Countdown to Graduation

We got another letter from Michael, but before I recap details, let me just ask all those of you out there who believe in prayer to remember Michael and his platoon in these last two weeks. They are undoubtedly well trained but may also be fatigued. Some may even be injured, but they aren't about to tell anyone if they can help it. At this point, they want to graduate with their platoon! An injury could mean they are "recycled" (pulled out to heal and then put back into another platoon--full of guys they don't know). As you can imagine, this is their worst fear.

There are also several critical tests that they MUST pass in the next 10 days or so, or they do not graduate: The final Physical Fitness Test, the final Drill, the final written test, and several others before the culminating test of Marine boot camp--the Crucible. The Crucible is a 54-hour grueling round of war games, night marches, very little sleep, very little to eat, barriers to cross, all the while under simulated fire. So, like I said, if you're a praying person--please send up a prayer for all of them. Those who are still left in the platoon have worked incredibly hard to make it this far. I can hardly wait to scream my head off for all of them on graduation day.

Now, a few highlights from what had to be one of the craziest letters from Michael so far. I swear I hardly recognize him! In this 5-page letter (yes, five pages! Don't worry--this is the Reader's Digest version), he goes into great detail to describe "Basic Warrior Training," which is a week of field training:

"The least I can say about it is that it was dirty! We slept in sea huts in sleeping bags, elbow to elbow with other recruits (80, to be exact). After a day of land navigation [they had to find their way around with a compass], we had nighttime navigation. Both were really fun--the nitty gritty of boot camp I've been waiting for. But the real fun was yet to be had. The next morning we jumped into low and high crawls and more sand in more places I didn't know existed. Did I mention it rained all night the night before? Yeah, to start the course we had to take an ice bath...with sand...everywhere! It was great!

"Then the next day, we had what was called the combat endurance course--3.5 miles or more high and low crawling under barbed wire, through more icy sandy pools. Not to mention if you submerge your weapon, you're going back to the beginning. So after what seemed like 3 or so hours, we emerged from the beaten paths, basically trained warriors, ready for more.

"Soaking wet, boots to head, covered with mud, we went back home and had the first meal in the chow hall we'd had in what seemed like a week--after we showered, of course. And that was yesterday. Yesterday was Saturday. Saturday is BURGERS! (and fries, with chili and cheese, and chocolate milk! ) I LOVE it.

"But not as much as I love the fact that all we have left is this week (which is finalizing financial stuff and getting our ORDERS--WORD!) and our practical applications test, written test, personal fitness test (all three are next week) and Final Drill--the day we leave for the Crucible. Can you tell I'm stoked? Stoked to get out of here!

Oh I forgot! I did pretty well on the A-line (rifle range). [Here he goes into some detail about how he did on this part. I think this was where they had to shoot at moving targets from varying distances. If he performed well enough on this, it could move him from "sharpshooter" to "expert."]

"In any case, I'm really excited to be DONE with this...this...there really is no other word for it other than Hell. Basic Warrior Training was the last big obstacle before the Crucible, and as far as I'm concerned I'm basically done (save for the Crucible, of course.)"

For the entire next page, he rages about the "mothers of America" who have made things too soft for the recruits by babying their children (I'm not sure which mothers he is referring to here, but I'm going to let it slide for now!!) He goes on about how "dumbed down" recruit training is as a result. (Who IS this kid??) I'm not kidding--this part goes on for 2 pages!

He ends up with a few details about coming home and signs off --

"Love from Hell, Recruit (soon to be Marine!) Johnson"