Still Sinking In

Motivation

"When a warrior fights not for himself, but for his brothers, when his most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor his own life's preservation, but to spend his substance for them, his comrades, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then his heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that he transcends himself and his actions touch the sublime."

- Excerpt from Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

My Path

When I last left you the Marine Corps had just turned 237 years old, I was the Platoon Sergeant, and we had just finished FEX II. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Thankfully, I was able to spend some time with friends and family over the holiday and my travels were safe. As soon as we returned from leave, it was back into the field. We went straight into FEX III as though we had never left. We conducted more platoon level operations such as Platoon in the Defense, Platoon Day Attacks, Platoon Night Attacks, and Movement to Contact. As are most FEXs, FEX III drained each of us. There was little time for sleep and we were constantly operating. 6th Platoon struggled with some of the day and night attacks and the movement to contact, but our platoon defense was done extremely well. Regardless of how good or bad we performed, what I took away from FEX III was something a Sergeant shared with the platoon. "Good decisions are made with experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions." Sometimes you have to do something wrong in order to figure out how to do it correctly.

Last week, as I had alluded to in my last post, Echo Company conducted MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain). This was a four day exercise that took place in MOUT Town and the UTC (Urban Training Center), where we learned about the three dimensional threats present in urban operations. Topics that were covered ranged from IED Indicator recognition to room/building clearing and urban patrolling to COC (Combat Operations Center) Coordination. We conducted squad and platoon level attacks, as well as squad level defenses. As was warned, urban operations is extremely daunting. While operating you are constantly moving and looking around, trying your best to avoid making yourself an easy, soft target. You may not have as much weight as when humping a pack, but the mental stress exponentially increases the physical stresses you encounter. At the end of MOUT we returned to R-15 to conduct the Platoon Fire and Maneuver Live Fire Exercise we had to reschedule from FEX III. It was an awesome experience seeing the effects of live rounds in front of you and your Marines, providing you the cover by fire needed to maneuver, close with and destroy the enemy. I was not given any rounds to fire as I held a Squad Leader billet for the range, but it was still a great learning experience as I had to fight and drive my squad into the proper positions. All-in-all, you couldn't ask for a better week of training.

Being that Echo Co is winding down in the POI, we have had the privilege of listening to a couple amazing guest speakers. We were first visited by the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps SgtMaj Barrett. He addressed many of the concerns he and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have pertaining to issues within the Corps. Many of which we have had for decades, not just as a Corps, but as a Country. He conveyed to us the responsibilities we will have and the expectations our Marines and the American People hold for us and Marine Corps Officers. He gave a couple platitudes such as, "There's never a wrong time to do the right thing" and "It's not about what you know, but what you do." But what really resounded for me, and I believe for many of the Marines who were present, was when he said, "Every single Marine deserves to be in a good unit led morally, ethically, and professionally." I believe this statement clearly defines what is expected of us as Marine Corps Officers.

The second guest speaker we had the pleasure of listening to was LtGen Christmas. LtGen Christmas came in to speak to us about urban operations. He was the Company Commander or Hotel Co during the Vietnam War and led his company through the Battle of Hue City and received the Navy Cross for actions of "extraordinary heroism." Earlier in the week in which LtGen Christmas spoke to us, we had worked on a Tactical Decision Game (TDG) to help us understand the difficulties of urban operations. TDGs are not always about coming to the right answer, but more about learning how to make decisions in a timely manner when given minimal information. Little did we know the TDG we had completed earlier in the week as a scenario LtGen Christmas had faced during the Battle of Hue City. He shared his story of Hue City and also told us what he believed was expected of us as Marine Officers: confidence, candidness, courage, compassion, commitment, and consistency. Between the General and the Sergeant Major, there isn't much more a student at TBS could ask for in regards to speakers on leadership. These men have been there and done things others could never imagine and have learned hard lessons from decisions they have made. But, fortunately, they are still here today to share with us what they have learned so that we do not repeat their mistakes and we can be more successful leaders.

I want to close this post with what its title pertains to. I'm not sure if I will be able to express my feelings on the subject very well as I am still trying to figure out what exactly I am feeling, but I will do my best to articulate them here. Maybe in a few months I will be better able to share my thoughts, or maybe a few years. Regardless, this is where I stand now.

