It is Jan 24, 1994, I am 19 years old and heading off to boot camp for the Navy. At the time it didn’t dawn on me that I am trying to join the Navy, the same Navy that has aircrafts, boats, that all travel over water. As my first day of boot camp commenced, the instructor tells me that in order to pass boot camp I would need to pass a fitness test and a swim test. That consist of treading water for 5 min and a 50 yard swim. Then I realized my old friend, the pool awaits me. On day three, myself and the other 59 boot camp recruits march to the pool. It was one of the days I feared and dreaded. We reached the pool and it was not as I expected, there was an Olympic size pool with a 10 meter diving board. They quickly hurried us to change
Have you ever experienced one of the hardest and most challenging things on the planet earth? Boot camp, also known as basic training, is one of the toughest programs you may go through. It requires a lot of physical and mental preparation and strength. Depending on which branch of the military you go into, there are different requirements and needs but one is just as challenging as the other. The length of boot camp is about three to four months long depending on the branch you go into. Boot camp is very mentally and physically challenging but prepares you for your duties in the United States Military.
When I first joined the North Attleboro Swim Team my freshman year of high school, I did not know what to expect. Prior to joining, I had never swam on a team before so it was a whole new experience to me. As the first week of swim started, I was apprehensive if I wanted to continue since I was not on the same caliber as my other teammates were. The practices were brutal but extremely rewarding, as I strived to prove myself and to my coaches. As my freshman season was under way, a couple of upperclassmen took
Cresting the hill, I struggled with my ragged breathing and the pain in my hips. I focused on my rhythm I in order to keep going. My running shoes slapped the pavement as onlookers expressed their encouragement with cowbells and cheers. I wondered again why I put myself into the situation by choice. As I passed mile 13 I remembered. I felt my eyes water and my legs shake as the finish line approached. Marines in uniform stood ready with medals and smiles as they encouraged us in our own hardships to rise above the pain and finish. The announcer spoke my name but I hardly heard him as a medal slipped over my head and I marveled at the weight, not of the medal, but the accomplishment which seemed impossible for the past three hours. I finished in 3 hours, 7 minutes. It was not an Olympic record and I detested running at mile two, but I did it.
Prior to September 11, 2001, I had no idea about what I wanted to do with my life. After the tragic events of September 11 and talking with several people at each branch's recruiters' stations- I decided that I would join the United States Navy. On November 14, upon arriving at Naval Station Great Lakes, I did not know what to expect. Over the next 8 weeks I was taught not only things to help me survive the Navy but life lessons to help me get through life in general. When I arrived at boot camp, I was given a complete health and dental physicals to ensure I was healthy enough to endure the stringent activities that I was going to go through. Along with my physicals, I was given shots to ensure that I would stay healthy. After shots, I was given
men Marines!” As soon as that was said four ferocious looking men wearing the most sharp pressed, clean; crisp looking BDU’s (Battle Dress Uniform) I have ever
In my four years I have accomplish many things being in Horn Lake High School Marine Corps JROTC program. They have showed and taught me things that I can take further on in life with the camps and the leadership. I have seen first had on what it’s like to be a United States Marine in boot camp. I’ve also meet the CEO/founder of FedEx. JROTC has open me up to amazing opportunities that probably would have never happen if I wasn’t in the program.
I thought completing Marine Corps boot camp was my most cherished accomplishment, completing boot camp merely stood in the shadows of my last work up for my last deployment. I was holding the Bravo Squad Leader position. At this point in my Marine Corps career I obtained three combat oriented M.O.S.’ or jobs; however, there was little to no preparation for what I got myself into.
I had no idea what I had gotten myself into when I signed that dotted line. I stared out of the bus’s window, stomach in knots afraid she would catch me looking. I decided to put my head back down into my green laundry bag and take a nap. “Maybe it would be as bad as I think it will be,” I said to myself trying to calm my nerves. I was wrong.
