So, every year the United States Marine Corp (USMC) hosts an Educators Workshop based out of our states capital in Lansing. Educators & Media from around the state are invited to go, for free, to Parris Island, South Carolina, to experience what it’s like to become a United States Marine. You get to experience a taste of the (13) week boot camp, in 2.5 days. This trip is FREE & if you’re interested in going next year, reach out to Staff Sergeant Brandon Livingston (Mt. Pleasant recruiting station at 1600 Mission Street) or Staff Sergeant Immaneul Johnson (the Lansing recruiting station).
In 2018, MY-1043’s owner, Bob Peters, was afforded the opportunity to go (since his son Michael joined the USMC 5 years ago; so Bob wanted to experience & learn all about the Marine Corp). His experience last year really impacted me & so my bosses afforded me the opportunity to go to it this year…So I did!
There is no real preparation in going, other than packing & committing to the trip. They treat you as a “new recruit” from the time you get off the bus on Parris Island, and step on to the yellow footprints. More on that later in this blog post.
This year, we have tons of photos to share with you about my experiences; I was also able to interview a few of the real “recruits” from Michigan, who are going through boot camp, right now. To hear their stories, to learn about their experiences with the USMC, and to experience it myself as a “new recruit” (for 2.5 days), has really dispelled the myths & mis-conceptions I had about the USMC.
We’ll start here, with Day #1…
On Monday (4/8/2019), all “new recruits” were expected to meet at the Mt. Pleasant USMC Recruiting Station (at 1600 Mission St), at 1330 Hrs (1:30pm), prepared to go with luggage, etc..for the week! I was dropped off at the RS (recruiting station) by a friend; so I didn’t have to leave my car there for the entire week. Once inside, I met up with Staff Sergeant Brandon Livingston and the staff at the office. I also met Grant Woodman, a counselor from Carson City. Grant & I were the only people leaving this week from the Mt Pleasant station (mainly b/c it’s state testing week in the schools & more educators weren’t available to go from our immediate area). When new recruits are dropped off at the RS to be deported to Parris Island, they fill out paperwork; and wait to be shipped down. Grant & myself got to experience this, as well. We met with others in the RS office, saw pictures of those recently deployed from the Mt. Pleasant RS, as well as got to see photos of many others who were deployed to Boot Camp from the Mt. Pleasant area. We were briefed on the trip & given the opportunity to ask any questions, if needed! It was pretty cool that Bob Peters came over to see me off, as well. Just like a parent seeing their child off for boot camp. Staff Sergeant Livingston then packed our bags in the vehicle & drove us down to Westin Hotel (which is part of Detroit Metro Airport); for a quick overnight stay. Our flight to our destination was scheduled for April 9th at 0700 on Delta Airlines.
Once at our destination, Staff Sergeant Livingston introduced us to Staff Sergeant Johnson & other Marines who were waiting there to give us our credentials & instructions. We received some material, including our name tags, which were to be worn on base, at ALL times, throughout our stay in Parris Island! I had a minor snag in my itinerary; so we proceeded to get that straightened out (come to find out we had to change my middle initial that was misprinted on my flight info) which the airline couldn’t fix until early the next morning. We were given our hotel keys & I proceeded to drop my stuff off at my room & head down to dinner (which the USMC took care of). Following dinner, we had a briefing session in one of the conference rooms at 1930 Hrs (7:30pm); which they introduced the other Marines going with us (1st Lt Tunney; 1st Lt Lowcher; GySgt Cushman; Capt Doehrmann; GySgt Dockrill, Sgt Bogue & Sgt Johnson) and gave us an overview of what to expect on the trip, including a break down of travel arrangements. It was here that I met William Bly, the TV cameraman from 9&10 News. He was from Cadillac and was accompanying reporter, Chloe Kiple from 9&10 News in Traverse City! In total, we had (17) Educators & Media from “Lansing” going on this experience. Following the briefing, which lasted til just after 2000 Hrs, we all retired to our rooms for the night.
