The Crucible Prayer

At 2 AM Tuesday, my recruit and the Platoon, will embark on their 54 hour Crucible. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's 54 hours of one meal a day, no sleep (about 2 hours a day) and lots of running,doing drills, working as a team to make it through what one would call HELL on earth.

Please take a minute out of your busy day and just lift each and every one of these recruits up to the Lord. Keep them of sound mind, body and spirit. That their one meal a day fill them up like they had just eaten at home. And the few hours of sleep they get, make it feel to them like they have slept for 10 hours. When they feel like they can't go on, guide them with the power that only you can give them. When the DI is yelling in one ear, I know that all you have to do is whisper in the other to take them to a better place. Give them the light that only you can give them. Send them your strongest Angels to protect them from any evil. Lord, you are the Alpha and the Omega, You know our recruits better then we do. Protect them! The families and friends that are waiting to hear that their loved ones are safe, give them the peace that only you can give. A-men

Training information

Connecting with other Families
(Note: When signing up for any chat or message board account, always sign up for a "Global" account. That way you can easily navigate between the different boards. Also, do NOT use yours OR your future Marines' last names in your screen name.)

Parris Island Yuku Family Message Boards:

Don't attempt to send your child/husband/wife/significant other to Parris Island without ever visiting this site!
This can be your lifeline through the bootcamp experience!

Then, when they've graduated from Boot Camp, move on to:

USMC Family and Friends Message Board

Help with Graduation Expenses

For Families who need financial help to go to graduation:

Some interesting articles online:

The Rite of Passage

Parade Magazine Article

Surviving Marine Corps Basic Training

List of Tasks Needed to Graduate

PARRIS ISLAND 101
By Renee Rohrey

Renee Rohrey, a Marine Mom, an MCFSC member, and a high school teacher, spent four days as part of a group of 88 Educators at Parris Island , South Carolina. Thank you Renee for taking the time to share your experience with us!

Going to boot camp generally is not a pleasant thought. However, my boot camp experience at Parris Island left me with a very positive and secure feeling. Althought I certainly did not experience all that a typical Marine recruit does, I witnessed enough during my four-day educators' workshop to have nothing short of total respect for our U.S. Marines. The Marine Corps invites high school educators to Parris Island a few times each year to learn what it takes for one to be called a "United States Marine." I was very fortunate to have been asked and chosen to attend this workshop this past January. I learned so much in those four days about the Marine Corps training and I feel this was an experience of a lifetime.

At the time my son graduated from Parris Island in February of 2006, I did not understand all that he had experienced in his 13 weeks there. I mistakenly thought he had learned all he needed at boot camp, when in fact most skills are refined after they leave boot camp. Their time at Parris Island gives them the discipline and strength to successfully continue their training beyond boot camp.

Recruit training begins with the recruits arriving by bus in the dark standing on yellow footprints looking at the top of a building which reads, "Through these portals pass prospects for America's finest fighting force." We were treated as real recruits on these yellow footprints. Here is where we learned these "portals" or doors are called "hatches." For me to be able to experience this was very personal. As I stood on the footprints, I tried to envision what went through my son's head when he first arrived. We went through the hatches and saw the phones that are used to make that 10-second phone call home, and again I could remember so clearly getting that call at work and how I felt when my son hung up so quickly without me being able to say a word. We walked next through the "barber shop" which led to a room with cubicles where all civilian clothing is taken from each recruit. From there, we learned how the IST (Initial Strength Test) determines what path each recruit will take.

Once we left this area and arrived at the ISMT Building, I began to smile--it is here where recruits learn to use the M-16's--and this is fun! We also were allowed to shoot live fire on the firing range. For someone like me who has never used a gun, this was quite an experience. All 88 of us attempted to emulate the recruits marching away from the firing range listening to our drill instructor's commands. Everyone would agree that a video of educators marching in sequence would definitely be suited for "America's Funniest Videos." In other words, we were terrible! I know now why my son said they practiced and practiced their drills and marches all the time. It is hard.

One of the highlights of our workshop was eating lunch with the recruits. One Wednesday, we ate from a box lunch outside under a pavilion with a platoon. The platoon was in the middle of "grass week," which is the prequalification week for the firing range. Our lunch boxes were filled with more than the recruits' boxes were and we were secretly passing them extra cookies and candy and fruit. Some recruits would not take our offers, while others quickly ate the cookies and candy before their DI's could catch them. Shall I mention this was not a picnic as it was only about 28 degrees outside? One of the recruits I talked with was from Florida and he couldn't understand why I was cold--I was from Ohio! The next day we ate at the chow hall with the recruits--thankfully, because it was raining most of that day. The Marines had gathered recruits who were originally from our Charleston and Louisville districts. The recruits didn't totally understand at first why they were pulled from their platoons to eat with a bunch of educators, but my recruit told me how nice it was because it was the first time he had been able to talk while eating a meal. However, he was extremely self conscious, never turning his head and keeping perfectly straight while conversing with me.

Luckily the rain slowed enough that we were able to be on the sidelines of one of the "Crucible" events. As I watches these recruits crawl through the wet, cold sand across trenches, over walls and under barbed wire, I knew I was truly watching "America's finest fighting force." To watch them struggle and problem solve, while listening to the loud, repeating sound of gunfire, reinforced how and why we as Americans do have the greatest military in the world. Recruits definitely earn their eagle, globe and anchor pin after completing this 54-hour "Crucible."

