Dear Journal,
FRIDAY - Parris Island Boot Camp - CRUCIBLE:
Got up at 0400. Each platoon's daily schedule is different.
1104 and 1105 may be scheduled for an obstacle that
1106 and 1108 completed yesterday, and 1109 and 1110
may be on their way from re-supply to take
the same challenge. With 500 guys out here,
there is no way for us to do obstacles at the same time.
So last night after Prayer and the Marine Hymn,
we talked to each other quietly about the
other obstacles we saw. I should have slept more.
We stepped out for our first challenge of the day.
The first Station was a good 3-mile hump from our huts.
The obstacle was a tire suspended 4'
with the side painted red. All members of our squad had
to go through the tire without touching the red.
We did all make it, but it was hard.
The tire was swinging and spinning…
guess that was the challenge.
After we finished up there,
we moved over to the Bayonet Assault Course.
This course is exactly the same as the one at the Base.
Lots of hooking and jabbing here! Kind of fun actually.
But we are all run down.
From there we went to the Day Infiltration Course.
We had 25 minutes to go through the
whole course dragging with us
a real team member (casualty), 2 large ammo cans,
2 small ammo cans, and 2 water jugs… filled with concrete!!
God, I wanted to be the one being dragged!
But, another Recruit had pulled a muscle,
so we took turns pulling him.
We are all filthy and covered in dirt now.
We stopped for a sock change and foot check.
My blisters are filling with fluid now.
I put a double layer of moleskin on but it comes right off
when my socks get wet.
Then we humped over to the Day Movement Course.
And believe me, they don't call it "Movement" for nothing!
This course had booby traps all over!
And if we tripped them,
that team member became a casualty.
The more traps we tripped during the course,
the more difficult it became because we had to pull
the casualties along with all our gear. We are so tired
and hungry and sore and aggravated.
We are over halfway through.
In case you've been wondering,
there are portable toilets set up for us to use around
the Crucible site. Earlier, we tied the door shut
when one of the guys went in! Funny stuff!
For another guy, who was in there WAY TOO LONG
(we think he was sleeping), we started beating
on the thing and rocking the thing back and
forth and front to back to scare him and
make him fall off the seat!
He flung the door open and with the
biggest eyes I've ever seen he goes,
"Wha…wha…what happened?" We were all rolling!
The DI's just laughed at us. That was so fun.
And it was good to share a laugh with those guys
after all they've put us through.
To pass the time, we try to guess who has honor platoon.
Before we left, they told us the top scoring platoon
for Final Drill, but nothing else. So we have all been
speculating on who is second, third and so on.
But, we know it is our total scores for everything
that counts in figuring honor platoon…including crucible.
Four other guys and I have a little side bet
going on who wins.
The bet is one cracker package each. Winner takes all!
We had another 10 or so obstacles that
we had to get through by the afternoon!
The first one was called Jenkins Pinnacle.
We had to break up in 8 teams and
cross over these suspended logs tied with cable…
with all our gear…carrying additional supplies…
and we were timed!
The next obstacle was Basilone's Challenge where we had
to climb two-by-two over an 8 foot log.
We also finished up the last stations of the Leader Course.
In teams of six we strapped 2 long wooden boards
to our feet and had to walk together over a "mine field."
The walking part was easy, it was getting all
six of us strapped in those things
that took up the most time.
It's funny how the foot pain comes and goes.
Believe me every part of my body hurts,
but when I am focused on a task the pain seems
to go to the back of my mind.
Maybe we don't feel it anymore because we are
losing our minds with no food and little sleep!
We had another foot check before the next hump
to the next station. Just as I thought my blisters are worse.
I know they are going to pop any second.
I heard one guy scream last night when
the medic poured peroxide on his popped blisters.
While I was sitting there, I took off my boonie cover
(hat) for just a second for some comfort.
It is what kept me going each day through boot camp,
and this is the first time I had to do it on crucible.
It is not the physical comfort of
removing the cover from my head,
but what I have tucked inside.
See, I have a picture of my family
back home pressed inside, and they are
counting on me to get through this.
Even the dog is in this one!
At about 1800 we arrived back at our huts for the
Night Infiltration Course. I can't even think of how
to explain this, so to quote my Mom, all I can say is…
"Oh…My…GOD!" This was the hardest thing
I've ever done in my life! It is the last obstacle of the day
and is a 5-mile night hump! The DI's said it was 5 miles
but I know it was way more.
There was no time limit and everyone had to complete
it even if it took all night! One of the Crucible Instructors
told us that Lima Company was out here until after midnight.
Anyway, I bandaged my feet as best I could.
I kept thinking that last night's hump was only 2.5 miles,
and since this one is twice as long…I have to make it work.
I am NOT going back now.
With only my thoughts to motivate me,
I put on my boots and was ready for the course.
I wanted the leads to slow down the pace.
My feet are now shot! All the care I took,
the moleskins, the tinactin, thorlo socks…I still got blisters!
A few have popped and are sore.
No scabs yet because my feet stay wet.
How I had the strength for this hump is beyond me?
Lord, someone must be praying for me back home,
because I don't even remember
the prayer we said last night.
I did dream I think, but I can't remember what it was.
And just so you know,
this wasn't even close to last night's hump!
We were under siege!!
There were rounds being fired at us,
bombs going off around us, (simulated of course)
but the sounds and all the smoke shocked
us never the less.
At boot camp I got used to going to bed at 1900 hours.
So, here it was after 1800 and
we are just into a 5 mile hump!
About half-way through it got to a point where
I didn't feel the pain.
I was running on pure determination.
We are all very sore and close to starving now.
The sleep deprivation is really getting to us.
I don't know how long the hump took us,
but we flew through it 'cause most of us
didn't want miss any of our 4 hours of sleep!
When we got back to the huts after the
Night Infiltration Course, we hygiened,
prepped our packs for the next day,
and ate the last of our MRE's (if there was any left!)
During the day this is what I ate:
Late morning I had my Mexican Rice.
Then, just before we started the Night Infiltration Course
I ate my Tuna with Noodles and my applesauce pak.
When we got back to the huts,
I finished off the last of my MRE's with the
BBQ Pork & Rice and my mixed fruit pouch.
Tonight we hit the rack earlier because
we wake up an hour earlier.
Oh, I remember the dream now…
I was lost and walking around in
the dark with my cammies on,
carrying all my gear.
I kept asking people where my street was.
Finally someone showed me. And all I remember is that
when I walked up to my house it was completely
dark except for one light in my bedroom window.
Tomorrow is the real test.