Day #2: Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Woke up at 0330 Hrs, in order to meet Sgt Johnson in the lobby (along with William Fly), at 0420 Hrs, so we could get our flight info changed before the rest of the group checked in at 0450 Hrs. We did all that, checked our bags, as a group, went through TSA & headed to our flight which took off at 0700 bound for Atlanta! (which was approx. a 2 hr flight)-Yes, I watched Bohemian Rhapsody on board the flight (HAHA-Yes, I’m definitely obsessed-lol). Once that Flight landed, we had a very short amount of time to make it to our connector flight to Savannah. Let’s just say, I made it to our next flight (which was only a 36 minute venture). Once we all landed, collected our bags, etc…Our group met up with the Educators Workshop group from Columbus, OH (we spent the week with this group)…We then boarded the Military Bus & took an hour long bus ride over to Beaufort, South Carolina (where Parris Island is located); got checked into our hotel…and had until 1730 Hrs to rest up; see the area, etc..
We all met at 1730 in the hotel lobby, were told to “line up” in Military fashion (4 rows) and board the bus to head to dinner at Parris Island at the Officers Club! It was at this dinner, we were introduced to our liason whose command we were under for the remainder of the trip. Her name was Officer Sheck. She gave us a briefing of what the week would be like & to answer any questions we had. At dinner, we had military members come to our table(s) to eat with us & “get to know us & vice versa!” We had the honor to dine with Lt. Block, he’s with the US Navy & one of only 900 worldwide Chaplains for the Marine Corp. He has spent time all over the world in serving our country; and he also felt the calling to be a minister, but didn’t want to be a normal church minister…so he received his ministerial degree in the Military & became Chaplain. He loves being able to guide recruits & Marines physically, mentally & spiritually. It’s his true calling in life. Following dinner, we lined up in Military fashion & headed back to our hotels for the evening. We were told b’fast at hotel started at 5am & we were leaving to head to Parris Island (since hotel was just off the base) at 0550 Hrs. the next morning. This is where the REAL adventure began.
Day #3: Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Woke up at 0425 Hrs, got ready, had breakfast in hotel lobby & boarded the bus to Parris Island with the other 36 “recruits!” Brought my backpack with my daily needs. We were told we could keep this stuff on the bus throughout the day. They gave all of us a mini-backpack with a large plastic Water bottle, which they told us to keep with us at all times, since they didn’t want us to get dehydrated throughout the day. On the 15 minute bus ride over to the base on Parris Island, I started getting really excited as to what the day would bring, but got super nervous as the bus pulled up to the “Registration” building. As soon as we stopped, the doors opened & a drill instructor came aboard & starting yelling at all of us to get off the bus “NOW NOW NOW” & line up on the yellow footprints. When a new recruit comes to Parris Island, they are commanded to get off the bus & stand on the yellow foot prints. These yellow footprints signify one’s arrival to boot camp & become an official “recruit” at that point. The yellow foot prints were 4 rows across & many feet prints deep. The Lansing crew came in one bus & the Columbus crew came in a separate bus. When we were lined up, we had a female DI (Drill Instructor), her name was Staff Sgt. Drinkard. She was pretty scary. But forced us all to listen to her every command. We were then led into the registration building & there another Staff Sgt. Yelled at us & commanded us to sit down in the individual seats they provided. We then went thru the registration process; where new recruits have to write their names, social security #’s & other info onto their packets. If you had ANY personal effects on you, they collected those & you’d receive them back, at the end of boot camp…which again, lasted 13 weeks. If you had any contraband, you lost it. Following the registration process, we were dismissed into the room next to it, and had to line up. This was the room where new recruits got to make their 1 phone call home (b/c before this, they’ve had ZERO contact with the outside world). There were a row of phones; you’d open the phones & inside was a message. You’d call home, you YELL EXACTLY was was written on the phone, then hang right up! It was to tell your immediate family that you were fine, not to send you anything & you’d reach out when you could.
From this room, we were then commanded to line up outside in orderly fashion. When not everyone listened to this drill to the tee, we were then commanded to RUN…No talking…until everyone got the commands down & we were all in unison. We were then led around behind the building to the “sand pit” which was full of sand and some spots with water. This is the pit they take new recruits to do push ups, etc..until they learned to listen in unison. I then proceeded to call the station & report in with Tina at 0810 Hrs. It was Sunny & it was starting to get really warm. This was a way to break us of the “I” mentality & start thinking of us as a “team!”
From this point, we were led inside to meet Captain Smith & learn all about their physical training schedule. Capt Smith is a series commander who is in charge of the safe execution of the training schedule in accordance to the recruit training. Once a new recruit comes in, (usually starting with their 4th day in–where these folks are with the recruits all the way thru graduation). We were briefed on recruits new “home life!” Rules, regulations, etc…their goal is to break down the recruits, in order to build them back up. Their goal is to ensure each recruit meets physical standards, on a daily basis. We were then ordered to line up & learned that our responses to the DI, was be given in a yelling fashion. No talking. Stay in line, and respond to “Pain” & “Discipline” by her commands.
