruits spend attached to receiving company, it is the first
that is usually the most memorable.
"That first night was extremely memorable for me," said Recruit Jason S. Stoltz,
Platoon 3142, Co. K. "I realized very quickly I had left all the comforts of a
pampered civilian lifestyle behind, and I would have to work hard from then on
to become something greater."
Perhaps one of the most memorable things about the first night of recruit
training is how long it lasts. The average recruit is awake for 24 to 48 hours,
according to Catalan.
"Our job is key for setting the pace and standard for what will happen at the
recruits' training company," he said. "All of us know how to train recruits
already. We try to make their experience as intense and professional as
possible, so they will never forget their first night here." |
