Quantico Letter III

Week 8 is down, two more to go. OO-rah!

This last week was what my high school football coach called a "hum-dinger". 

Monday we had the Combat Fitness Test which is a series of long distance sprints with ammo can carries, fireman carries and a grenade toss. Most of us got pretty close to a perfect score. We stepped that afternoon with our packs (not too bad, about 70 lbs) out into the tree line. We bivouacked at our normal spot and turned in early for the evening, about 1730. Revellie sounded at 0300 for our 9mi hike. It was tough, it was uncomfortable, but it wasn't a death march. Unfortunately we had a candidate drop out in the 9th mile. He will have to face a review board next week. I think he'll get through, but I can't imagine it's very fun for him. 

Our hike wrapped up around 0700. Despite my usually bullet-proof feet I had some pretty tender spots, but there wasn't any time for boohooing. We rolled right into squad exercises. A combat seasoned corporal took us out into the woods.He gave us an Op-Order and we had an hour to plan the mission, create a terrain model, brief the order and prepare gear. I was the squad leader and had a pretty good time with it. In the middle of the order, right as I was tasking my 3rd fire-team I stopped to think. "Holy cr*p, I'm giving an Op Order like the movies." We had a whole map set up with roads, hills, green army men and I was standing over it with a stick pointing out our plan. I didn't expect to get so much training in presentation skills like this, but it seems that Op Orders are about all we do here (after PT of course). By 0815 we departed for our objective which was a 1-2 man team of Abu-Nadal Iraqi insurgents that were operating harassing attacks on coalition supply lines....in the middle of rural Virginia. After a few hundred meters the insurgent, who was dressed conspicuously as a US Marine Lance Corporal, let out on us with a burst of blanks. We answered with a confused flurry of fire, ran past the objective and declared victory. We got good reviews, but our tactics need work. 

The rest of the day was dedicated to preparing for the Small Leadership Evaluation II (SULEII). SULE II is 9mile course in the vicinity of OCS. Along the route are stations with an instructor. At each station a new candidate acts as squad leader.  The instructor gives you a mission, the squad leader briefs the order and leads the squad. They usually consist of 500 yard patrols with a frontal assualt at the end. You might need to evacuate a casualty or carry resupply ammo, but they are usually pretty straight forward. At the end you recieve a grade and run to the next station. After prep time we turned to religious services. The Chappy came out into the field and made an altar out of ammo cans. He was tactical down to his camouflage cassock. Just before we started somebody suggest that we stack our rifles before praying....sounded like a pretty reasonable idea. 

Wednesday morning we woke at 0330. We put our packs on the road, ate an MRE and passed out ammo (blanks). It was freezing. My squad formed up and jogged out to our first objective on the East side of OCS. We had a slight delay in starting so we took up defensive positions in the woods. When we started the first whispers of pink were on the horizon. Our first mission went well, then we had about a 4mi run along Iwo Jima trail to the other side of OCS. I was the navigator/ point man of the group (meaning I had the map compass etc and guided the way as the squad leader issued orders). It was a pretty cool experience.

We arrived at our next station which was at the bottom of DaNang hill. All of the trails and hills here are named after famous battles like Belleau Wood, Tarawa, Chosin etc. It is a motivating reminder of what we are here to do. Da Nang, named after the Marines first landing in Vietnam, is the most fearsome hill at OCS. It is where the weak fall out of runs and hikes. It starts in the woods and winds up for about a .5 of mile to tall grass covered plateau. We patrolled along the road and took contact towards the top of the hill. We assaulted, neutralized the enemy (shocker!) and consolidated our position, still under the "military crest".

When we got the order, the squad formed up in a column and moved for the top of the hill. I gained the summit just after sunrise so that the Sun was directly in front of me. The rays were intense and warmed my body, still cold and wet from the morning frost I laid in for defensive positions. The top of DaNang glowed as the sun reflected off the amber and brown shades of fall. There was nothing cooler than wading through the tall grass on a crisp day, at the head of the squad, weapon at the alert, straight into the rising run. 