We were then led to more DI exercises, then off to the Education Workshop, where we met General Glynn, he gave us an overview layout of Parris Island & the Marine Corp. The Educational seminar continued on with all the Programs available for recruits & their families, including scholarships, financial aid, etc…and other ways they help with each recruits educational plans. Learned about family programs available through military; that look out not only for recruits, but also for their families, too. (ie: tuition assistance, family benefits, etc).
Back on the bus (following brief DI instruction), we were led off to the Marine Band building; where they performed a couple of songs for us (including Stars & Stripes forever). The female instructor told us all about the band, how to join, the diff. kinds of bands they had (ie-Jazz, Rock, Marching, etc..) available to new recruits who played musical instruments. They were looking for educators to start talking to their students as freshman & sophmores, in order to capture early interest. We then broke for lunch for our 1st lunch in the “mess hall” – in the mess hall, we ate the same foods served to the recruits. We ended up sitting with new recruits, who were in the middle of their 13 week boot camp. Met with a few of the recruits to find out about their background, their experiences in the Marines, thus far. I have audio interviews with them, that are part of this blog. Grant Woodard (educator from Carson City) & I met with a new recruit from Big Rapids Michigan. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he joined (which was about 6 weeks in already), but knew almost immediately that he made the right decision. He stated to us that he wasn’t ready for the world & wanted to better prepare himself. These stories from the recruits all had a common theme: they didn’t know exactly what they wanted to do with their life but all knew the Marine Corp was the place to learn all that.
Following lunch, we were then taken to the Rifle Range, where we learned about the different rifles used in combat…what each part of the rifle was used for & how to shoot. We were then led off to the field where we were each able to fire off 10 shots with these rifles. I went last, and hit my target 5 out of 10 times.
From there we went over to the indoor pool area, where we met with the Swimming Drill Instructor who gave us instructions on all kinds of swimming techniques taught in the Marines & water rescue strategies. Questions were asked & then had a short Q&A with each member of the swim/rescue team. Pretty insightful stuff.
From there, we had a Q&A session w/ current Marines, who were getting ready to be deployed on, or who were ready to leave for civilian jobs. This session took about 90 minutes. It was an open forum to learn about the different folks from all kinds of backgrounds, who all now share the same goals, and beliefs.
From there we were led over to the gift shop, then were led off to dinner at the Officers Club! We sat with & met other Marines from California who were there for training. Officer Sheck sat at our table & it was at this point I told her my perception of Marine life was completely shattered. I thought Marine life was all about fighting & being tough…It’s about A LOT more than that. It’s about Team, helping each other through, putting yourself & your own needs/wants, last. It’s about commitment, courage & honor. She shared her story of why she enlisted & is from Southern Florida; and loves every aspect of Marine life. At dinner, we were able to share our day with each other & ask further questions about our day & what we learned. From there, we returned to the hotel for lights out & a quick rest, before we were challenged again in the morning.
Day #4: Thursday, April 11, 2019 “Family Day”
I again woke at 0425AM, got ready, had b’fast at the hotel, then we all boarded the bus back to Parris Island for another day of training & education. Nobody in our group was looking forward to another strenuous day with our DI; but were better prepared for being yelled at again. Once we arrived to the base, DI Drinkard was there but wasn’t as hard on us, as she was on Wednesday…but then again, I think our group was quick to learn the commands & we were better prepared to respond; since we knew there’d be consequences if we didn’t. We were then led off the physical training portion, with Sgt. Tim Bachman. He is the physical fitness advisor for the Marine regiment (hailing from Toledo, OH, himself). He takes care of new recruits with physical conditioning and injury prevention. When a recruit sustains an injury, they try the best to work with the injury to ensure that the recruit can return to the training. There’s a video on this blog with him & his instructions.
From there we were led to a training session with the Chaplains of the Marines (including Lt. Block), who went through the importance of not only physical, emotional & mental training, but also a huge emphasis on spirtuality. On Sundays, many different faiths worship in the chaplin. A Chaplain is there to confide in through the entire boot camp process & are on call 24/7. There’s only about 900 chaplains in the military, worldwide, at this time.
