thedrifter
12-26-02, 08:43 AM
Do you remember your first wake up call in the Marine Corps? It was about zero dark thirty in the morning, and not one out of 70 recruits could do anything right. The date was August 18, 1961. And, from that day on, we were taught to function as a team. Seventy left feet hitting the deck in unison. It was the Marine Corps way. The way it's supposed to be. That is, until the PFT came along.
How many of us can remember the old PRT? The Physical Readiness Test. The PRT followed us long out of Parris Island, and even beyond the Vietnam War. It was a required test given to each and every Marine twice a year. It was an all day event. It was a dreaded day for most of us. We hated to get up that morning, dress out with utilities, cartridge belt, 782 gear, pack, rifle, helmet- the works. We were about to embark on a test of stamina, and a test of teamwork. For, if one Marine in the unit did not cross the line before time was up, the entire unit failed, and had to re-take the test the following weekend. That was quite an incentive. I remember helping many good Marines get across the line. One Marine grabbed the pack of another. One Marine took his rifle. Two more Marines each grabbed an arm. It was teamwork at its finest.
Following the test, which lasted all morning, we spent the rest of the day cleaning the sand out of our gear. Sand was everywhere- web gear, M-1 barrel(later M-14), and our utilities. We were filthy. But, we felt like real Marines. We won the battle. Every Marine came back alive. We were victorious as a team.
So, where did we go wrong? What have we lost by replacing the PRT with the PFT, the Physical Fitness Test?
When the PFT was first introduced in the Corps, the great leaders at HQMC had the right idea for testing a Marine's physical strength. Pull-ups, sit-ups, and a three-mile run. Pretty basic stuff. Not such a big deal for most Marines. So, where did it go wrong? What happened to the Esprit d' Corps?
I'll tell you exactly where we lost it.
In the PFT, each Marine is graded on his own personal physical strength and ability. It's every man (and woman) for himself. A Marine who can run like a gazelle will complete the three-mile run in as little as 18 minutes, whereas a Marine built like a gorilla might only be able to complete the run in 27 minutes. Both Marines may be as strong as an ox, but the Marine carrying the extra weight is now competing for his career in the Marine Corps. He no longer feels like he is a part of the team, because in the eyes of his fellow Marines, he is not as good as they are. He has been left behind in the dust of the faster, more agile Marines. Teamwork is out of the picture completely. It doesn't matter if the entire unit does not pass the test anymore, it's individual competition. And, that is where I believe we have lost the edge.
General Lewis B. Puller epitomized the Marine Corps ethic of teamwork in Korea when he broke out of the Chinese stronghold around the Chosin Reservoir where he and his valiant Marines were completely surrounded. And, he did so while bringing with him all of his dead and wounded Marines, along with all of his equipment, and tons of gear left abandoned by the Army.
I remember hearing that story a hundred times during my career in the Marine Corps. And, I have tried to live by Chesty's standard, even during the PRT. Especially during the PRT. Every Marine makes it across the line; we all finish together, or we all die together.
We need to re-focus the Marine Corps on teamwork again. Old Corps values. Never leave a Marine behind. Not now . . . not ever.
Semper Fidelis!
Sempers,
Roger
How many of us can remember the old PRT? The Physical Readiness Test. The PRT followed us long out of Parris Island, and even beyond the Vietnam War. It was a required test given to each and every Marine twice a year. It was an all day event. It was a dreaded day for most of us. We hated to get up that morning, dress out with utilities, cartridge belt, 782 gear, pack, rifle, helmet- the works. We were about to embark on a test of stamina, and a test of teamwork. For, if one Marine in the unit did not cross the line before time was up, the entire unit failed, and had to re-take the test the following weekend. That was quite an incentive. I remember helping many good Marines get across the line. One Marine grabbed the pack of another. One Marine took his rifle. Two more Marines each grabbed an arm. It was teamwork at its finest.
Following the test, which lasted all morning, we spent the rest of the day cleaning the sand out of our gear. Sand was everywhere- web gear, M-1 barrel(later M-14), and our utilities. We were filthy. But, we felt like real Marines. We won the battle. Every Marine came back alive. We were victorious as a team.
So, where did we go wrong? What have we lost by replacing the PRT with the PFT, the Physical Fitness Test?
When the PFT was first introduced in the Corps, the great leaders at HQMC had the right idea for testing a Marine's physical strength. Pull-ups, sit-ups, and a three-mile run. Pretty basic stuff. Not such a big deal for most Marines. So, where did it go wrong? What happened to the Esprit d' Corps?
I'll tell you exactly where we lost it.
In the PFT, each Marine is graded on his own personal physical strength and ability. It's every man (and woman) for himself. A Marine who can run like a gazelle will complete the three-mile run in as little as 18 minutes, whereas a Marine built like a gorilla might only be able to complete the run in 27 minutes. Both Marines may be as strong as an ox, but the Marine carrying the extra weight is now competing for his career in the Marine Corps. He no longer feels like he is a part of the team, because in the eyes of his fellow Marines, he is not as good as they are. He has been left behind in the dust of the faster, more agile Marines. Teamwork is out of the picture completely. It doesn't matter if the entire unit does not pass the test anymore, it's individual competition. And, that is where I believe we have lost the edge.
General Lewis B. Puller epitomized the Marine Corps ethic of teamwork in Korea when he broke out of the Chinese stronghold around the Chosin Reservoir where he and his valiant Marines were completely surrounded. And, he did so while bringing with him all of his dead and wounded Marines, along with all of his equipment, and tons of gear left abandoned by the Army.
I remember hearing that story a hundred times during my career in the Marine Corps. And, I have tried to live by Chesty's standard, even during the PRT. Especially during the PRT. Every Marine makes it across the line; we all finish together, or we all die together.
We need to re-focus the Marine Corps on teamwork again. Old Corps values. Never leave a Marine behind. Not now . . . not ever.
Semper Fidelis!
Sempers,
Roger