Between the weeks of FEX III and MOUT the students of TBS Class 5-12 received their MOSs. Keep in mind that Echo Co consists of about 280 students, 45% of which are aviation contracts and about seven Marines have law contracts. That leaves about 120 students that are ground contracts. To my knowledge, that is a low number of ground contracts for any TBS class. The great part about this fact was that no one received an MOS outside of their top seven of twenty-two (for males) and seventeen (for females, I believe) MOS preferences. With that being said, I received the MOS of 0302, Infantry Officer (technically 0301, Basically Trained Infantry Officer, until I graduate from the Infantry Officer Course, or IOC). What I find interesting about this situation was that our class originally received thirty-three infantry slots, was bumped up to fifty-one, and on the night of MOS selection was slated sixty-one Infantry Officers. Much of this, I believe, is due to the high attrition rate of IOC (about 50% per class). The Marine Corps is making an effort to reduce the attrition rate by not only sending more lieutenants through the course, but by sending those who really want to be there. We received word about a month ago that those who had infantry as their number one preference were exempt from the 1/3 rule of how officers are placed into their MOS (each third broken down into another third, receiving X number of slots per MOS, in efforts to fill each MOS with a wide variety of officers). This isn't to say that those who received an 0302 designation did not earn their spot. Each SPC was asked, "Can he make it?" It came down to the word of each SPC and their judgement of each lieutenant. I'm extremely honored to have the backing of Captain Yurkovich and Major Warfield, that they have the confidence that I will succeed at IOC.

The reason it's all still sinking in for me is due to the circumstances that led up to this moment. The day that I decided to pursue a career in the Marine Corps, almost three years ago, before I ever contacted an OSO to begin the screening process, I wanted to be in the infantry. As I have shared before, when I hear the word "Marine," the image of a grunt under fighting load fills my mind. That is not to say that a Marine is only an infantryman, but simply that that is what I think envision. It's what I have wanted from the start and there have been so many changes to my route to where I am now that, I believe, have allowed me opportunity to accomplish my goal. I may not have mentioned this before, but I was originally supposed to check in with Charlie Co, class 3-12, in February. Charlie Co had substantially fewer infantry slots for their class, and I was pushed into Echo Co in order to allow Marines approaching ineligibility to attend TBS. Next came the increase in infantry slots for Echo Co. But even then, had the 1/3 rule still been in play for my class, I may not have received infantry, regardless of my performance, due to my lineal standing. With all the twists and turns along my path, I believe that I was ment to be in this position. I'm one step closer to having my goal come to fruition. I haven't gotten there yet as I still have to succeed at IOC, and there is not a single doubt in my mind that I will not only succeed, but excel. My brain is still trying to wrap itself around how I got here and what it means for my future. I'm truly blessed to have the opportunity to do what I love and serve my country in the way I think I will be best suited, and I will never take that for granted.

Semper Fidelis

WODs

It's been difficult to get WODs in regularly with the training schedule. Most PT has consisted of basic weight lifting, olympic lifts, runs, hikes, and body weight exercises. Hopefully I will be able to get back into a regular routine in the next couple of months.

My Billet and the Ball

Motivation

A response from John Glenn when asked by Howard Metzenbaum, "How can you run for Senate when you never held a job?"

Quoted by GySgt. Wallgreen

My Path

There's been a lot going on, as usual. This last week we finished up FEX II. FEX II consists of a week long evolution in the field were we conduct platoon size operations in the offense and defense. It gave us a small glimpse of what we can expect to do as provisional rifle platoon commanders. It ranged from a platoon attacking a squad, a platoon attacking a platoon (during the day and during the night), and a platoon defending against a platoon. In my opinion, it's been one of the best FEXs we've had so far. It was cold, it was long, and it brought the platoon together as a cohesive unit. We attempted to finish the FEX with a live fire range, but unfortunately some pyrotechniques set the range on fire during rehearsals. Regardless, we spent a lot of time working together and will have the opportunity to make up the live fire range at the end of MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain).