The rest of the day was filled with missions, orders and plenty of beautiful terrain, but nothing like the DaNang assualt. We finished about 8 hours later.

The coming week should be pretty fun. Training is about to turn full fledged towards mentoring, team building and developing esprit de corps. We'll have more classes like the NCO panel of this last week. 3 Sergeants and a Corporal hosted an open question session where they gave us frank advice as soon-to-be Lieutenants. I will be Company Executive Officer from Thursday through Sunday so I'll oversee things like the log race, platoon photos, ID cards etc. 

Overall OCS is going very well. At this point I am going to go drink a bunch of protein shakes!

Quantico Letter II

Hello all!

7 weeks down and 3 to go! D minus 20! I am doing great. Vital signs: 91.9 GPA (4^th in platoon), weight 200lbs (was able to stop dramatic weight loss from first few weeks), no probation or review boards, and no serious injuries. 5^th Platoon is down to 34 of an original 55 Candidates.

Training is changing. This is where OCS really begins to distinguish itself from the recruit training that occurs in San Diego and Paris Island. In this phase of training the Drill-Instructors have begun to back off and let Candidates run training. This is to evaluate their leadership potential and see how self-motivated we are. If you can’t handle your leadership billets or start slacking off too much, you go home. That being said, it isn’t getting easier. With greater freedom come much higher expectations. The physical challenges are increasing in duration and intensity.

The real physical challenge of the first few weeks was the sheer amount of running, marching, and PT combined with sleep deprivation. Any one workout wasn’t unbearable, it’s just that the constant onslaught of physical activity never ended. They don’t technically use “incentive training” (punitive push-ups/ running) here at OCS like they do at the recruit depots. However, if drill looked sloppy  discipline and motivation were often to be “found” at the far end of the parade deck.Funny. Now we get a little more sleep (5-7 hours a night), we don’t have to go searching too much for motivation, but PT and hikes are much tougher. The expectations are growing. Most of our PT now is done in boots and utes (i.e. boots, cammie pants and a t-shirt), and we generally run with rifle and an ammunition vest.  Last Saturday we did a 2.5 mi obstacle course in this get-up.

On Monday we had the “Muscular Endurance Course” (this was done slick, i.e. running shoes and short shorts). I haven’t had sweat sting my eyes this bad that I can remember. It was a series of callisthenic exercises separated by about ¼ runs. I ended up getting in a sprint battle with our Platoon Commander, Capt. Lasley on the parade deck. He is a pretty good role model, especially because he does PT with us. Anyway, I managed to beat him on almost all of the 50 yard dashes.

That evening we went into the field for something called the “Night Infiltration Course”.  It was squad level exercise where we practiced moving a squad through the woods under darkness to assault an “enemy” position. It wasn’t physically demanding, but required a helluva lot of concentration to keep the team together. Every now and then they would detonate and ear splitting “artie” simulation round, or a massive flare. We have a pretty strong squad (12 of us) and a really solid fire team (my group of 4). Everybody pretty much knows what’s going on so we were successful.

On Tuesday we had pugil-stick battles. We got suited up in a football helmet, flak jacket and had simulated bayonet fights with a padded stick. My platoon won the competition. In my first fight I beat the living day lights out of my opponent with the butt-stock of my weapon. No strategy, I just proceeded to thump him in the most expeditious manner possible. My "kill shot" was an unobstructed strong-side haymaker to the side of the head. The drill-instructors and officers got a big kick out of it. On my second fight I was beating so bad on my opponent that his own drill instructors were harassing him: “hey Duval, why you getting your *#@% beat!”.  It wasn’t really much of a fight. I just walked up to him and started thrashing him Senator Sumner style with the butt-stock.  The instructors don’t like to call the fight early though so they let it run on. My opponent managed to graze my face mask in between blows. They called it in his favor (in part to keep the platoon competition even) but rest-assured he didn’t walk away with his pride intact. My platoon-mates were laughing when I stepped out of the ring.