Following this, we spent about an hour in the Marines Museum. We got to wander & explore this museum which was full of history from all the wars, including Iraqi & most recently issues that the US was having with North Korea. They also had a gift shop where we could purchase souvenirs from.
Since this day was Family Day (which is always the day before graduation), where families of recruits got to come & see their loved ones march in…with a small presentation, then each family member could actually see & hug their loved ones for the 1st time, in 13 weeks. It was pretty emotional to watch as most of these families shed tears of joy. Following graduation, recruits have 10 days they can leave base with family (day #1 starts on Graduation Day). While away, these new “Marines” can’t do drugs, must remain safe & physically fit on leave, and to ensure they make it to their duty station on time, upon return.
From here, we went to the Confidence Course; which is where a lot of physical training happens. Each member of our squad had the chance to complete a few of the obstacles on the course; was given further instruction from a Tai-Chi instructor.
We then broke for lunch, at the mess hall, where we were given about 20 minutes to eat & get back outside. During this time, I ate my lunch; then proceeded to go outside & interview a few of the recruits from Michigan who were going through boot camp (audio on that is also included in this blog).
From this point, we went to the Repel tower…which is a 47 feet tall tower, where with a cord, recruits would have to scale down the wall as fast as they could…I didn’t participate in this venture, but did capture some video of educators in our group doing the exercise. From this point, we were led over to the gas chamber; to experience CS gas. We were led in single file through the chamber, exposed to the gas. When we all came out, our eyes were watering & puffy; most were coughing & a few were dizzy from being exposed to the gas.
From the gas chamber, we were led over to a training exercise where teamwork was involved. There were various team building exercises that were being done. We were broken down into (3) groups, who each worked on figuring out these exercises & worked well as a team.
After this was completed, we were afford a few minutes to watch part of the “crucible” which was, in my opinion, my favorite part of the whole trip. For “The Crucible” (which according to General Glynn, started on Parris Island in 1996), recruits are forced to stay up for 54 hours; given 3 meals total (to utilizie during this time), and given a total of 4 hours to rest in btwn, while enduring all sorts of physical activities, including hiking approx. 49 miles total all over the place. This is to simulate how well you can handle combat. Following the crucible, you’re pretty much through the boot camp training process, leading up towards graduation. The part of the crucible we were able to experience, was the part where they were fighting each other (they were up at approx.. 14-15 hours at this point); fighting commenced in a circular courtyard; they had rubber helmets on & boxing gloves…they were being yelled at by commanders & there were referres there to oversee each round. There were several rounds going on at once. The shots they were to make were “body shots” (although, there were some head shots given). It was pretty intense.
From this point, we were then led over to the field where they do “field training” (having to endure crawling on their bellies, under barbed wire fencing, and other obstacles). We were going to watch the recruits actually do this, but Officer Sheck decided that we’d better move onto our next experience.
From this point, we headed over the Officers Club for dinner (at 1700 Hrs). We had dinner, had an open forum with Officer Sheck, and we also got to get to know our Drill Instructor, Sgt. Drinkell…with a Q&A Session with her. She’s 27 from Alabama; her husband was in the military as well…and she’s scheduled to be a DI for another year. After that, her future plans are 100% clear…she could re-enlist as a DI for another 3 year bit; or move onto something else.
After dinner, I was afforded the opportunity to do a face to face interview with her (which can also be heard In this blog’s audio section).
From dinner, we went to the gift shop to wander free for more souvenirs…upon leaving, there was a huge rainbow, which is in the photo section of this blog. We then returned to the hotel for rest…preparing for Graduation ceremonies the following day for COMPANIES F&P!
Day #5: Friday, April 12, 2019 “Graduation Day”
Woke up at 0425 Hrs, took time to get ready, had breakfast in the hotel lobby, checked out of hotel and was ready to board the bus back to Parris Island for graduation. Bus picked us up at 0645 Hrs. I rode over to the ceremonies with Sgt. Johnson (since we had to stop for some supplies along the way). Once we arrived at Parris Island, I rejoined the group. It was raining pretty good, then cleared up just before the presentation of the colors began at 0800 Hrs.
This event was captured on MY1043’s Facebook Page as a LIVE event. The band came out & presented a few songs, the flag was raised, National Anthem played, then General Glynn addressed the audience. Following this, the band played another 2 songs; then everyone was dismissed.