The last week I have held the billet of Platoon Sergeant. Basically I'm responsible for carrying out the plan of the day, ensuring that my platoon is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there, and maintaining accountability of gear and personnel. It was a rough transition of the billet holders as we received our billets as we rolled directly into FEX II, but it should get smoothed out throughout the next week and a half in garrison. This is my first garrison billet and the first real opportunity for the platoon to make an accurate assessment of who I am as a leader, which will be reflected in my peer evaluations. It's pretty exciting for me and couldn't be happier with having this billet.

Yesterday was the 237th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. As a tradition, we hold a Birthday Ceremony and, for most units, a Birthday Ball. TBS held a ball for the entire training command and students. It was a pretty motivating experience. I estimated more than 2000 in attendance. The speaker, Capt. Jack Hoban, gave an amazing speech about warrior ethos and the ethical warrior. While some may not agree with everything he said, I would say that it made me proud to be fighting for our country. I hope that Americans see our service men and women the way that Capt. Hoban described us and the direction in which our armed forces are heading. The ball was another opportunity for our platoon to come together as a unit, both during and after. There aren't a lot of opportunities built into the POI for unit interaction beyond the squad level and our schedule makes it difficult to make time outside of it. 6th Platoon is definitely growing closer and will hopefully be the most study platoon in our company by graduation.

2012 Marine Corps Birthday Message: "For Honor, For Country"

WODs

Max Outs on Lifts (All PRs in the last couple of weeks)

Bench Press: 280#

Back Squat: 335#

Deadlift: 425#

Successes and Failures

Motivation

"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others and their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people...

...When it comes time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."

- Tecumseh

As featured in Act of Valor

My Path

So it's been a long while since I've posted anything here. I apologize for my absence, but things have been high tempo the last few weeks. With this tempo has come some highs and lows in my experience at TBS. I left off back in September after we had completed the Night Land Nav PracApp and the Initial E-Course run. Land Nav had gone well for me, but the E-Course wasn't so good. Since then we have spent a lot of time in the field for Field Exercise (FEX) I and Patrol FEX, and have been tested on the Final E-Course and several written tests.

I've performed well on each written test, almost maxed the E-Course, and conducted a patrol exercise as the Patrol Leader (PL) above average to the standards expected of lieutenants at this stage of our training. All these accomplishments would fall under my highs/successes, but there are several lows/failures I've experienced throughout the same period. During FEX I (squad level attacks) and Patrol FEX we conducted more Land Navigation PracApps. What I thought was one of my strengths turned out to be one of my weaknesses. I failed both PracApps during the FEXs and one remedial event. Much of it was due to poor time management and overconfidence in terrain association. I've been learning a lot of things the hard way. One of which proper nutrition in the field. On the hike back to our barracks from FEX I I fell out as a heat casualty. The hike was only 4 miles and should have been easy, but throughout the FEX I failed to eat enough and utilize electrolyte tablets in my water sources. I fixed myself for a similar hike back from Patrol FEX and felt like I still had some fuel in the tank when we dropped our packs at the barracks.

While my failures have felt like setbacks, I have to constantly remind myself that they are simply wakeup calls. If you let the failures keep you down and in a negative mindset, you're setting yourself up to fail the next time. The hole is only as deep as you dig it, keep it shallow. If you take care of yourself and those around you, everything will fall into place. I've been trying to keep this mindset lately, especially with things that aren't under my control. The most recent event that I can relate to this is the passing of my grandfather, Edward Beatty.

I never intended for this blog to get very personal, but this is something I think would be beneficial to those pursuing a career in the military or anyone who finds themselves in the a situation where they lose a loved one and cannot be there for their family while they deal with the difficult time. My grandfather was an extraordinary man who was accomplished in so many areas and touched so many people's lives. I didn't know him as well as I had hoped, but that's just another thing out of my control. All that matters to me is that I was able to spend some time with him in the last year of his life and it meant the world to me. You can read more about him in his obituary, which my mom wrote for him. I'm proud to be his grandson and I hope that everything I'm doing makes him proud. The hardest part of this experience, which I'm sure would be for anyone in a similar situation, is the inability to be there to support my family. While I want to be there for my family, I keep telling myself that the best thing I can do is to continue kicking ass here and giving my all in everything I do. I guess this is some new motivation for everything I'm doing here.

Edward Eugene Beatty

July 5, 1928 - October 7, 2012

Do not mourn the life that has been taken, celebrate the life that has been lived.

