!!! PHASE ONE COMPLETE !!!

Wow!  What a weekend Sara has had, and she finished off phase one of her training today.  She is becoming more a marine and less a recruit by the day.  Her letters are still upbeat for the most part though I know the new wore off days ago.  She is pushing herself hard... harder than most, I imagine, to prove to herself that she can not only do this, but do it well.

Finishing the week just past, Sara now has her MCMAP Tan Belt, has probably achieved Combat Water Survival level 2, and has gone through level three Pugil Sticks.  Her last letter said that she and her rackmate really beat each other up with the pugil sticks during level two...and that she loved it... (splain that Lucy!)

Today she experienced the Gas Chamber (see the post below, corrected for her timeline -- a descriptive article by a Marine of this experience.)

Having read the article, I am grateful that she is now past this.  There was some talk that she may experience this again during the Crucible.  I suppose we will here about that post graduation.  The “Gas Chamber” is actually the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) confidence chamber (just say that fast five times).  Sara has now experienced the M40 Field Protective Mask, or “Gas Mask.”  By going through this, she and her platoon grasped the mask’s protective capability and they had to learn proper handling of a gas mask and how to calmly place it on her head and breathe under duress. As stated in the previous post, this exercise exposed Sara to a simulated toxic environment by using CS Gas which is non-lethal but builds confidence in her gear, with the understanding that the mask can save her life. She now understands a basic protective measure that must be taken against CBRN weapons or hazards. This has also reinforced for her the understanding that the Marines are a "force-in-readiness" regardless of the circumstance. And perhaps a bit more fun ... Sara was scheduled today to do some Rappelling / Fast Rope training. Rappelling is essentially sliding down the rope in a controlled manner and is used when the terrain becomes too difficult to walk or climb down, for rapid deployment from helicopters, or access to buildings as part of raids. Fast-roping is for descending down a thick rope...basically for exiting a helicopter onto a battlefield. This is definitely a courage building exercise. Hey, Sara has always wanted to jump out of a plane.  Maybe this "gassed" her in a different way, ha! Also, today, training day 24, the beginning of her sixth week, she sat for her INITIAL Written test (I suppose like a Final Exam for Phase One). This initial academic test is the first of two written tests Sara will take during her training. It is an evaluation of what she has learned up to this point about ethics and core values, and the other general military subjects of First Aid, History, Customs and Courtesies, Marine Corps Uniforms, Leadership, and policy and organization. Rock on Sara!  Charge into week Six....!!!   Tomorrow is INITIAL Drill... I hope by this time tomorrow night Drill Instructor Staff Sargent Soper is as proud as she expected to be with your drill performance. Receved 6/25 or 20100625 (as Rct Sara now writes ) "I laughed at Recruit Salerno doing a little jig while standing in line tonight, so we are both getting IT'd in the morning first thing... whoops... darn me and my happy moments!... gotta learn to keep that mouth SHUT! :b"

.