It's Training day 41... MEPS plus 54 days

How about starting your day with a 12 kilometer conditioning march to get rolling.  Well 4024 did this morning... Sara and her fellow recruits should be feeling pretty good about now... so much PT and Drill... and push push push.  It's a balmy 86F with 66% humidity (gaaah) at the Depot as I write at 1030 PI time, mostly cloudy and a 6mph breeze.

I wonder if she enjoyed this view as she marched by!  Yes... this IS Parris Island !

Up until now, all I have read about, seen and visualized of the Depot is Boot Camp and "We Make Marines" and yelling and "hurry up" etc. I just viewed "The Other Side of PI", a photo album (see link below) taken on July 4th by Sharilyn and Stan Craddock (Their son graduated from  PI in 2009). My goodness! ... Sara had written that it is a beautiful place... "when you have the chance to look."  I am amazed at the natural beauty and the wildlife on PI. (http://picasaweb.google.com/100464470056712136505/OtherSideOfParrisIsland) 

aaaaaand ... there happens to be an awesome shot of Platoon 4024... really!  Check it out. 

After the march, in order to reinforce what Sara and her fellow recruits have learned in the past 7 weeks about Marine Corps history, and to help them learn about the history of Parris Island, today they visit the Parris Island Museum (Perhaps they did yesterday after completing "Qualifying"... unsure!)

Anyway, the recently renovated 10,000 square-foot facility focuses on Marine Corps history and the history of Parris Island from prehistoric times to the present.

I am looking forward to a visit post Family Day liberty to check out the displays of Marine uniforms from 1775 to the present, and exhibits that include World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the War on Terror.

Other exhibits include archaeology, Native Americans, 16th-century French and Spanish settlements on Parris Island, the American Revolution and the Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Combat Leadership Training Class:  Women Marines began attending Marine Combat Training in 1997, allowing them the same combat training opportunities as men.  Today, Sara and Platoon will be taught about Combat Leadership and the nature of combat-- instruction designed to give them the "knowledge and leadership tools they will need to contribute to unit and personal combat effectiveness." Todays lectures include the elements of combat, the five stresses of combat, Marine Corps principles for overcoming fear, how to manage risk, recognizing the “Fog of War,” and how to utilize discipline, esprit de corps, tradition, and training to remain focused on your purpose and mission accomplishment.

That is a full day! ... as always!

Today, women Marines serve in 93 percent of all occupational fields and 62 percent of all billets. Women constitute 6.2 percent of the Corps end strength and are an integral part of the Marine Corps.


.