thedrifter
10-14-03, 07:14 PM
RS Sacramento bridges the gap for 'future Marines'
Submitted by: 12th Marine Corps District
Story Identification Number: 2003101417459
Story by Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
12TH MARINE CORPS DISTRICT, SAN DIEGO(August 2003) -- The chilling sound of Marine Corps cadence rang through the picturesque mountainous terrain of the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center as a group of 140 "Future Marines" from Recruiting Station Sacramento hiked one step closer toward their goal August 1-3. The goal of becoming an addition to the nations finest is not always an expedient process; many future Marines spend months in the delayed entry program awaiting shipment. One of the many challenges recruiters face is keeping these anxious poolees motivated during the wait.
The group of poolees from the Northern California and Western Nevada area received training similar to what they might expect during Recruit Training. Classes on outdoor survival, repelling, rope-bridge-river crossing, land navigation and even a dose of indoor rock climbing were all part of the training itinerary. Judging from the smiling, interactive faces these classes had no problem holding the poolees' attention throughout the three-day training evolution.
"Bridgeport is the one highlight during the year were we can offer them (poolees) a taste of the real Marine Corps," said Maj. Roger B. Turner Jr, Commanding Officer, RS Sacramento. "This event helps maintain their interest so that they don't lose focus of their initial reason for joining."
Turner explained that this is the second time the command has sponsored the Bridgeport trip and both were a success.
"We saw an significant decrease in the amount of drops from the delayed entry program last year as a direct result of the Bridgeport trip," Turner commented.
He further explained, that out of the 250 poolees who attended last year's event an overwhelming 92 percent successfully shipped to boot camp.
"These statistics are remarkable!" Turner exclaimed. "This means that the RS only lost eight percent of the 250 poolees who attended Bridgeport pool event, which is half of the RS's average."
Turner believes that the Bridgeport trip was the major factor responsible for this year's high retention.
"My intention is to motivate the poolees by exposing them to some 'real' Marine Corps training and provide a challenging and exciting event that will leave a distinct impression on them," Turner confessed.
Private first class Ryan M. Vanatta, recruiting assistance, Recruiting Substation Redding, said he attended last year's Bridgeport trip prior to shipping to boot camp. Vanatta insists that the trip helped prepare him for what he would later face in boot camp.
"The Bridgeport trip really helped me get through the long wait for my shipping date," Vanatta professed. "It helped me stay motivated and also gave me an advantage amongst my peers at boot camp."
This year Vanatta returned to Bridgeport as a Marine. However, he recalled his experience there as a poolee.
"I remember how anxious I was to know exactly what boot camp was like," he said. "Now I'm in a position to help ease the tension of poolees who are feeling the same way I felt only a year-ago."
Vanatta said he enjoyed answering all of the poolees' questions about his experience so far as a Marine.
"They asked questions like 'what was the crucible like' and 'what was your favorite part of boot camp," Vanatta recalled.
The Marine said that he told the poolees as much as possible without spoiling the excitement and thrill of the unknown.
"I tried to give them a heads up on the things that they should be doing now in preparation for their departure to boot camp," Vanatta said.
Turner added that a chance for poolees to interact with Marines fresh out of boot camp is one of the advantages of the Bridgeport experience.
"The trip exposes them to a lot of young Marines just returning from boot camp that they can identify with," he said.
The Poolees took part in a few conditioning hikes to the various training locations throughout the area. Many displayed their motivation by wearing camouflage utilities and boots. Some even donned Alice packs weighed down with extra gear to better challenge themselves.
"The 3-mile hike up 'Heart Attack Hill' tested me and pushed me," said 17-year-old Francisco J. Dominguez, a Merrill F. West High School senior from RSS Stockton.
Dominguez and his partner were the first to finish the land navigation course among their group.
"The most fun part of the course was trying to figure out how to get from point A to B," he confessed.
Regardless of the hot sun and the high altitude, the poolees seemed to really enjoy themselves and each other?s company.
In between guzzling down a bottle of water to maintain hydration in the late summer heat, Dominguez shared his feeling of coming to Bridgeport.
"This trip gave me the opportunity to see just how motivated other poolees are and what they think of the Corps," he said. "It's good to see that I'm not the only one who's extremely excited and anxious to go to boot camp."
The motivation remained high throughout the pool as they trekked through the mountainous terrain in search of their next training event of the day.
The poolees seemed to have never suffered a dull moment during the trip. When they weren't learning to repel down a 50-foot cliff, they were engaged in attempting to cross a man-made rope bridge with gushing river rapids below.
When asked, 18 year-old Luong T. Phen, a West Campus High School senior from RSS South Sacramento said that the outdoor survival class one of her most memorable experiences.
"The survival class was the best part of the trip for me," said Phen.
She along with several other poolees got to experience first-hand what it is like to skin an animal.
"We gave them a survival diet class, which teaches them how to determine what's edible; whether it be plants, insects, or animals," said GySgt. William J. Grisby, class instructor, MCMWTC. "We gave them enough information so that if they were put in a survival situation they would indeed survive."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031014171324/$file/bbridgeport02low.jpg
A poolee learns to conquer her fear of heights as she decends down the side of a clif during the rappelling portion of the training.
Photo by: Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031014172331/$file/bbridgeport01low.jpg
Major Roger B. Turner, commanding officer, Recruiting Station Sacramento, recaps the training evolution with the group of poolees who participated in the pool event at MCMWTC, Bridgeport, Calif.
Photo by: Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031014172521/$file/bbridgeport03low.jpg
A poolee sights in his compas during land navigation training at Bridgeport.