The insanity of Hamlet is really convincing in the third act, for the cause that he talks and acts exactly like an insane person. You may think that he is merely acting, but have you though that he may actually be insane? Joyce Meyer once said," If you don't learn to control your thoughts, you will never know how to control your behavior." This quote is a really good thought, since this is pretty much the exact behavior that Prince Hamlet is having. At first, he said that he is only going to pretend, and that at the end, once he finishes with the one goal he had in mind, he will go back to being normal.
For starters, I was embarrassed by the mental image of myself flailing around in the water and for what I perceived as making a mockery of the team I represented. Not only this, but I became livid with myself, for the hardest and fastest I was able to make my body move still was not enough to comply with my personal expectations. The vow I created on the car ride home still stands in effect to this date; to strive to my greatest potential, making the goal universal for every characteristic of my life.
Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” displays man’s ambition for wealth and status. Revolving around the main character, Macbeth, Shakespeare parades him as brave and capable warrior. Because of his excellent attributes, King Duncan him with a high title. Full of pride and glee, Macbeth and his battle, Banquo, by three witches, prophesying their future. The three witches prophecy that Macbeth will eventually become King of Scotland, whereas Banquo's descendants will be Scottish Kings themselves but he will not. Macbeth sent word to his wife, Lady Macbeth, that King Duncan was coming to their house to name him Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth had dwelled on the prophecy of him becoming king and became uncertain how it would happened. After receiving the letter from her husband, she decided that she wanted her husband to be king sooner rather than later.
The day was hot and sunny; I had been there for about 20 minutes, so I entered this lull of waiting for another lifeguard to come up in ten minutes. I suddenly noticed this young guy who had been struggling to move around in the shallow end start running towards the deep end. All of my attention was drawn to him. He jumped into the deep end so I quickly stood up to watch him and see if he was okay. Right when I stood up he began to struggle to stay afloat. “Are you okay? Do you need help?” is all I remembered yelling before I jumped in the water with clothes and all to save him. The distressed look on his face was terrifying to me so I can not imagine what the experience was like for him. When I had finally swam to him, he grabbed onto my rescue tube and an instant sign of relief came across his face. I swam the boy to the shallow end where he could touch the bottom. This one rescue showed me just how important my job was at that very moment. Each person that came to the pool was putting their life into the hands of each of the lifeguards that were responsible for watching over
It was a warm summer evening as I packed for Navy Boot Camp. I carefully went down the list of things I could take and ensured I didn’t have anything else. A little nervous I went to talk to my parents about my move to becoming my own man. I looked at their faces and could tell that although they were proud they were a little nervous about their only son leaving home for the first time. My mom tried to smile but she was proud yet nervous because I had always been her little guy so she was having a hard time letting go. After a short conversation with my parents I decided to try and rest for the long journey ahead.
I left for basic training on July 30, 2008, and arrived in Fort Leonard Wood Missouri on July 31, 2008. Before we entered into our extreme training, we processed into the Army for a whole week at reception. On the day of actual basic training, we realized our great lives changed to instructions all day, miserable feelings, separation from family, and extreme exhaustion. Although, this was our life much more horrifying things were about to happen. We finally realized all the negative feelings we were having seemed to get worse, such as receiving a shark attack from our drill sergeants, we were told
The next part of the training turned out to be the toughest. We were required to dive ten feet to the bottom of the pool and retrieve a ten pound weight. Once the weight was brought to the surface we were supposed to tread water for two minutes while keeping the weight above the water line. This appeared to be simple so I dived in, expecting an easy time. I had no trouble getting the weight to the surface and proceeded to tread water with a feeling of undoubtable success. But once again my anti-floating physical quality began to take effect. At one minute and thirty seconds I began to sink and within the next fifteen seconds my head was submerged and I was fighting for air. The water from the pool began flowing into my mouth with each desperate grasp for air; it felt as if an ocean were draining into my body. I remember hearing from under the water the instructor's muffled voice counting down the last ten seconds of the exercise. When it was all over I slowly made my way back to the pool's edge where I was informed by the two young girls that they had no difficulty