The rest of the week was pretty routine. We had lots of class. On Friday We had a squad run. We didn’t call cadence for some reason which ruined my day.

As we head into the home stretch I am really looking forward to the personal development aspect – to actually becoming a Marine. To be honest some of the time here I am just putting one foot in front of the next. I’m certainly in a good way, but it’s hard to keep super motivated for 18 hours a day for 10 weeks straight. The long slow grind is not always conducive to that feeling. At some point you go a little numb. That’s why I look forward to those squad runs etc. to replenish that moto.

In any case I want to finish strong. The next few weeks could just be the tail end of going through the motions, or could really be a special experience. I want to make ‘em count. I want to feel like I’m becoming a Marine. The good news is that the final few weeks are really designed to facilitate this transition. It is filled with wooded exercises, drill competitions, battalion runs, field meets etc. It will still be physically demanding, but it’s the sort of stuff that is pretty exciting.

The weather has gotten much warmer. The end of October and beginning of November were pretty fierce. Before they authorized cold weather gear it was miserable at times. I can tell you with absolutely certainty that an M16 will turn the same temperature as the outside air in about 15 minutes. Temperature and conduction – science can be a real pain sometimes. That means when it’s 30 degrees outside and you have bare hands, it’s like picking up a block of ice. However, as I said, the weather has pleasantly moderated. We haven’t even needed our windbreakers – not to mention gloves and beanies – most of the time. To be honest, we couldn’t ask for better weather. Food continues to be mediocre, but I am not wasting away anymore (ranch dressing is a helluva weight gainer supplement).  

Thank you for all of your letters. It is pretty cool to get something nearly every night at mail call. 

Not too much else to report. Please excuse any grammar errors, I had to punch this thing out pretty quick. 

Quantico Letter I

Hello all,

I have officially passed the half way mark in OCS and it's going great. I am healthy, motivated and getting very good marks on our graded events. We have 5 weeks left of training before graduation on Dec. 10. Vital signs: physcial fitness test 300/300, weight 194.5 down from 206.6, overall OCS GPA 94/100.

An Old Place

Brown Field (aka OCS), is a small batallion post in the forest outside of Washington DC. Alongside the Potomac, it is a small black-top toe hold in a sprawling forest and network of hills. The forest is dense. The autum leaves make a soft carpet, cushioning and quieting your steps on field manuevers. The tree line is so dense it makes land navigation difficult. If you don't find a cumbersome fallen tree in your way, you'll be wrestling with saplings at every step. Sunset here is more beautiful than the sunrise. For some reason the color of the sky is more vibrant and dramatic. Maybe it goes better with the color of the woods to the West, than the blue of the river to the East. Maybe it's that mornings here are literally freezing and all we have is an unreliably waterproof windbreaker (they did just authorize cotton knit gloves, which are nice but don't do much for the wind). At any rate, the sunset here over the forest is a pleasure that the drill-instructors cannot take away from me.

One of my favorite things to do here is go for squad runs. About 15 of us will get into a column of twos with an instructor at the front setting the pace. We take narrow clay roads up throuh the woods, to the top of some steep hills and around a few ponds. We, of course, call cadence on the runs, and the strength of our voices determines the speed of our run. The louder we are, the slower we go. Well, you all know how I love to hoot and holler. I usually call most of the cadence and we go pretty pretty slow.

