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thedrifter
05-14-06, 10:10 AM
Once a Marine ...
CNHI News Service

— By Tony Pennington
Transcript Staff Writer

“Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

It was a phrase often spoken by military personnel at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego during the weeklong Educators Workshop sponsored by the United States Marine Corps.

This sense of belonging extends beyond the initial “shock and awe” of boot camp’s Phase I or the bonding and the right to be called “Marine” earned through the three-day, more than 50 mile “Crucible.” For many in the Corps, it’s the sense of accomplishment when the eagle, globe and anchor is pinned on the uniform.

“A lot of it is pride,” said Stillwater recruiter Staff Sgt. Kent Pendleton on Monday before the workshop. “You get to be part of an elite fighting force, the best in the world. The Marines make up about nine percent of the American military.”
According to MCRD Chief of Staff Col. Mark Callihan there are about 180,000 Marines currently in the Corps. The army boasts more than 500,00 and the Navy and Air Force, 350,000. The small number of Marines, the 12 weeks of basic training — the longest of the Armed Forces — and the combat training received by every member sets the “Devil Dogs” apart.

“Our training has not changed,” Callihan said. “It’s basic training for basic Marines. Whether you agree or disagree with current policies, you should all be proud of those Marines.”

And that was the purpose of the workshop. The Marines wanted to expose as many educators involved with America’s youth to the process of recruiting and training. More than 40 were “enlisted” form Recruiting Stations Denver and Oklahoma City for the week and challenged to ask questions and view everything as a skeptic.

“The workshop is to help the average person to actually see what Marine training is all about,” said Pendleton, 26. “Nothing is staged. This is exactly what Marine Corps basic training is. You will see the change in an individual from day one. It’s the whole process.”

There were superintendents and teachers marching in formation, principals with a drill instructor inches from their face and counselors standing at attention waiting for orders.

There were stops and each of the three stages of boot camp and unsupervised conversations with recruits. The unusual setting allowed for an informative dialogue with the young men who made the decision to be a Marine.

Private James McManus, 20, of Edmond held dead end jobs and didn’t see a future for himself. Fred Choate, 19, of Del City said he would have ended up homeless. Timothy Smith, 19, of Midwest City, was unemployed and without direction.

And Anthony Acosta, 18, of Midwest City, surprised his father, a Marine, by announcing his enlistment.

“I was shocked,” said Staff Sgt. Rafael Acosta following his son’s graduation from basic training Friday. “He said he wanted to go to college.” Staff Sgt. Acosta may have to get use to those events. His daughter Shontael is in army boot camp at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina and yet another daughter, Omni, Midwest City high school student, is a member of the Air Force ROTC.

Private Acosta graduated high school early to go to boot camp. He plans to return to Midwest City and participate in graduation ceremonies with his friends back home. While he is there, he will get some “chow.”

“He said he can’t wait to get home and eat some of my cooking,” said Joy Acosta, Anthony’s mother.

By the end of the week, the educators had seen the evolution of a young man from recruit to a Marine. And as the new Marines left home their visitors for the week weren’t far behind. Before they cleared the “parade deck,” Callihan gave the families a few words.

“Your sons have learned to put their fellow Marines before themselves,” he said. “I assure you, your sons will always have a Marine at their back.”

For the members of the workshop, those words were may have summed up the experience. Every step they took, there were Marines to answer questions and offer explanations. The veil may have been lifted for some of the 41, but for the Corps, the workshop is an important tool in reaching out to the professionals. For one week, instead of 12, the teachers, administrators and counselors are at the Depot for the basics in the Marine Corps.

“This is your Marine Corps,” said Lt. Col. Robert Gates to the representatives of RS Denver and Oklahoma City. “Be skeptical about what we do, we want you to be.”

The more information collected by those educators, could lead to a more informed decision for the next generation of America’s Marines.

Ellie