Personal Statement : My Dream Of Becoming A Marine

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

This book puts emphasis on the transformation of an American citizen into a marine and the importance of sustaining the change. It is imperative because our war fighting ability depends on a lasting transformation not only during the time of the individual’s Marine Corps career but also when he or she returns to their civilian communities.

Ideal- The Marines Embody more of my personal views and ideals then the other branches of the armed services.

My Mother and Father relocated from Costa Rica to New York City where they met got married and where I was born. When I was just two years old, always wanting the best for us, my father moved our family from New York City to Jacksonville, FL in search of a better paying job and the American dream so he could provide us with a better quality of life. To ensure we were always clothed and feed, my father sacrificed everything for us and worked long hours to do so. Though I did have a pronounced, safe and active upbringing the North Florida school system didn’t expect much from the Hispanics that were starting to move to the then small town; unfortunately since my parents worked so much they expected the school system

I would like to share with you some of my experiences. I joined the military in 1996, after high school and I went directly to Marine boot camp. There I learned some of my most important personal values such as pride, perseverance, team work, and attention to detail. Marine Corps boot camp is an experience like no other I have had in the world and one I am immensely proud to have. I rose in the ranks quickly, I started as

"I, Clayton Lewia Miles Dickenson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” I did it; I passed my Armed Services Vocational Battery text (ASVAB) and made it past Military Entrance Processing (MEPS). I am one step away from being an official solider, now all I have to do is make it past basic training.

The moment I strolled into the Marine Corps recruiting office was the first time I experienced conformity without any reluctance. Which turned out to be absolutely shocking since I spent my teen years doing the opposite of what was expected from me. I understood by joining the military, I would need to conform my expectations and beliefs in order to successfully enter and exit the Corps.

“It was 1961 in, Jacksonville ,Florida when I first enlisted in the marines at the age of 20. I then served four years and was discharged in 1964. Prior to enlisting into the Marines I had to prep myself mentally and physically. For six months I had to whip myself in shape. In the marine corps, you must pass a physical fitness test every six months. A perfect score of 300 is usually achieved by doing twenty dead-hang pull-ups, 100 crunches in twenty seconds and a three-mile run in twenty-eight minutes. Now that threw me for loop, but my general told me you don’t have to be perfect to enlist, but to

A Veteran Woman On December 7, 2000, I raised my right hand pledging to serve and protect the American people. At the age of 20, I had entered a 240 year-old organization, not really knowing what to expect from it. I was scared, excited, and ready for the new challenges joining this Armed Forces organization would bring. My basic training was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. This old country girl from Mississippi had to get on an airplane for the first time. My adrenaline was pumping so fast that I felt my heart could easily jump out my chest at any time. Despite all the insecure reservations I had and the negative comments I received from family and friends back home, I made it through basic training and spent a long, vigorous, and uplifting

The interview was conducted to confirm there no withheld or falsified information in the contracts. The swear in was in and out and over quickly. The last six of us rose our right hands and repeated the oath of enlistment. This day was the longest day i've experienced. My life was opened, dissected, and put on paper. A very small amount of paper at that. Although this was very tedious, it was necessary. The military needs exceptional citizens who are willing to hold down during stressful times. People need to be inspected thoroughly to safe-guard from any potential threats. Most people don’t know much about the military and would do good to learn a bit. If they took the time, they may be interested in joining or even just have more respect and admiration for those who

I sat down with a former Grunt Sergeant, Jake Stone, on a calm, sunny, Saturday November morning, to ask about his experience in the Marine Corps. Mr. Stone is a rather frail looking man in a wheelchair that you can tell used to be a powerful man despite his age which is approaching late seventies. I learned a lot from him. For example, Mr. Stone was a training officer during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in California teaching hand to hand combat, bayonets, pistols, rifles, hand grenades, flamethrowers, just a wide assortment of deadly weapons. He led ninety men in a strike team that was prepared to be deployed at any time. They were to be ready to pack up and leave in an hour.

Those quick strokes of light in the night sky represent opportunities—blink and they’re forever gone into the abyss. Some fly by in the peripherals without fanfare, others lock on and demand time. Looking back, the Marine Corps was one of the brightest and most challenging opportunities I have had. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the experience.

My military service reshaped who I am. My training stripped away any sense of entitlement and I learned more about myself in four months than I’d ever known before. It not only gave me discipline and taught me to perform under pressure, but everything I did wasn’t just for me anymore. I was working hard for the marines next to me in my platoon. The time came when each of us hit a breaking point physically or mentally.

Day two and forward we woke up at 4 am with yelling and screaming that we had 15 minutes to shower, shave and get in line for physical training and breakfast. Everything was 15 to 20 minutes including eating; you learn to eat real quickly. Training was tough but as the weeks went on it got easier. Then around week 4 we had to swim, I was never a strong swimmer so I was nervous but I made it through. Around week five it seemed they got a little easier and then explained that the toughness was to help us rely on each other and build the necessary teamwork within us all.

In the world we live in today, experiences shape and mold a person. Our unique passions, our different cultures, and our individual experiences create a beautiful and distinct story that is purely our own. For me, this experience has been the constant presence of the United States Coast Guard in my life. My father has been serving in the Coast Guard for twenty years, and because of this experience, I will never be able to answer the seemingly simple question “Where are you from?”. However, I feel so grateful for this lifelong experience, for it has taught me to be patient and open minded, responsible, adaptive, and excited for change and has deepened my love for travel and adventure.