On our 5 mi individual run (32:39) I had some alone time out there and that's when the beauty of this place really hit me. Quantico Virginia is, in of Paul Simon's "Graceland", in the cradle of the civil war. This place looks like a scene from the movie "Glory". A few steps off the path and the woods here are the same way the colonists found them. As I go out into town I see plaques and signs dedicated to battles and engagements of the civil war. Going along I realize this is an old place. Virginia celebrated is quadrennial in 2007 and one can really feel the history. The sheer weight of the forest, it's unconquerable thickness, reminds you that it has been here long before you and will continue long after you are gone. Then you begin to realize the same thing about OCS. We are OCC-205. 204 classes have come before us. Brown Field proper is a pretty spartan place. This isn't West Point. The dominating features are rusted wharehouses and black top.  But, this place has history too. There is a relic tank from WWII with it's gun pointed straight down the avenue of approach to the chow hall.In a classic Marine Corps way, Brown Field tersely understates the importance and magnitude of the OCS experience. It's pretty cool knowing you are part of something big, part of history, part of a tradition. 

Ruff 'n Tuff

There are two Ruff's at OCS. The first is Sgt. Major Jason Ruff. He is the commanding officer's right hand man. On our initial physcial fitness it was about 40F and raining. He was heard berating a candidate: "STOP shivering! It's a loss of military bearing!". The second Ruff has to do with the program. It's pretty rough and tough. I weighed myself after 4 weeks and found that I lost 12 lbs! We are getting a little more sleep now, particularly on liberty, but it is not uncommon to get 2-4 hours of sleep sometimes. I hit the rack usually at 9 and start my day about 3am, even though official revellie isn't until 0500.

We started out with 55 people. We are now down to 38 and we still have more to go. We had 9 people quit, 1 was dismissed by a performance board and the rest were ruled not physically qualified. The number of "Drop on Request" (i.e. quitter's) has been unusually high in my platoon. I think it means that the people left over are stronger and more motivated, which will lead to a more cohesive stronger platoon.

While challenging, I am well within my capabilities. The thing that really gets me is sleep. No matter what I can always put one foot in front of the other. Mission accomplishment is never at risk, but it can be fairly unpleasant to be dizzy, disoriented etc all day long. Falling asleep while standing up is tough. I haven't hit the deck yet, I usually wake up in time to step forward and catch myself.

Seriously though, if it wasn't tough it wouldn't be the Marines. I am just fine.

Grades, marks, and reviews.

Something you might not have expected about OCS is that there are lots of official grading. Fortunately I am doing quite well. I am ranked 2/15 in my squad and recieved a 96% on my commander's evaluation (98% was the top score). My combined GPA is 94/100 which puts me at 4th in the platoon. The guys ahead of me were prior-enlisted so they are pretty locked-on. The grades are really only important on the lower end. They are used to determine whether or not someone should be retained or sent home. Nonetheless, those of us at the top are getting compettive. We want to do the best we can. Maybe we really are becoming Marines. At any rate, the top scores do get one thing - they get awards and will be superior officers in the graduation formation.

A Good Platoon

I really like my platoon-mates. Most of us are a bit older and had to wait a long time to get here. Selection for OCS has gotten much more competitive so you really need to fight to get in. As a result there are fewer guys who slip in. I am making good friends and am very impressed. Out of 38 candidates we had 8 people with perfect physical fitness tests and more who had perfect run times. Bottom line: lot of "motivators" as they call 'em in the Corps.

Sunset Parade

The other night we marched from the chow hall about .75 of a mile to the barracks for "Transition Training" which is basically the drill instructors time with us in the squad bays. The senior instructor GySgt. Gonzalez had us, and instead of heading back inside, he turned us around at the barracks for more drill. He then ordered us to "go quiet" - we usually shout out the drill sequences as we do them. We then marched around the parade deck for 40 minutes. We were the only platoon out there so the usually chaotic noisy parade deck was silent. The only sounds were the cadence, boots and slap of the rifile as we executed manual arms. It was then that I began to understand drill. Drill, like yoga or distance running or Thai-Chi, has it's own zen-like feeling. When it is exexuted corretcly there is a feeling of slef-control and discipline like no other. At sunset on a cool fall evening against the brick barracks and tall forest, it really makes you feel like you're becoming a Marine.

In summary I am doing just fine, and in small ways enjoying my experience. Thank you to all the folks who have written letters. If you want to drop me a line the best way to do so is the USPS. My address is below.