Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- Twelve times per year, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region host educators from across the WRR area during the Educators’ Workshop. This allows educators to visit the depot to get a taste of recruit training and the Corps’ way of life.
Educators from the Kansas City, Kan. and Lansing, Mich. area participated in the Combat Fitness Test during the Educators’ Workshop aboard the depot, April 8.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide educators with first-hand knowledge of the recruiting process, entry level training, job opportunities and benefits in the Corps.
Before educators partook in the CFT, they were introduced and briefed on the recruit training process. While being given a tour of the depot, educators were able to see the various types of training recruits endure while on their journey to earn the title Marine. At the end of the tour, it was the educators turn to take on some of the challenges to get a sense of what the training was like.
Educators showed up to the depot’s football field ready to take on the challenge of the CFT. Though not fully aware of what they were about to get themselves into, Instructional Training Company drill instructors gave a quick overview and demonstration of each event to explain how to execute them properly.
The first event of the CFT was the 880-yard run. Though educators didn’t run it, standing on the track and getting a visualization of the distance along with an explanation of the average run times was more than enough to make them distraught over the idea of tackling it themselves.
The next event of the CFT was the ammunition can overhead lifts in which educators participated in. On this event, Marines are given a two-minute time period to execute as many ammunition can lifts as they could. To receive a perfect score for those 26-years-old and below, they must execute 91 lifts. Those who were older than 26 needed to execute 97 lifts to receive a perfect score. The educators learned it was much harder than expected.
“The demonstrators made it look easy,” said Amy C. Perkins, social studies teacher, Lakeshore High School, Stevensville, Mich. “You don’t appreciate the weight of those ammunition cans and how they tire and slow you down so quickly.”
Others struggled as well, but knew from the Corps’ reputation that it wasn’t going to be easy.
“I knew from the beginning that everything was going to be a tough challenge and that’s why you (Marines) are who you are,” said Lyle R. Hayden, history teacher and coach, St. Joseph High School, St. Joseph, Mich. “It was interesting that you get to that point mentally where you just don’t know if you could go on but you had that guy next to you, encouraging you to push on.”
Following the ammunition can lifts was the Maneuver Under Fire event. During this event, participants were required to execute sprints, low/high crawls, navigating between cones, buddy drags, fireman’s carry, ammunition can carries, push-ups and a dummy grenade throw.
The educators struggled through the event, realizing mid-course how draining and exhausting it was.
“My arms were rubber as it was coming from the ammunition can lifts but then I had to get out and perform all of the obstacles of the event and then carry the ammunition cans again!” said Perkins, a St. Joseph, Mich. native. “The exhaustion and having to drag and carry your partner as well as running with the ammunition cans; I was in over my head. Even though I was ready to stop, the drill instructor next to me believed in me and was pushing me to go on so I kept going.”
Finishing the course, educators had a new outlook and understanding of the challenges the young men and women take on while in recruit training.
“I was tired, sore and disappointed that I didn’t perform better than I did,” said Hayden, a St. Joseph, Mich. native. “I’m actually going to set it up back home and time myself so I can work to get better at it.”
“I thought I did a horrible job and knew I didn’t look like the demonstrators when they went through,” said Perkins. “The Marines came by afterward and gave me high-fives and told me well done so I didn’t feel as bad. I thought ‘maybe it was an accomplishment.’”
Educators were also able to make the connection on how the Marine Corps builds up the recruits to endure the stress and responsibility put on them at such a young age.
“I work with those younger people, mostly males, and see that aggression in them where they don’t really believe in themselves but they act out in a way that they fake it as confidence,” said Perkins. “What (the Marine Corps) is actually giving them is a concrete reason to be confident. They’re looking for it. They want to believe in themselves but they don’t. The Marine Corps gives them that concrete tangible thing to say ‘I did that, that’s why I’m important.’ This experience for them will give them that sense of accomplishment and focus.”
Armed with knowledge and experience, educators now have the ability to communicate and explain to their students the significance and challenges one may endure while trying to earn the title Marine. Humbled by their experience, the educators planned to share their experience with their students and dispel the myths or stereotypes one may have of the Marine Corps.
“I don’t want to hear my kids at 18, 19 or 20 years old complaining about how tough this is or how tough that is,” said Hayden. “You guys are operating $20 million pieces of equipment and have to be responsible for possibly having to save the person next to you or take a life. I think that we as a society, and me as a teacher, we can put more responsibility on kids and expect more out of them.”