Life Away From Home

There is a reason that boot camp is so emotionally and physically draining. The deployed life of a Marine is difficult. While they have the shortest average length of deployment in the military, they have the highest average number of deployments per career. They spend 80% of their deployment time somewhere away from the states, or working 16-18 hour days in support of operations stateside. Marines are also constantly traveling and moving throughout the three divisions, which are Camp Lejeune, NC, Camp Pendleton, and Okinawa, Japan.

#TheStruggle

The 12 week training camp is not an easy road at all. However, most people who enlist are able to make it through, about 85%. The usual reasons for not making it through and graduating on time is due to injuries during boot camp. Along from the grueling physical exertion of energy that the recruits have to go through, they are also cut off from all forms of communication with others, aside from sending letters. They are not allowed to have phone calls, emails, or even see their families until the day prior to graduation. The aspiring-to-be marines are also held to a single title - "recruit." They are called nothing else throughout the boot camp, and must earn the title of Marine.