WOD

20121011

TBS Endurance Course

1:00:47 (47 Seconds Shy of Maxing)

20121013

Obstacle Course Practice

Prep for Final Double O-Course this Week

I'll post more workouts as I get back into a garrison routine.

A Humbling Week

Motivation

"The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it."

- Marcus Aurelius

My Path

I can't take credit for the title of this post. This was a phrase said by many students throughout the week. I don't believe there is a statement that can more accurately describe last week. The two main events of the week, the E-Course and Night Land Navigation, were both on Tuesday, which made for an extremely long day. It was nice to have a three day weekend with the Labor Day holiday, but I think it led many Marines to rest become complacent. And anyone who has been in or around the Marines Corps has heard the phrase, "Complacency kills." I cannot speak for other students, but this is the assumption I am making from what I heard. Many spent the weekend with friends and family and not worrying about what they ate or their personal PT. The week prior was stressful due exams and a large volume of information being thrown our way. This is to be expected when you're told that the six months of TBS is the equivalent to three college semesters, but it is no reason to take a break. While taking some time off may have been the downfall of many Marines, I don't believe it was mine.

Over the holiday I spent time reading and PTing, just as I had stated in my last post I anticipated on doing. But perhaps I trained a little too hard. It has been a while since I have trained at high volume, which is what I was used to before reporting to TBS. While it was good training leading into TBS, when you're schedule does not allow you to continue your previous training habits you have to ease yourself back into it as you ramp up the volume. This is definitely something I need to learn how to do. Thankfully I have a couple training partners here that keep me in check. But I cannot and will not make the excuse that I pushed myself too hard in the days leading up to the E-Course, which led to my failing score. Only a mile into the five miles of running and negotiating obstacles under a, what I would consider, light combat load I mentally gave up on myself. I succumbed to fatigue in my legs and stress on my respiratory system. This wasn't the first time I had run the E-Course, granted I hadn't run it with a Plate Carrier before, but I knew I was physically strong enough to accomplish the task. I failed myself in not being mentally tough that day.

Other factors that may have attributed to our company performing poorly on the E-Course may have been the heat and humidity. We received a good amount of rain over the long weekend and Tuesday was a clear day, rising into the high 80's by mid morning. The thick vegetation surrounding the course is not conducive to air circulation either. This most likely caused the two heat casualties in our company during the event, one of which was a Lt from my platoon who went down about twenty meters from the finish about 56 minutes into the course. This event tired the entire company out for the rest of the day, but we still had to conduct our Land Navigation Practical Application that evening. It was still muggy in the tree line when we stepped off from our first checkpoint at 2030. Not only did the dense canopy hold in the humidity, but it also blocked any ambient light from the moon. I don't know how many times I fell over or walked into a tree. I managed to slip down a hill for about 30 meters, stopping myself just before falling into a river. The good news was that the river indicated that I had made it to the other side of the training area. Now I just had to determine which direction my checkpoint was along the river, hoping it was the correct coordinate.

Thankfully I passed the Night Land Navigation PracApp without too much of a problem. What wasn't fun was making up for all the walking I did on the E-Course by having about twenty minutes to make it out of the training area and back to the classroom to have my card graded. It was about a mile and a half to get back, but I made it with just a couple minutes to spare. But that wasn't the end of our night. We didn't secure until about 0200 the next training day. Due to the long day and casualties sustained during both of the previous day's events, our Company Commander made the decision to cancel the morning Combat Conditioning. We were briefed on the events of the E-Course and how we were only the second company to run it with Plate Carriers. The results proved that the new equipment was hindering students and actually being a detriment to training, therefore we will be running the E-Course with the more breathable Load Bearing Vests. I'm glad that we are training smarter than at OCS. It was explained to us that it is because they are no longer "screening" us, but actually training us.