We knew we really were not recruits when we were taken to dinner. In addition to a wonderful seafood restaurant, they treated us to the officers' clubs at both Parris Island and the Beaufort Marine Air Station. Besides enjoying a fabulous meal at the airbase, we had a blast throwing empty beer bottles at a brick wall with the likeness of three terrorists painted on it. Inside this officers' club, we saw pieces of planes and equipment which were brought back from war. Along with the fun, we knew this is a serious place, which represents their motto, "The noise you hear is the sound of freedom."

We also visited some late-night establishments with our Marine officers and drill instructors. When I commented to one of the officers about my lack of sleep, he jokingly said we only need two hours of sleep. I've thought about that a number of times because my son has called from both Iraq and Africa with talk of little sleep. However, I find comfort in knowing that if the care and treatment we were given that week is any indication as to how the Marine Corps takes care of its own, then all of our Marine sons and daughters are well cared for. In addition, the bonding that we 88 educators developed over the short four-day time period gave me a glimpse of the powerful bond our Marines develop after their 13-week training at Parris Island, a bond which they carry during their entire lifetime--"Once a Marine, Always a Marine."

The week concluded with us rising early to attend the graduation ceremonies. Our emotions were evident on our last morning as all 88 of us watched these young Marines in the flag raising ceremony as the Marine band played our National Anthem. We all realized that little time had passed since most of them had been in our classrooms as squirrelly students and so for us to see their transformation was amazing. We listened to the General tell us he was not patronizing us when he told us how important the Marine Corps valued high school educators and what impact we have had on our students. I couldn't help but think how we, as Marine parents, had influenced them so much more. As educators we realize the sacrifices our Marines make in the defense of freedom. As parents, we live it.

WHEN A LOVED ONE BECOMES A MARINE

By Diane Allen, MCFSC

For eighteen years I have been the proud mother of a Marine. Little did I know nineteen years ago when my son was still a senior in high school, our family would be so personally affected by his choice to become a Marine.

The journey of pride, fear, joy, sadness and smiling on the outside and crying on the inside started the day the recruiter showed up in our living room. We were proud we had raised this strong wonderful young man who was ready to take on the responsibility of protecting our country, afraid because we had heard so many awful stories about boot camp, drill instructors, wars, and most of all knowing he wouldn’t be close so we could protect him.

Sadness showed up the day we took him to the airport to catch that life changing flight to Paris Island. I kept thinking we are not finished getting him ready for life. That was the first day I was smiling on the outside and crying on the inside. Proud of his choice to become a Marine and fearful he might not make it--and even more fearful if he did. Then came loneliness, we missed him.

We always felt anxious because of lack of information. It doesn’t matter if you are a parent, spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, child, or friend of a Marine, all of us face many of the same challenges. Married couples, divorced couples, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, sister, brother, and children all have unique challenges when they love a Marine. I believe these challenges all stem from lack of information, lack of acknowledgement and from fear.

The most challenging problem that has faced our family has been when my son has been deployed to an area of the world where his safety is threatened. There are times when it is very difficult. Fear begins to rule your thinking. You can't sleep nights, you might have panic attacks and you feel like you are about to come out of your skin. Every time the news comes on or the newspaper arrives you are glued to the spot. If the news is good and the troops are ok then your life seems to settle down. If the news is bad then the waiting game begins. Fear sets in… The women in the family deal with this fear different than the men, but it is the same fear.

So many times I was smiling on the outside and keeping what I was really feeling to myself. I found it very difficult to talk to people and explain what I was feeling if they didn’t have a family member in the military. If you want to get me riled up inside just say “don’t worry he will be ok” or tell me some story about you missing your kid who is away at college was like me missing my kid who was in Iraq. “I wanted to say how dare you tell me not to worry” or “hello are there bombs hidden at that college” I now realize these feelings were signs. Signs that I needed help. The stress of too much smiling on the outside and keeping what I was really feeling to myself was creating a very unhappy unhealthy life for our family and me.

My first clue that fear is beginning to rule my thinking is the inability to sleep and the obsession with the news or sometimes I am just angry, angry about everything. This is time to find someone to talk to. You need a support system. Just someone you can talk where you can get those feelings and frustrations out. Talking doesn’t change things but it takes some of the pressure off. Everyone says live one day at a time. I think that is a good idea but I couldn’t do it carrying week’s worth of emotional baggage.

Creating a support network is the first step in helping yourself. The MCFSC is the perfect place to go to find a listener and to acquire information. I know for a fact they can’t make the fears and frustrations go away, but by talking and sharing you will discover a room full of people walking down the same path as you. Sometimes thier past experiences can help guide you. Also you will find you are not the only person feeling anxious and upset. I have found when those emotions are expressed I have less anxiety and fewer sleepless nights. Packing boxes and doing something physical helps relieve the stress. We can’t protect them but we can support them. If you don’t get relief by talking to your support team and getting busy helping then it is time to seek professional help.

It doesn’t matter if your family member has just enlisted or has been in for years like my son, we all have moments when we need information and help. I would like to invite everyone to participate in our chats. Sometimes you will be there for yourself, other times you will be present to help someone through a difficult time. Be sure to check the newsletter for dates and times where you can share your experiences. “Once a Marine always a Marine.” I believe “Once you are a family member or friend of a Marine you will always be able to support a family member or friend of a Marine”.

Biography: