Marine Corps: Re-socialization of Young Men into a Warrior Society

Between 150 people, we had two horse trailers to fit on. We carried two large duffle bags, one on our back and another on our front. Our face crammed in our bags, getting screamed at by who we would shortly find out is the company’s Senior Drill Sergeant, and all you could smell is sweat, fear, and tears. When we arrived to Echo Company we were placed into platoons and shoved and pushed off of the trailer. Everyone got in a single file line and dropped their bags dress right dress. A lot of people struggled with this for some reason, between drill sergeants a little too close to you and getting screamed at for looking around some cracked under the pressure. The first three weeks of Basic Training is “Red Phase.” During Red Phase you receive death by power point everyday on anything that has ever happened in the Army, and the fundamentals of what you are expected to do over the next 9 weeks. During red phase your Drill sergeants work 20 hours of the day. They hate Red Phase just as much as you do. They tell you when to wake up, utilize the latrine, eat, and put you to bed every day. This is the phase that you lean everything you need to know when it comes to talking to a noncommissioned officer and anyone else of a high ranking in the military. “White Phase” is four weeks long. This is where you are given your first shot at freedom, or what your Drill Sergeants consider freedom. You are not around a drill sergeant

No matter if you stay in for one enlistment or two, the depth of the Marine Corps is unknown so knowledge will continuously flow and it is endless. All Marines get taught the basics of being a leader in entry level training, but only a few can react to help form their trait into an elite skill only for them. In order to become the elite you have to build a "Foundation of Values" (pg.31) so that respect in all aspects will become evident between the followers and their leader(s). While setting the example it does not matter what rank you are, you still show that the standards that you hold will reflect on who you are as a person and a Marine. Each Marine chooses how their standards and ways will become beneficial not only to the Marine Corps, but to themselves also. Why do ethics make conducting a moment of decision making so hard? At some point and time every Marine will come to a point in their career or life where the grey area will be the path they choose, but will not think that it is the right way. Moral and ethic dilemmas are common more and more each day. Every Marine is taught to be the toughest both physically, and mentally.

I feel that marines of all ranks should read this book. Near the end of boot camp, I remember my Drill Instructors telling my platoon about how terrible marines sometimes acted when they were clearly taught otherwise in boot camp. I remember them telling me that they wanted to be a Drill Instructor because they wanted to make a positive and long lasting impact on people. They also told us that no matter how hard they’ve trained and honed us in the way they wanted us to be, as soon as we leave, we would still be whoever we wanted to be, it would be our choice whether or not to keep those teachings with us. And they were right, I’ve met a lot of marines that have abandoned them. This book emphasizes on the importance of keeping our transformation, not only for our Marine Corps career but also for the good of our

November 10, 1775, is revered as being the Marine Corps birthday, and its birthplace being at Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern, to establish two battalions of Continental Marines, under the command of Cpt. Samuel Nicholas, as an amphibious fighting force who would later in March of 1776, participate in their first foreign raid, in the Bahamas (www.globalsecurity.org ). After the Treaty of Paris

The reading of interest is “Anybody’s Son Will Do” by Gwynne Dyer. The author was primarily focused on the intense resocialization civilians experience during military basic training. The idea is that those who enter basic are socialized into soldiers and killers, which in return creates efficiency. Dyer argues that any man can be changed through physical and mental pressure, isolation and exhaustion, all after losing their civilian identities.

The U.S. Marine Corps. Socialize their recruits through boot camp. In boot camp Marine’s are taught to command others with higher rank and proper authority. Physical training, weapon training, and drills are the main elements of training. During boot camp the marine is taught the main purpose is to

In September, I had the opportunity to visit the Naval Academy for a “Candidate Visit Weekend.” During my two-night visit, I was paired with a current midshipman, whom I accompanied to classes, meals, and a sports practice. Personally experiencing daily life at the Academy and meeting current midshipmen has reinforced my desire to join their ranks. The most inspiring thing about the midshipmen I met was the effort that they put into succeeding. Being a part of this culture, even for two days, has shown me that I can work just a little harder, and that I can push myself just a little further. Since returning home, I have done just that in numerous ways.

Other problems that recruiter's face, when trying to attract military personnel, is advanced education, youth trends of popularity and society views. The principal activities that "compete" with military service for recent high school graduates are further schooling and civilian employment. The trade-offs among these alternatives shift substantially over time because of both fluctuations in the civilian economy and secular trends in the aspirations of youth (Sackett, 2003, p.43). With the current events in the world today and in the United States the trade-offs of not joining the military seem to have the edge causing recruiters to work harder and the government to spend more money on meeting their goals.

Go back in time, prior to hitting those yellow footprints, whether it be in San Diego or Perris Island. You are sitting on your couch and the United States Marine Corps TV commercial, America`s Few comes on. In this commercial, as Marines run towards ‘the calling’ you hear in the background rifle cracking as the silent drill team handles rifles with bayonets with extreme precision. The cracking rifle sound serves as a “call,” ‘spiritually speaking. We might think of it, and the honorable President Obama has made this very timely, as the “call to service” or the “call less heeded” instead of “the road less traveled’. ‘You can’t just answer the call, you must also prove worthy of the title before you take your place in the line of America’s Marines–the purpose for which our protagonists began the journey and, importantly, issue the call to others down the generations.’’ Throughout a Marines career, drill and ceremonies are a constant because ‘‘the object of close order drill is to teach Marines by exercise to obey orders and to do so immediately in the correct way. Close order drill is one foundation of discipline and esprit de

There are many different cultures or social groups that have a language barrier whether that is because of religion, race, or social differences. These language barriers eventually will have to be overcome so that we can all communicate with each other. Out of these social groups, comes the greatest fighting force in the World, The Marine Corps. Marines have a very unique language dialog that has been preserved for hundreds of years Unfortunately, there comes a point in time when a Marine must transition out of the Marine Corps into the “Civilian World” (as we call it). Transitioning is a very exciting time for Marines but it also is very difficult time due to the strong language community that we belong to.

The Marine Corps has a twelve week required boot camp. When the New Marines, also known as Pullies, first arrive to either Paris Island or Sand Francisco, they have one scripted phone call to allow their families to know that they made it safely. For the first two weeks the new Pullie, cannot have outside communications to family or friends. When those two weeks are up they are then aloud to send letters, but they have to earn the credits to purchase the stamps and such needed. At the end of the eleventh week the Pullies go through what is called Hell Week, where they are not allowed to sleep for two days and nights, and still much preform at maxim compasity. When they are finished with their boot camp training they are allowed to see their family for a short amount of time before they graduate. After their graduation they have a ten day leave before they have to eather be deployed or continue on to a Marine Occupations Specialty School, MOS school.

In the third and forth section, the author tries to prove how the basic training is harsher on the men from the middle class background. Most of the veterans retell Appy that their sergeant asserts absolute control of their lives (Appy 87). For many marines and soldiers the boot camps are physical demanding and psychologically manipulating. Most men enjoy the second part of the basic training, but before they know they were filled with aggression and violence ready to kill. Due to the lack of education working-class youth in the military were placed in combat positions. In contrast, soldiers from better socioeconomic backgrounds were assigned in non-combat positions. Most of the soldiers were blinded from the conflict behind the war. Most don’t understand what they were about to face in the war or background information about Vietnam.

I joined the Marine Corps looking for a challenge. I wanted to open doors for a new career and longed to have a positive impact on the world around me. Looking back five years later, I realize I found all that I originally sought, but I’ve also found something profoundly satisfying and meaningful that I never knew I was missing.

that extends far beyond the combat elements or even the individual marine. Even though the rich

After you become a Marine and get your specific job training you are sent to a duty station, which you will call home for approximately the next three to four years. Here one learns how to be a Marine in its whole entirety. He is forced to grow up at a much faster pace than his typical peer in the civilian world. While other eighteen or nineteen year olds are getting wasted, eating pizza, and attending frat parties; Marines are working from 6 A.M- 5P.M if they are lucky.