Transformation

Last week I went over the fitness procedures that are required upon joining the United States Marine Corps. Herezwhatwegonnado. This week I will be researching and sharing with all of ya'll what goes on when you have completed the fitness tests and are enlisted in boot camp. The first thing that you do is contact a recruiter. They will share all the necessary information that will be needed to get to boot camp. You will have a date set and pack. Then you'll be shipped off to begin your boot camp experience. You'll get off the plane and your 12 week experience will begin. Week 3 will send you right into the action with bayonet practices. Week 4 will be pugil sticks, where you will have to face a live human being in combat for the first time. Week 5 will be MCMAP, or Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Week 6 will be rappelling, 7 will be rifle safety, week 8 is firing week, 9 is confidence course, week 10 is simulation of actual combat, week 11 is 54 straight hours of demanding physical exertion, and finally, week 12 is the emblem ceremony. As you can see, the 12 week transformation into a Marine is a difficult and demanding process but with it comes a lot of self pride and respect.

Preparation for Enlistment

After research on the internet, I found a lot of interesting information about preparation for enlistment. The first thing you have to do before you can begin training is the Initial Strength Test, or IST. This is a strength test that consists of pull ups, crunches, and a timed run. The minimum amount of pull ups that you have to do is 2. You can prepare for this by regularly doing pull ups a couple of months prior to the test date. The minimum amount of crunches that you must complete is 44 in a span of two minutes. However, you can stop and rest any time throughout the two minutes, so you have a chance to catch your breath. There is a 1.5 mile run which must be completed in 13:30. The female requirements for these tests are a little less then those of males. Women must do a hanging arm flex from a bar with their elbows at 90 degree angles for 12 seconds, the amount of crunches is the same, and they have 15 minutes to complete the run. In my opinion, these tests are a little easy for the amount of physical demand there will be.

Requirements

The branch of military that I am most interested in exploring and finding out information is the Marines.  The first thing that popped into my head when thinking about this was if there were any requirements to enlist, such as age, physical fitness levels, and health. The minimum age requirement to enlist is 17 years of age, and the maximum age is 35 years. However, if you are 17 years old, you will need a parents consent because you are still a minor. For citizenship, you have to either be a United States citizen OR have been legally admitted into the country for permanent residence and posses immigration and naturalization documents. You must be able to pass a medical exam and be in good physical condition. I believe that this is a very important factor that people should be aware of because the military is very physically demanding. You must also have a high school education and pass an aptitude test.

The Military

The protectors of our country. The men and women who risk their lives every day to protect the lives of others and their home, the United States of America. These people who are truely American icons. When people imagine the military, they imagine foot soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy getting ready for an attack. However, there are three different branches in the military, and within the branches there are many different sub-branches. The three main branches are the Army, Navy, and the Airforce. The United States Army is the main ground-force of the United States. Within the Army, there are sub-fields like the Green Berets and Army Rangers. The Navy's main sub-branches are The Marines and the Coastguard. The Airforce deals with the aerial aspect of warfare. As you can see, the military is a very diverse and complex system for protecting our country.