thedrifter
02-20-04, 06:26 AM
SoCal and Las Vegas high schoolers gathered for Recruiting Station San Diego's Crucible Challenge
Submitted by: Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Story Identification Number: 200421812847
Story by Lance Cpl. Jess Levens
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(February 13, 2004) -- Two hundred thirty-five high school students from Recruiting Station San Diego's area gathered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 6 for the second Crucible Challenge, a weekend of sleeping in the field and negotiating Crucible obstacles like Marine Corps recruits.
The students arrived at Camp Pendleton Friday from Imperial, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and Las Vegas. They were issued tent halves and sleeping bags for their night outdoors.
Before preparing their shelter, Marines demonstrated the proper way to set put the tents.
"I really liked sleeping in the field," said Brandon Wright from San Diego High School. "We ate out there and everything. I wish we had another night."
Sleep was important to these Marine prospects because the next morning would mark the start of a long, energy-draining day.
Each school sent one team of students, many being Junior ROTC participants, to compete in six events throughout the day. There were 58 teams.
12th Marine Corps Recruiting District brought its inflatable obstacle course, which was used as one of the obstacles. Students also did pull-ups and crunches, dragged dummies and they negotiated two Crucible obstacles: the Weaver and the Two-Line Bridge.
The Weaver is a pyramid-shaped series of logs through which participants must climb over under until reaching the peak.
"The Weaver is the hardest thing I've done here," said Dan Borden of Green Valley High School, Las Vegas. "And we only did half of it."
The Two-Line Bridge consists of two parallel ropes that participants must shimmy across horizontally, holding the high rope and walking on the low rope. At the end, they must wrap their legs around a vertical rope and climb down.
The Crucible Challenge was masterminded by RS San Diego last year and has been a big success, according to Maj. Dan Wilson, commanding officer, RS San Diego.
"Last year, we had 258 kids come out, and we got 19 contracts," said Wilson. "I'm confident we'll have great results this year too."
After all 58 teams cycled through the events and the points were totaled, the winner of the event was Basic High School in Las Vegas. The team members earned bags of Marine Corps merchandise.
The event was a success and the Marines are confident many students like the taste of the Corps they received, according to Wilson.
"We hope to do this event every year," said Wilson. "There is no other event we have that produces these results."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004218121211/$file/dummy_drag1_lr.jpg
JROTC cadets race toward the turnaround point of the dummy drag competition.
Photo by: Sgt. Ethan E. Rocke
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200421812147/$file/rope_hang_lr.jpg
Will Maupin of La Quinta High School in Coachella Valley makes his way down a rope at the end of the "Two Line Bridge" during the Crucible Challenge.
Photo by: Sgt. Ethan E. Rocke
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004218121528/$file/weaver_LVHS_lr.jpg
Dan Borden, a Green Valley High School student from Las Vegas, negotiates 'The Weaver' during the Crucible Challenge.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Jess Levens
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/54985CF264E0515A85256E3E005E3034?opendocument
The Drifter
Submitted by: Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Story Identification Number: 200421812847
Story by Lance Cpl. Jess Levens
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(February 13, 2004) -- Two hundred thirty-five high school students from Recruiting Station San Diego's area gathered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 6 for the second Crucible Challenge, a weekend of sleeping in the field and negotiating Crucible obstacles like Marine Corps recruits.
The students arrived at Camp Pendleton Friday from Imperial, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and Las Vegas. They were issued tent halves and sleeping bags for their night outdoors.
Before preparing their shelter, Marines demonstrated the proper way to set put the tents.
"I really liked sleeping in the field," said Brandon Wright from San Diego High School. "We ate out there and everything. I wish we had another night."
Sleep was important to these Marine prospects because the next morning would mark the start of a long, energy-draining day.
Each school sent one team of students, many being Junior ROTC participants, to compete in six events throughout the day. There were 58 teams.
12th Marine Corps Recruiting District brought its inflatable obstacle course, which was used as one of the obstacles. Students also did pull-ups and crunches, dragged dummies and they negotiated two Crucible obstacles: the Weaver and the Two-Line Bridge.
The Weaver is a pyramid-shaped series of logs through which participants must climb over under until reaching the peak.
"The Weaver is the hardest thing I've done here," said Dan Borden of Green Valley High School, Las Vegas. "And we only did half of it."
The Two-Line Bridge consists of two parallel ropes that participants must shimmy across horizontally, holding the high rope and walking on the low rope. At the end, they must wrap their legs around a vertical rope and climb down.
The Crucible Challenge was masterminded by RS San Diego last year and has been a big success, according to Maj. Dan Wilson, commanding officer, RS San Diego.
"Last year, we had 258 kids come out, and we got 19 contracts," said Wilson. "I'm confident we'll have great results this year too."
After all 58 teams cycled through the events and the points were totaled, the winner of the event was Basic High School in Las Vegas. The team members earned bags of Marine Corps merchandise.
The event was a success and the Marines are confident many students like the taste of the Corps they received, according to Wilson.
"We hope to do this event every year," said Wilson. "There is no other event we have that produces these results."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004218121211/$file/dummy_drag1_lr.jpg
JROTC cadets race toward the turnaround point of the dummy drag competition.
Photo by: Sgt. Ethan E. Rocke
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200421812147/$file/rope_hang_lr.jpg
Will Maupin of La Quinta High School in Coachella Valley makes his way down a rope at the end of the "Two Line Bridge" during the Crucible Challenge.
Photo by: Sgt. Ethan E. Rocke
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004218121528/$file/weaver_LVHS_lr.jpg
Dan Borden, a Green Valley High School student from Las Vegas, negotiates 'The Weaver' during the Crucible Challenge.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Jess Levens
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/54985CF264E0515A85256E3E005E3034?opendocument
The Drifter