We then boarded the bus again & headed over to the graduation ceremony. We filed in & the ceremony started at 0900 Hrs. There were 6 groups of new Marines who were Marched onto the field. There were presentations & awards issued. A couple talks from a few key speakers, including from Lt. General. The new Marines marched around in front of us; then their families were able to come onto the field & be with their Marines.
Following graduation, we were led over, in military style, to the chapel, where General Glynn came in & fielded questions with us for about 45 minutes. He was very warm & personable & again, my perception of the Marine Corp. was totally shattered.
We then departed to our bus, which led us to back to Savannah, GA, for our flights back home.
In closing:
This trip to Parris Island was truly an eye opener for me. I had always thought the Marine Corp. was all about fighting & killing and that was pretty much it. I learned that it’s about Honor, Courage & Commitment. You learn discipline, respect, while getting a top notch education & then use your skills in whatever field you want to make a career out of. The Marines Mission is to “Make Marines!” “Win Our Nations Battles” & “Develop Quality Citizens!” 71% of those who sign up for the Marine Corp. do not make it in (for various reasons)…the Marines are Americas 1st line of defense in wartime…and the 1st line of honor, courage & commitment in life. The 13 weeks of boot camp, which we learned a small amount of within 2.5 days, is all about stripping ourselves of the “I” mentality & making it about “team work” & replacing the “I” with “We!”
Initial enlistment includes a (4) year commitment, then it’s up to the individual whether they want to continue in It or not. The benefits of being a US-Marine last a lifetime & the government takes good care of those who are Marines. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi for life! I would HIGHLY encourage anyone who has questions to reach out to Staff Sgt. Brandon Livingston at the Mt. Pleasant recruiting station. Perhaps you’re a student in high school, or have kids in high school who don’t know what they want to do with their life, following graduation, to simple check it out & ask questions. There’s really no real way to “prepare” to be a Marine. You just ‘do it” as many recruits & Marines have told us.
They do this Educators Workshop for Michigan educators & media, every year. We will know more about next years trip from the Lansing Recruiting station & Staff Sgt. Immanuel Johnson, later this summer.
This opportunity to attend this Educators Workshop will be an experience, I’ll remember & cherish for the rest of my life! THANK YOU to the many folks who made this happen.
Shawn Powers
USMC Educators Workshop 2019
April 8, 2019 – April 12, 2019
Video’s & Audio Interviews from Parris Island, SC:
FOOTPRINTS VIDEO DAY #1:
RECRUITMENT VIDEO DAY #1:
PHYSICAL TRAINING VIDEO DAY #1:
RIFLE RANGE TRAINING A DAY #1:
RIFLE RANGE TRAINING B DAY #1:
RIFLE RANGE TRAINING C DAY #1:
DRILL INSTRUCTOR TRAINING DAY #1:
NEW RECRUIT TRAINING DAY #1:
PHYSICAL TRAINING INSTRUCTION DAY #2:
FAMILY DAY FESTIVITIES A DAY #2:
FAMILY DAY VIDEO FESTIVITIES B DAY #2:
FAMILY DAY VIDEO FESTIVITIES C DAY #2:
CONFIDENCE COURSE TRAINING DAY #2:
GAS CHAMBER INSTRUCTIONS DAY #2:
REPEL TOWER TRAINING (up Top) DAY #2:
REPEL TOWER TRAINING (Bottom) DAY #2:
PRESENTATION OF COLORS & GEN GLYNN SPEECH DAY 3:
GRADUATION CEREMONY PART 1 DAY #3:
GRADUATION CEREMONY PART 2 DAY #3:
SOUNDCLOUD INTERVIEWS 2019:
Captain Smith Interview (Physical Training)
https://soundcloud.com/shawnzilla-1/captsmithinterviewphysicalstrength
Sgt. Drinkard (Drill Instructor) 4/11/19
https://soundcloud.com/shawnzilla-1/drillinstructor-sgtdrinkardinterview-4-11-19
Recruit Interview with Caleb Shelton (from Michigan) 4/11/19
https://soundcloud.com/shawnzilla-1/recruitinterview-calebshelton
Recruit Interview with Jadelyn Zimmerman (from Michigan) 4/11/19
https://soundcloud.com/shawnzilla-1/recruitinterview-zimmerman
Recruit Interview with Cody Schultz (Big Rapids, MI) 4/11/19
https://soundcloud.com/shawnzilla-1/recruitinterview-codyschultzfrombigrapids
PHOTO GALLERY:
