Your son will acquire discipline through “MCMAP,” and he will learn the intimacies of his “piece” during “Grass Week” before he takes his “ruck” into the last challenge called the “Crucible.” Upon completing the 54-hour Crucible, an “EGA” will be placed in the palm of his hand, symbolizing his transformation from a recruit into a Marine. By this time, he should know his “MOS.” If he’s anything like my son, he’ll be crazy-proud of his newly earned title, plus his status as a “grunt,” rather than a “POG” after completing “ITB.” (Editor’s Note: For the uninitiated — myself included — Laura provides a translation in the online version of this article.)
Online-Only Extra: Laura’s Translation
Imagine your son has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. As a “poolee,” he goes to basic training to become a recruit, then a Marine. He gets off the bus with the other poolees at the training depot’s front door, where pairs of painted yellow feet are on the pavement. Each poolee stands on a set of feet, taking orders about where to go next. He’s rushed into a room to get his head shaved, and for the next 70+ days, he endures physical training and the much-hated incentive training. Drill Instructors use this to instill discipline and build mental and physical strength. “Quarter decking” means his Drill Instructor will order him into the sandpit. There he will endure fast-paced exercises that elevate his heart rate, fatigue his muscles and wear him out mentally and physically. Your son and the other recruits in his platoon will have their entire sleeping quarters turned upside down with all the beds stripped of sheets and mattresses and piled in the middle of the room, along with the contents of everyone’s footlockers. After the recruits get the room put back together, they’ll be on their knees scrubbing the barracks’ floor until it shines.
He will acquire discipline through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, earning his tan belt. He will learn everything about his M16A2 rifle, plus the fundamentals of Marine Corps marksmanship during the sixth week of recruit training. He’ll take his backpack loaded with gear into the final basic training challenge called the “Crucible.” Every recruit must complete this to become a Marine, and it’s considered the defining experience of basic training. More than 45 miles of weighted hiking will test him physically, mentally and morally with the added stress of food and sleep deprivation. Upon completion of the 54-hour event, the eagle, globe and anchor (emblem of the Marine Corps) will be placed in his hand, symbolizing his transformation from a recruit into a Marine. By that time, he should know the military occupational specialty or job he will have for the remainder of his enlistment. After spending nine additional weeks at the Infantry Training Battalion, my Marine takes pride in his status as an infantry “grunt” (not an officer). He is proud that he is not a “POG” (a person other than a grunt).
There’s a lot to learn as the parent of a Marine. The Corps is his world, and whenever we talk, he uses many acronyms and unfamiliar terms. I’m not too self-conscious to ask him what he means because I’m his mom. But if we were chatting in a group of other Marines, I wouldn’t want to reveal my ignorance by asking questions and embarrassing myself. This concept has immediate crossover to our industry.
