Summary: Grand Old Woman Of The Marine Corps

Grand Old Woman of the Marine Corps “One, two, three, chug!” the drill instructors howled at the group of female, Marine Corps recruits lined up on the quarter deck. Each recruit, unable to give a sample for urinalysis that morning, took another swig of warm tap water from their issued canteen; three canteens down, however many to go. I stood frozen in the position of attention by my rack. I was grateful not to be standing on the quarterdeck with them this time. “One, two, three, chug!” I watched in disbelief, as the pale faced recruit closest to me vomited discreetly into her canteen. She was obviously too terrified to soil the “sacred” quarterdeck, and ignite even more yelling from the drill instructors. “One, two, three, chug!” A drill instructor shouted, now just inches from her face. Revolted, I watched as she lifted her putrid canteen to her wincing face… and drank. This was the moment I realized being ten years older than the vast majority of recruits had placed me in a much different mental and emotional state.
I began my military enlistment process at the cut off age of 28. I asked my recruiter why they only sought out younger men and women. He told me, “The military prefers impressionable, physically fit, and unattached recruits. Older people are challenged by the physical requirements, have a difficult time …show more content…
Recruits at boot camp were terrified to question anything, and I was the only recruit to voice concern when feminine hygiene products were unavailable to female Marines. At the schoolhouse, my platoon got soaked in an ice storm marching one morning, and I fought for us to be able to return to the barracks and change into dry clothes, rather than freeze all day in the blasting air conditioning. Now, stationed at Miramar, I’ve been nicknamed “Crew Mom” by my coworkers for always speaking up on their