Battle ready: Residents join Marines, train for Iraq

BY LORETTA TACKETT
STAFF WRITER

The first poole function Saturday for the Pikeville Marine Recruitment's recently named sub station included six young men who joined the smallest branch of America's military service for reasons ranging from self discipline to doing something bigger and better with life.

Poole functions, which allow new recruits to prepare for the rigorous task called bootcamp, were held in Logan W.Va., which meant local recruits didn't always have the support three young men had Saturday.

Pikeville resident Kayla Bartley came out to support boyfriend James Lambert, 26, of Phelps, who attended some college before deciding to build a career in the Marine Corps.

Reading 18-year-old Upper Chloe resident Justin Holloway's shirt - which carried a Marine message about the difficulty in preparing the body to become one of the U.S. military's elite, Lambert said, “If pain is weakness leaving your body, then I must have a lot of weakness.”

“Bootcamp is not easy,” said recruiter Sgt. James Lunsford, calling the process nonstop, physical, mental, and emotional. “It's very challenging, but that's why people join. They want that challenge.”

Fresh out of East Ridge High School, Holloway said among the lots of reasons for his decision to join the Marines, was the fact several of his heroes had worn the uniform, including his great uncle.

“I wanted to do something for myself and my country,” Holloway said.

“I wanted to do something bigger and better with my life,” said David Ryan Belcher, 18 of Hurley, Va., who was accompanied by his father, David Allen Belcher.

“I'm proud of him,” Belcher said about his son, who will be joining the Infantry division - the front line in Iraq - as will Whitesburg native Chadwick Gilliam, 27, who recently graduated from Lindsey Wilson College with a Masters degree in social work.

When asked why he was joining the Marines after completing a six-year study, Gilliam said, “I always wanted to and I just did it.”

“I'm very, very proud of him,” Paul Gilliam said, adding he was also proud of the other men. “They'll be protecting us back here.”

Robison Creek resident Dustin Goff, 20, will be going to the Reserves, where he will go to bootcamp, training, and job school, before coming back home to work a regular job, going to train twice a month in Crosslanes, W.Va., or Johnson City, Tenn., depending on what career he chooses.

Robinson Creek native Kevin Harper, who joined the Marines in 2005, was based in Crosslanes before going to Iraq, from which he recently returned. Harper joined Lunsford in giving the six of 14 scheduled to show up at Bob Amos Park an initial strength test composed of crunches, a mile and a half run, and dead hang pull ups.

To qualify for bootcamp, the men must complete 44 crunches in two minutes, two dead hang pull ups, and run a mile and a half under 13 minuites and 30 seconds.

Marine Corps bootcamp is the longest and toughest in the armed forces, Harper said, adding it lasts 13 weeks and includes drills, running, physical training, Corps history, and first aid classes.

The training prepares soldiers to work on the front line, which Lunsford, who has been in Iraq, called a dangerous job, adding, “And it takes a special individual to do it.”

Although the Marines are currently limited to 175,000 - less than 6 percent of who are women, Lunsford said, reporting Shelby Valley graduate Jenni Bartley made it last year - the Corps is contemplating increasing the number by 20,000. Since the Marines claim nearly 1,000 casualities in the Iraq war, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty County, recruiters are working to replace the ones lost.

“There needs to be a Marine Corps for tomorrow,” Lunsford said. “That couldn't happen without these guys stepping up.”

Although the six training Saturday will not be leaving for bootcamp for a while, two recent Shelby Valley graduates - Sheldon Mullins and Johnathan Oney - left Sunday on the buddy system. They can go to bootcamp together, be placed and the same platoon and be rack mates, and come home together, Lunsford said, but there are no guarantees they will go to Iraq together.

“It depends on what job they pick,” Lunsford said.

Story created Jun 22, 2007 - 20:10:41 CDT.

Ellie