Giving you a little background

I wanted to use this post to express the meaning of being a Marine and what it means to me. I want to share some of my experiences with you. The reason I decided to focus on the military for my blog is because that is what I feel has influence my life in the most excellent way. Before joining I just graduated high school and couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I stumble across an old friend who was an Army reserve. He explained his duties and the respect he has gained for himself after joining. After listening to his words and seeing how passionate he was about the decision he made I decided to look up some information myself. I made an appointment with a recruiter and weighed out all the pros and cons. I didn’t even consult my family when I decided to go forth with joining. I didn’t want to join just any part of the military but instead The United States Marines. I wanted to be on the forefront serving my country and make a man out of myself. It was time to let go of my childhood and embrace being an adult.

After joining and upon entering boot camp, I was hit with the harsh certainty of what molding a Marine consisting of. Numerous training's, obstacle courses, and far away enough from the civilian life a reality dawned on me. 

At first I was scared but never showed it on my face. The first week by far was the worst for me. Eventually I realized in order for me to be the man I wanted to be I have to grab the bull by the horns and ride on. I completed every training giving nothing but my all. I was the best sharp shooter in my platoon, and became to go to person for other members of my platoon who found themselves struggling. I lost 40 lbs during my time in boot camp and gained much stamina.

Upon graduating, I felt accomplished and ready to create new challenges for myself. I had the privilege of being stationed in many different countries and shaking hands with many influential people.

 Being a Marine comes with much respect and creates a lot of opportunities. Nothing comes in comparison to when I served my first deployment in Iraq. I tend to believe everyone has the same preconceived notion when it comes to battle in Iraq. Yes, it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, but the whole purpose of a Marine training in boot camp is for this exact reason. I was anxious to get this tour out of the way and see what it had in store for me. There are many events that occurred that made me humbly appreciate my life and the path I have 

chosen for myself.

I won't divulge into much detail because my main reason of this post is to have my audience see who I am and maybe give them a better understanding of the purpose for this blog. 

The passion I have for military members in every branch is insurmountable. Risking your well-being to help spread across a better cause for our country is truly the purpose of enlisting and fighting those who try to go against us. I hope my little snippet may influence someone and understand although there are many causalities of war these soldiers are never forgotten. As as we say Hoorah!

Military training

During military boot camp a soldier goes through many training exercises. Some of these exercises may be a bit extreme, but very useful in the long haul. It prepares soldiers for circumstantial situations that could arise during battle. One of these training techniques is called Taser Training. For trainees this class is not only useful in understanding how to use a taser, but also when a taser should be used as an intermediate level of force.

Another form of training that is vital is the pepper spray training. This training allows for trainees to understand the feeling of pepper spray and also be able to learn to fight against the burning sensation so they can still actively defend themselves. Although some find these videos  to be funny, it is quite serious.

Lastly trainees also go through gas chamber training, all for the same reason as the previous two training's. The gas chamber training teaches a soldier how to properly put on a mask to protect themselves. It also informs them of the chemicals used and the effects of them. It is very important that recruits pay attention to this training and listen to the rules because one wrong mistake you can be in more pain than you need to be. 

The gas chamber is a room that has a controlled concentration of CS (orto-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile) gas, more commonly known as tear gas. Tear gas is the active ingredient in Mace and used for self defense and for riot control by the police. Tear gas is an irritant; specifically, it irritates mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs, causing tearing, sneezing, coughing, etc. 

All these training techniques increases a soldiers chances to defend themselves. Although it is not the most ideal situation, you will be grateful for the experience and knowledge. You do not have the option to opt out of these training's. They are required unless you have a preexisting medical condition that can have a dangerous effect to your life.

My rifle is my bestfriend

During military training you are introduced and trained to use many different weapons. As a Marine you enter into a weapons training course where you find out all about the M-16A2 rifle. You're even required to memorize your particular rifle's serial number. You spend a considerable amount of time taking your rifle apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together. You're also required to memorize the four rules of Marine Corps rifle safety:

• Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
• Never point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
• Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
• Keep your weapon's safety on until you intend to fire.

You will also learn another weapons safety rule when you get out of basic training: Be absolutely sure of your target and what is behind it.

During Marine Corps basic training, you must never refer to your M-16 as a gun. Doing so will result in a massive tirade from your drill instructor. Marine Corps M-16s are always called your weapon or your rifle. You’ll also receive several hours of classroom instruction on proper marksmanship techniques and you get a chance to fire on the actual qualification course. If you don't pass you will be forced to stay back as your platoon graduates with out you.

Once you've passed this course, you are given your own rifle.  You are responsible for memorizing a special chant. It reads as follows:

This creed becomes ingrained in your head. You learn to live by it's meaning. This creed serves to remind soldiers the power of one's rifle as well as it's importance. Never take your rifle for granted because it can save your life. You have to understand that a rifle is just as important as the person who is holding it. You have a means to bear arms and protect yourself, that is truly the purpose of the rifle.