Today was moving day for Josh and the other recruits in his platoon. They have called MCRD home for a little more than a month, and now they’re at Camp Pendleton as Phase I of boot camp comes to an end.As of Monday, the platoon was 80 recruits strong – down six from where it started in July. There could be any number of reasons for the decline.
A severe enough injury, for example, may force a recruit to drop from one platoon, then after he has recovered he would be recycled into another one to pick up training where he left off and, of course, he would then have a later graduation date.
I don’t know the current attrition rate for Marine Corps boot camp. In “Making the Corps,” which was written in 1997, Thomas Ricks wrote that the dropout rate was 14 percent – double that of the Army at the time. The latest figures
I could find from the Department of Defense puts it at 11.7 percent as of 2006. In any event, Josh’s platoon could expect to lose a couple more members and still be within those averages. Hopefully, he will not be
one of them.
The first 23 training days have presented one challenge after another. Each and every recruit in the platoon has been tested both physically and mentally. And as a group, they have excelled. One week ago, on Training Day 17, eight platoons dressed in neat, clean cammies and performed drill movements with M16 rifles in front of judges. Josh’s platoon finished second.
There have been times, many of them, actually, when Josh wishes he was anywhere else – even Army boot camp! At MCRD, the days have been long, the training has been intense, and many recruits have been sick. Going in, Josh knew what he was in for, but with everything coming full force and all at once, perhaps it may have been a little more than he expected.
Still, at the end of the day, he’s right where he wants to be. More than once he has written, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this!”
And sometimes, there have been unexpected bonuses. “One thing that I’ve been blessed with is the coolest view from my rack,” Josh wrote in his most recent letter. “At night, I can see the San Diego skyscrapers, fireworks at Sea World, and planes taking off from the airport!”
Tonight, there are different views at Camp Pendleton.
Josh's time seems to be flying by.
ReplyDeleteThe USMC has the lowest wash out rate of all branches due to their belief in that anyone who begins boot camp, should be allowed to graduate barring major injury. You would think the USMC would have the highest washout rate, but this isn't so.
And the view is definitely different during phase II.
Hi, I'm not too sure how I found your son's video but it has lead me to this blog and I am grateful to read it. I read that your son will be joining the Marine band and I thought "wow, this guy is exactly like my boyfriend" I was wondering if there was any way to see if your son and my boyfriend were in boot camp together. I don't know where he is exactly. His parents are very upset with me because I let him go to the Marines and now they're keeping every bit of information to themselves. I haven't heard from him in 6 weeks and I'm desperate to hear from him. His name is Luis Alberto Barron and if there is any way that you can write that to your son I'll be so grateful. My birthday is next week and all I want is to know how he's doing. I guess he never wrote to me because he doesn't really know my address, but I always assumed he knew it because he came over to my house everyday for almost 4 years. Please let me know if this is possible. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Hi Sarah!
ReplyDeleteThis is Josh's mom and I can understand your desire to know how your boyfriend is doing in boot camp. I think it's sad his parents won't share his address with you since encouraging letters from home boost every recruit's morale. I'd be happy to ask my son if he knows a Luis Alberto Barron, (a future Marine Corp band player?) and if he's in his platoon. In the event he is, though, I don't want to post his boot camp address on this blog, because like all the recruits he has such a limited time to read mail/respond to it. Keep checking back here and if your boyfriend does happen to be in his platoon, I will need your e-mail to send the address to you.
:) Kathy Rice
Thank you very much. Yes, and he plays tuba and piano. I'm not sure which one he is planning to play with while he's over there but those are the two instruments he knows how to play. Thank you very much. I really do appreciate this.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWe heard from Josh today, and he doesn't know Luis. There are a number of platoons in boot camp at MCRD. I wish you the best in locating your boyfriend.