Just when I began talking about having been successful in so many physical events, sure enough, I fall on my face. Quite literally a couple times during the E-Course and Night Land Nav. I guess that we all need a lesson in being humble from time to time. Now, bear with me on this one, but I think it's a good quote even if it's from Batman Begins. "And why do we fall...? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

WODs

20120902

Application Train Run

2 Miles Out - 13:32

2 Miles Back - 13:25

20120903

"Tabata Something Else"

8 Rounds of 20 Seconds of Max Effort, 10 Seconds Rest per Exercise

Pullups - 18/17/16/9/6/7/8/7 = 88 Reps

Pushups - 24/25/15/12/11/9/11/11 = 118 Reps

Situps - 15/14/13/13/12/12/12/12 = 103 Reps

Squats - 20/20/19/19/18/19/19/19 = 153 Reps

Total Reps - 462

20120904

TBS Endurance Course

1:22:20 (Failing)

Passing Range 1:00:00 - 1:20:00

20120908

Weighted Pullups

5 Reps @ 44#, 3 @ 79#, 10 @ 44#, 1 @ 100#, 5 @ 44#

Clean & Split Jerk Work

3 @ 95#, 3 @ 135#, 1 @ 185#, 1 @ 195#, 2 Failed Attempts @ 205#

5 Rounds for Time - 2:51

3 Thrusters @ 135# (From the Ground)

5 Ring Dips

20120910

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 1 (65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5 or More)

Deadlift: 225#, 295#, 335# (5 Reps)

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 1 (65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5 or More)
Bench Press: 165#, 195#, 215# (10 Reps)

Tabata Body Weight Deadlift & Burpees (Alternating Exercises)
Deadlift @ 175# (Rounded Up) - 10/10/9/10/7/7/7/11
Burpees - 9/9/9/8/8/8/8/8

Land Nav, Double O, End of Phase I

Motivation

"The general who wins battles makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand."

- Sun Tzu

My Path

It's only been about a month and a half of training and we're done with Phase I. It's kind of crazy to think about. Quarter of the way through! Time has been flying, to be honest. I don't know if it's from having a blast, getting to know new people, or just always being busy. Just a short recap of what we've done: MCMAP, Rifle and Pistol Qual, Endurance Course, Double Obstacle Course, Land Navigation, Classes that run the gamete from USMC Organization and Customs and Courtesies to Law of War/Rules of Engagement and Tactical Fundamentals. Phase I is meant to teach and build the individual skills and organizational understandings an Officer must have in order to be competent, but a very bare-bones competency. Just like anywhere else in the Marine Corps, TBS adheres to the crawl-walk-run training mentality. While I have no doubt that the majority of the Marines here could perform well with a quicker training regiment, the tempo allows the student to become confident as they become more competent in each skill.

This last week we were introduced to Land Navigation and the Double Obstacle Course. I've run the O-Course before, only at OCS, but never back to back. I'll go into that later in the WODs section. I was also introduced to Land Nav at OCS, but not like this. At OCS we started at a point, typically an ammo can on a stick, given an azimuth for direction, and a distance which we converted to a pace count. Pace count wasn't a big deal as long as you could walk in a straight line because the points were on opposite sides of the training area. At TBS we were actually given a map. This made it much easier for me as I was able to hone my skills in terrain association. It's a pretty cool feeling being able to look at a map and have a good idea where you are based on elevation and terrain features. I hope I can perform just as well during the night course this coming week and in final Land Nav, which is in a training area about six times larger than this week.

So far my plan of coming into TBS at the peak of my physical condition has paid off. My thought was that if I came in physically prepared it would be one less thing to worry about when I was here and I could utilize my time to focus on studies and mentally preparing for billet responsibilities. I can say it's worked so far as I have been able to max each of the graded/evaluated physical events so far, but that's not to say that everything has come easily because that has not been the case whatsoever. I don't say this to boast as I am very grateful for my abilities, especially after sustaining a pretty serious injury a couple months prior to reporting, and I hope that my performance is able to motivate others in my platoon. I know I'm in a competitive environment, but I honestly want everyone here to do well and I'm here to give whatever assistance I can to whoever wants it. I know I'll need help in certain areas and hope there will be someone there willing to assist me.

This weekend has been kind of dead as far as activities. With the extra day of Labor Day most of the Marines have gone home or are out visiting friends. Many made a trip back to the Naval Academy. I opted to stay here in hopes of PTing and working on belting up in MCMAP. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to train with either of our platoon's Martial Arts Instructors (MAIs), but the weekend is still young. Something tells me I'll be doing more running for PT or maybe another fartlek as the gym is closed, but it's nice to switch it up a bit. And the time to unwind and take my mind off of TBS training is nice. Maybe I'll finish On Infantry and start another book for my personal professional development reading.

