Drinking from the Fire Hose

(RETRO POSTED - 01 Nov 2008)

It has been a while since I have seen some of you. My prayer is that you are all well and God’s grace is being seen by you everyday. I am writing this email to allow you the opportunity to join me on my adventure of being a Marine Officer. You all have played a significant role in my life whether you know it or not. I plan on sending out an email periodically about my experiences. My intent is that you are able to continue to play a role in my life through prayer. Additionally, I just want to keep you informed of my endeavors. If you feel so inclined, I would love to hear about your lives as well. Ultimately, we were not intended to journey through life isolated from each other. The creation of Eve is a strong testament to that.

So where am I presently? I am training at The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia. This training school is something that is unique to the Marine Corps. After completing Officer Candidate School, the Officers in all the other services are sent to Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training schools. The Marine Corps instead sends all of its officers to TBS for 26 weeks of training (6 months). This allows them to indoctrinate all of their officers in the operational and organizational doctrines of the Marine Corps. This creates a more educated, disciplined, and professional Officer Corps.

What am I doing? Everyday is game day here. There is a certain process to learning here. First we are given formal instruction (classroom lectures). This is reinforced by informal instruction (small discussion groups, tactical decision games, mentoring from the instructors). This all culminates in practical application (field exercises, sand table exercises, land navigation, rifle ranges, land navigation courses). I have only been training for one week and so we are mostly being given formal instruction. This means lots of hours everyday in class (about 8 hours/day). Additionally, our physical fitness is of great importance and thus a couple hours per day are devoted to running us ragged. This is done in combat like attire (Cammies, Boots, Helmets, Flak Jackets). I haven’t run in tennis shoes since I’ve been here. My evenings are consumed by studying. There is a lot of information thrown at us everyday. It is like trying to drink from a fire hose. The staff here demands mastery from us in everything we learn. Thus, the exams are all comprehensive and an 80% must be achieved on every exam and scored event in order to avoid being marginal or failing. There is a Captain put in charge of each training platoon. They are called the Staff Platoon Commander (SPC) and they are responsible for our training and mentoring. They are the person with the last word on whether we will actually lead Marines or not.

How am I doing? I am doing well. My SPC is a tough but fair person. He loves to run and he expects a lot from us. I will have a one on one interview with him by the end of the week. I am looking forward to the training and the rest of my service. I don’t get a lot of quiet time to spend with God. Pray that I find creative ways to do so.

What is the purpose of all of this? Being an Officer of Marines is a big responsibility. We must have a strong sense of the great responsibility of our office; the resources we expend in war are human lives. Therefore, I must not be lacking in discipline. I must always be trying to know myself and seek self-improvement. I do this for the young Marines that I will lead…most likely in harm’s way. It is not to further my own achievements or to become a General or a hero or highly decorated officer. It is to lead those young Marines and give them a sense of purpose, ethics, and courage. I intend on helping them become better warriors, better fathers, better husbands, and better men of integrity. It is truly a passion. I am humbled by the fact I get to lead the best of America’s youth. The end result is that Christ uses me to get into the hearts of these young brave men.

I hope this hasn’t been too long. I understand we all have few free moments in our lives. Thanks for how you have been a part of my life.

Drinking from the Hose,

J