Photo by: Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/F06DD97632C5B74385256DBF0073D065?opendocument
The Drifter
Submitted by: 12th Marine Corps District
Story Identification Number: 2003101417459
Story by Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
12TH MARINE CORPS DISTRICT, SAN DIEGO(August 2003) -- The chilling sound of Marine Corps cadence rang through the picturesque mountainous terrain of the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center as a group of 140 "Future Marines" from Recruiting Station Sacramento hiked one step closer toward their goal August 1-3. The goal of becoming an addition to the nations finest is not always an expedient process; many future Marines spend months in the delayed entry program awaiting shipment. One of the many challenges recruiters face is keeping these anxious poolees motivated during the wait.
The group of poolees from the Northern California and Western Nevada area received training similar to what they might expect during Recruit Training. Classes on outdoor survival, repelling, rope-bridge-river crossing, land navigation and even a dose of indoor rock climbing were all part of the training itinerary. Judging from the smiling, interactive faces these classes had no problem holding the poolees' attention throughout the three-day training evolution.
"Bridgeport is the one highlight during the year were we can offer them (poolees) a taste of the real Marine Corps," said Maj. Roger B. Turner Jr, Commanding Officer, RS Sacramento. "This event helps maintain their interest so that they don't lose focus of their initial reason for joining."
Turner explained that this is the second time the command has sponsored the Bridgeport trip and both were a success.
"We saw an significant decrease in the amount of drops from the delayed entry program last year as a direct result of the Bridgeport trip," Turner commented.
He further explained, that out of the 250 poolees who attended last year's event an overwhelming 92 percent successfully shipped to boot camp.
"These statistics are remarkable!" Turner exclaimed. "This means that the RS only lost eight percent of the 250 poolees who attended Bridgeport pool event, which is half of the RS's average."
Turner believes that the Bridgeport trip was the major factor responsible for this year's high retention.
"My intention is to motivate the poolees by exposing them to some 'real' Marine Corps training and provide a challenging and exciting event that will leave a distinct impression on them," Turner confessed.
Private first class Ryan M. Vanatta, recruiting assistance, Recruiting Substation Redding, said he attended last year's Bridgeport trip prior to shipping to boot camp. Vanatta insists that the trip helped prepare him for what he would later face in boot camp.
"The Bridgeport trip really helped me get through the long wait for my shipping date," Vanatta professed. "It helped me stay motivated and also gave me an advantage amongst my peers at boot camp."
This year Vanatta returned to Bridgeport as a Marine. However, he recalled his experience there as a poolee.
"I remember how anxious I was to know exactly what boot camp was like," he said. "Now I'm in a position to help ease the tension of poolees who are feeling the same way I felt only a year-ago."
Vanatta said he enjoyed answering all of the poolees' questions about his experience so far as a Marine.
"They asked questions like 'what was the crucible like' and 'what was your favorite part of boot camp," Vanatta recalled.
The Marine said that he told the poolees as much as possible without spoiling the excitement and thrill of the unknown.
"I tried to give them a heads up on the things that they should be doing now in preparation for their departure to boot camp," Vanatta said.
Turner added that a chance for poolees to interact with Marines fresh out of boot camp is one of the advantages of the Bridgeport experience.
"The trip exposes them to a lot of young Marines just returning from boot camp that they can identify with," he said.
The Poolees took part in a few conditioning hikes to the various training locations throughout the area. Many displayed their motivation by wearing camouflage utilities and boots. Some even donned Alice packs weighed down with extra gear to better challenge themselves.
"The 3-mile hike up 'Heart Attack Hill' tested me and pushed me," said 17-year-old Francisco J. Dominguez, a Merrill F. West High School senior from RSS Stockton.
Dominguez and his partner were the first to finish the land navigation course among their group.
"The most fun part of the course was trying to figure out how to get from point A to B," he confessed.
Regardless of the hot sun and the high altitude, the poolees seemed to really enjoy themselves and each other?s company.
In between guzzling down a bottle of water to maintain hydration in the late summer heat, Dominguez shared his feeling of coming to Bridgeport.
"This trip gave me the opportunity to see just how motivated other poolees are and what they think of the Corps," he said. "It's good to see that I'm not the only one who's extremely excited and anxious to go to boot camp."
The motivation remained high throughout the pool as they trekked through the mountainous terrain in search of their next training event of the day.
The poolees seemed to have never suffered a dull moment during the trip. When they weren't learning to repel down a 50-foot cliff, they were engaged in attempting to cross a man-made rope bridge with gushing river rapids below.
When asked, 18 year-old Luong T. Phen, a West Campus High School senior from RSS South Sacramento said that the outdoor survival class one of her most memorable experiences.
"The survival class was the best part of the trip for me," said Phen.
She along with several other poolees got to experience first-hand what it is like to skin an animal.
"We gave them a survival diet class, which teaches them how to determine what's edible; whether it be plants, insects, or animals," said GySgt. William J. Grisby, class instructor, MCMWTC. "We gave them enough information so that if they were put in a survival situation they would indeed survive."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031014171324/$file/bbridgeport02low.jpg
A poolee learns to conquer her fear of heights as she decends down the side of a clif during the rappelling portion of the training.
Photo by: Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031014172331/$file/bbridgeport01low.jpg
Major Roger B. Turner, commanding officer, Recruiting Station Sacramento, recaps the training evolution with the group of poolees who participated in the pool event at MCMWTC, Bridgeport, Calif.
Photo by: Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031014172521/$file/bbridgeport03low.jpg
A poolee sights in his compas during land navigation training at Bridgeport.
Photo by: Cpl. Krystal N. Leach
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/F06DD97632C5B74385256DBF0073D065?opendocument
The Drifter