I don't know what it is, whether it's the end of Phase I or maybe receiving some feedback from my peers, but I am very thankful for being here and having the opportunity of working with the staff and students. I think I'm realizing what an amazing chapter of my life I'm in currently. And all of the support I've received from my friends and family has made it that much more of a blessing. Thank you to everyone for reading my posts and following me through this awesome journey I'm embarking in. I hope that I can repay each of you in some way. It means the world to me.

WODs

20120827

Uniform: Boots and Utes

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 4 Deload (40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5)

Bench Press: 100#, 125#, 145# (Extra Set: 225# x 8 Reps)

2 Rounds for Reps (Max Effort for 1 Minute/Exercise) - 169 Reps

135# Power Clean - 15/9

20# Wallball Shots - 20/15

Pullups - 30/25

Ring Dips - 30/20

20120828

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 4 Deload (40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5)

Back Squat: 125#, 155#, 185#

Overhead Squat and Flexibility/Range of Motion Work

20120831
USMC Double-O Course - 2:38 (3:00 is Maxing)
The link above shows the TBS O-Course being run once. We would run to the end of the second O-Course on the other side of the ropes and do it all over again. Techniques to negotiate obstacles varied.

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 4 Deload (40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5)

Military Press: 60#, 80#, 95#

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 4 Deload (40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5)

Deadlift: 160#, 200#, 240#

7 Rounds for Time - 5:34
10 95# Sumo Deadlift High Pull
10 Ring Dips

20120901
(Gym Closed)
Functional Fitness Full Body Work in "Strong Man" Area 

8th & I Trip

Motivation

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

- Mahatma Gandhi

My Path

Friday night was a pretty cool experience. A Marine in my platoon spent the majority of his prior enlisted time in the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps, also known as the "Commandant's Own," playing the soprano bugle. His prior service provided our platoon with the opportunity to see the second to last performance of the Evening Parade at Marine Corps Barracks 8th & I. The platoon dressed up in our Dress Blue "D" uniforms and made our way to Washington, D.C. for the parade.

I have see the Marine Corps Band, also known as the "President's Own," along with the Silent Drill Platoon twice at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial for the sunset parade twice. This is a very cool experience with the monument and nation's capital in the background, but there was a stronger historical presence at 8th and I. We sat on the south end of the parade deck, directly across from the Commandant's house. Like I said, the Iwo Jima memorial is cool as a background, but not as cool as the oldest building in our nation's capital. The sun had already set before the parade began, providing a near pitch black entrance for the 8th & I Battalion.

The history that was shared by the Marines of the 8th & I Barracks was interesting to hear and gave me a new appreciation for the landmark. We heard stories from the Revolutionary War, to the different Generals' houses, to the six Body Bearers that that are members of Bravo Company. All of the information was reiterated by the different performances throughout the parade. At one point the Marine Corps Band put down their instruments and sang. The night was closed with the playing of taps by a soprano bugler from the roof of the barracks. It was a pretty moving performance.

At the end I had the privilege of meeting a few Marines that participated in the parade, such as the Drum and Bugle Corps Drum Major. I was also introduced to the Arlington Cemetery Funeral Director, whom the Marine in my platoon worked with closely during his enlisted service. The evening was amazing and a great opportunity to be exposed to a great tradition in the Marine Corps. I'm thankful to have had the pleasure of witnessing one of the last performances of the summer. It's something I won't forget.

