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View Full Version : Above and Beyond Marine swims way to victory in Recruit Training



thedrifter
12-21-03, 07:22 AM
Submitted by: MCRD Parris Island
Story Identification Number: 200312199383
Story by Cpl. Jennifer Brofer



MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C.(Dec. 19, 2003) -- Private First Class Robert Trego, Platoon 1104, Delta Co., graduates today after a 13-week journey to become a Marine.

So far, his Marine Corps experience tops his long list of accomplishments. However, he may never have marched across the parade deck had it not been for his unrelenting desire to be the best - that, and his love of swimming, which began as a childhood hobby and transformed into an invaluable tool that has helped him throughout life and recruit training.
Trego's love of swimming began on the sunny beaches of Jacksonville, Fla.

"My mom took us to the beach one day, and she couldn't get me out of the water," said the 18 year old.

It was then that his love of swimming grew, as well as his competitive spirit.

His mother began taking him to swim competitions in middle school during the summer, where he excelled in his division and won all of his races. He placed first in the 50-yard breaststroke and again in the 100-yard individual medley all three years. Swimming was not the only sport he excelled in. By the time he reached high school, he had lettered in swimming, soccer, football and track.

In high school, Trego continued to put forth effort into sports, but focused most of his energy on his swimming skills. He swam year round, which helped him win the Florida State Championships for his district in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Shortly after, he qualified for the Junior Olympic National Team, where he took home the gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. As successful as he was, he felt there were no further job opportunities for him on the team, so he left, ending his swimming career. Though he stopped swimming competitively, his passion for the sport never ceased.

"I guess swimming was my forte in life," revealed the self-described "sports freak."

At the time, he had no way of knowing that his "forte in life" would eventually help him after he stepped onto the yellow footprints. During recruit swim qualification, Trego achieved Combat Water Survival-1, which is a rare accomplishment by recruits.

For CWS-1, certified swim instructors pose as drowning victims and attempt to pull the recruits underwater, to see if the recruits can execute the proper techniques in order to subdue the "victim" and swim him to safety.

"He almost made one of the swim instructors tap out," admitted Staff Sgt. Will Cuellar, Trego's senior drill instructor. "They stress to the recruits to take it slow and go all the way to the bottom, but most recruits just get out of it real fast and go to the top. [Trego] took him all the way to the bottom, and he executed the movement really slow. [The instructors] could tell he had past experience. He's a little gung ho recruit."

His above-average swimming capabilities not only served him well while in recruit training, but also helped save a distressed scout's life when 15-year-old Trego was at summer camp as a member of the Boy Scouts of America.

"I was at Camp Shands and we were out doing swim qual lessons for a merit badge, and he started drifting out," explained Trego. "I saw him panicking, so I swam out as fast as I could and swam him back to shore."

Though most would find his actions heroic, Trego chose to remain humble.
"It wasn't anything big," he said.

Trego also applied his swimming skills to help underprivileged children in the Families First program, a non-profit organization that provides a safe haven to abused or neglected children through after-school programs. Trego served as a lifeguard in the mornings during the summer, without pay, so the children could swim under supervision.

"They couldn't go anywhere because they were poor, and they couldn't pay a lifeguard," said Trego. "But, I like helping little kids."

Aside from swimming, Trego was also an active member of the Boy Scouts of America and Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps while in high school. However, even with all his prior training, he said nothing could have prepared him for the mental anguish he had to withstand from the drill instructors upon arrival.

"This is a lot more exhausting," admitted Trego. "It doesn't hit you 'til you get here. Marine Corps boot camp is more than anything I ever imagined."
Trego, who enlisted as an infantryman, said he aspires to go into Force Recon one day to become a Marine Corps Instructor Trainer of Water Survival, or possibly a firefighter like his dad, in order to "save more lives."

Throughout his life, Trego has relied upon himself to go "above and beyond" and be "the best of the best" in every facet of his life, whether academically or in sports.
However, the journey to become a Marine taught him that he is far from perfect, with a lot more lessons to be learned along the way.

"I'm glad I became a Marine because it taught me a lot more discipline and team work," he said. "Now I have to rely on other people, not just myself."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/E18B13698F308FE185256E0100506366?opendocument


The Drifter
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