Swearing into the DEP program

Talk about work. Miss Erica has worked very hard to get where she is. She has been exercising every day, and going to weight watchers. She lost 27 lbs with weight watchers, we had no idea that the Marine Corp had a weight limit at first, when we found out she busted it to get where she needed to be.

Then the day before her swear in her recruiter measured her height and told her she had to lose three pounds in one day.. and she did just that, running in a sauna suit and sitting in a sauna suit in the sauna for hours, no food - little water, I don't know how she did but she did. It was unbelievable!

Then on the day of her swear in her recruiter took her down to Los Angeles CA at 3 am, I told them I wanted to be there, so one of the recruiters came back and picked me up at 8 am.. they told me it would happen around 9 am... well after sitting around about 5 hours she was sworn into the United States Marine Corps on April 2nd 2009.

It was funning waiting so long people kept talking to me, saying aren't you so proud of your daughter and how do you feel about it, I wondered 'how do they know I have a daughter here with these hundreds of kids', then finally an Army recruiter said well everyone here knows about your daughter because she's the only female going into the Marines for the last three days and the only kid with a parent here. well needless to say I was proud. When I went into the ceremony room she was embarrassed that I was taking photos, until a bunch of guys in her group said, that so cool your mom is here, wish my parent cared.. on and on they went so I knew she felt much better about it. It was an awesome day.. the next day she started making phone calls to tell her family her decision and plans. They told her that her ship out date in now May 26th 2009.
written by Darlene R.