WOD

20120825

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 3 (75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1 or More)

Deadlift: 295#, 335#, 375# (5 Reps)

3 Rounds for Time - 8:41
 5 Reps 135# Push-Press
5 Strict Pullups
 4 Reps 135# Push-Press
4 Strict Pullups

 3 Reps 135# Push-Press
3 Strict Pullups

 2 Reps 135# Push-Press
2 Strict Pullups

 1 Reps 135# Push-Press
1 Strict Pullups

Camp Barrett Fartlek Run - 16:27
Total Distance Ran: 1.5 Miles
Every 1-2 Minutes I would stop to perform an Exercise
15 Strict Pullups
15 Dips
15 Air Squats
15 Pushups
15 Situps
15 Tire Jumps (18")
15 Burpees
15 Mountain Climbers (Per Leg)
15 Hanging Leg Raises

A Year as a Marine

Motivation

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Six Secrets to Success

1) Trust in Yourself

2) Break the Rules

3) Don't be Afraid to Fail

4) Don't Listen to the Naysayers

5) Work Your Ass Off

6) Give Something Back

My Path

I'm a day off due to some personal commitments and work around here, but yesterday marked my first complete year as a Marine Officer. I spent most of it waiting to begin my career, but everything happens for a reason. Had I started sooner I wouldn't have met the great Marines I have so far, I wouldn't have been around for my family during difficult times, and I wouldn't be the same person with the same experiences. I'm grateful to be in the position I'm in today and look forward to where I will be a year from now. For those who aren't familiar, which I wasn't until recently, Marine Officers are promoted to 1st Lt after exactly two years of active duty. What brought this fact to my attention was what I witnessed during Range Week.

At the tail end of Range Week four 2nd Lts received promotions to 1st Lt. I wasn't sure, at first, what was happening when the whole company was called to attention. I wasn't sure if something had gone wrong, which tended to happen during Range Week, and we were being spoken to by the Company Commander. But once the four Marines were called to the front and center and the Orders were read, it clicked. I would have expected the promotion ceremony to be more formal, but since we were in the field that day, it was in cammies. Typically it would be the Marine's choice of how the ceremony would be done and what attire, but as students we don't always get that luxury.

For being in for a year, I don't feel that I have done much. But people are always quick to thank me for my service. I try to remain humble and acknowledge that I haven't really done anything. I don't have any deployment experience and minimal training. After completing TBS I can say that I have been well trained, but will have more training in a specific field. I know I've taken on a responsibility, but it hasn't yet been given to me yet. Maybe in another year I can feel and say that I've actually done something, but even then I feel that I will have much more to live up to with all of the Marine Corps' history and the experience of those I will some day lead.

This week has been relatively relaxed. We ran the CFT as a platoon on Monday, made a trip to Brandy Station on Tuesday to visit the Civil War battlegrounds and play a large scale Tactical Decision Game (TDG), had classes all day Wednesday, and then had our platoon Obstacle/Endurance Course (O/E Course - 5 Mile Run in Boots and Utes with Gear Over Obstacles) Orientation. It's been nice to have a slower week after Range Week, but once you get used to the fast pace the days go by slower in garrison. My body definitely needs the rest, but I'm looking forward to Field Exercise I (FEX I). I put in a request through my Student Chain of Command to carry an auxiliary weapon, the M249 Squad Automatic Rifle (SAW). I'm hoping I don't regret the additional weight during our FEXs, but I don't think I will. It will be a good experience and provide the opportunity to learn a new weapon system and gain insight into what some junior Marines have to carry and go through with auxiliary weapons.

WOD

20120820

Platoon CFT

Movement to Contact - 2:28 (100/100)

Ammo Can Presses - 111 Reps (100/100)

Maneuver Under Fire - 2:05 w/ Grenade Hit = 2:00 (100/100)

Total Score: 300/300

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 3 (75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1 or More)

Bench Press: 185#, 205#, 235# (3 Reps)

3 Rounds for Time - 21:43
Uniform - Boots and Utes
20' Rope Ascents (3 First Round, 2 Second, 1)
Ring Pushups (30 First Round, 20 Second, 10)
Toes to Bar (30 First Round, 20 Second, 10)
1.5 Pood/53# Kettlebell Swings (30 First Round, 20 Second, 10)

20120821

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 3 (75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1 or More)

Back Squat: 235#, 265#, 295# (Failed)

Clean & Split Jerk Work
3 Reps @ 95#
3 Reps @ 135#
1 Rep @ 185#
1 Rep @ 195# (PR)

20120823
Uniform - Boots and Utes
Platoon O/E Course

Uniform - Boots and Utes

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 3 (75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1 or More)

Military Press: 115#, 130#, 150# (3 Reps)

EMOTM for 10 Minutes
3 Times
95# Snatch Pull
95# Power Snatch
Then
3 Burpees