Weapons Familiarization

Motivation

"Greatness is a lot of small things done well."

- Ray Lewis

My Path

I FINALLY GOT PAID! I just wanted to put that out there. I could get used to it, but something tells me I should hold onto some of that money. Looks like I might have gotten over-paid. We'll see though. Now to pay off student loans with the USAA Career Starter Loan I'm about to receive. Much lower interest rate than my private loans. That's one thing that my SPC pushed hard in my initial interview, and a good piece of advice I would give to new Lieutenants. Get rid of the high interest debt, even if it means making a larger payment each month. You won't pay as much in the long run, and your new officer pay will allow you to make more than the monthly pay. You should be able to pay off your Career Starter in less than the five years they give you. Just make it a priority.

So today consisted of weapons handling, nomenclature, and a practical application test. I've done this each summer of OCS, so twice there, and now once at TBS. Something tells me that this is SOP for anytime that you receive a weapon for the first time at a new unit, just for safety reasons. It's nice to have a weapon back in my hands though. I didn't get to go to the range as often as I had wanted before TBS, but we will have plenty of range time before qualification next Friday. After we qualify, the next three days will be combat and night live fire exercises. Things will be a bit stressful and pressed for time the next couple of weeks. Just giving everyone a heads up that I won't be able to make many, if any, posts during that time. I anticipate that the next couple of days will be uneventful, so I plan to write about my goals in the Marine Corps in my next post. This is in response to a letter I received from one of my Fraternity Brothers. If there's anything that anyone wants to know, don't hesitate to write me an email or letter and I'll do my best to answer it here or in a personal response. But during times like these I'm running out of material. All we do is sit through classes, essentially, and then I go PT after we are secure. Please ask questions.

Thanks again to everyone for the support and views. Still blown away by how many people are taking the time to read this stuff. Let me know what you think or what you want to hear about. OORAH!

WOD

Wendler 5-3-1 Strength: Week 2 (70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3 or More)

Bench Press: 170#, 195#, 220# (7 Reps)

Weighted Cindy
20 Minute AMRAP - 28 Rounds + 5 Reps
Boots and Utes w/ 16.5# PC & Pouches
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Air Squats

A Hike and M16A4

Motivation

All good things come through effort, patience, struggle, and pain. Nothing worth having is easy to attain.

My Path

Today turned out to be much better than expected. We started with a three mile hike to set the pace standard expected throughout the POI. Our load was probably the lightest it will be the entire time we are here. I mentioned that may have concerns and that I would talk about them in this post. Most of my concerns stem from being a Heat Casualty last summer at OCS. On our graded, nine mile hike, I fell out of the event with less than a quarter mile left. When I went down I had a body temperature of 106.7 degrees fahrenheit. It wasn't until TBS, during one of our safety briefs, that I realized that I had heat stroke, based on the list of symptoms and temperatures. I was always told that I had heat exhaustion. During OCS it was just an occurrence of events that led to my heat stroke: lack of sleep, little chow, dehydration. It was a perfect storm, really. But I've learned from it and have trained in such a way to try to prevent it from happening again. But once you have a heat illness you are more susceptible to suffering from another one. I've found that it is very much a mental game you play with yourself.

After the hike we had an Armory brief. We were told what was expected of us when receiving and returning weapons. Then it was off to the Armory. We were issued an M16A4 Service Rifle, a Rifle Combat Scope (RCO), an Infrared (IR) Laser aiming device, and a Night Vision Goggle (NVG)/Monocle. Basically, if I lose any of this gear I will be using a couple pay checks in order to replace it. Doesn't sound like a good time to me. We finally got the chance to grab a shower and put on clean uniforms during chow. Then the last thing was the Phase 1 Exam 1. If I counted correctly, I should have scored a 92%. Not too shabby. Definitely room for improvement, but I'm not upset. We were secured very early today, around 1430. Not going to expect that ever again, unfortunately.

A couple of people have asked me about mailing packages to me. The address I gave in an earlier post is only good for standard mail (i.e. things that don't require a tracking number/express mail or are larger than a standard envelope). The below address can be used for anything larger:

Ross Allen

P.O. Box 207

Dumfries, VA 22026

I feel like I'm still trying to catch up on sleep for some reason. I guess this would be the week to do it as we don't have any strenuous events, really. Friday is our first time out to the range, which is where we will be for all of next week, as well. These days will start with a 0430 ODT and an unexpected arrival time to the SOQ in the evenings. It's about a three mile hike out and back. I wouldn't be expecting many posts from me throughout next week. I'll be spending most of my energy trying to qualify "Expert" on the M16A4 Rifle and M9 Pistol. Only shooting for the best badges to be on my uniform!

Bed Time....

WOD

3 Mile Hike - 49:05

USMC Field Pack & Plate Carrier ~ 65#

Update of the Last Few Days

Motivation

You can never be blamed for trying when things fall apart due to circumstances you have no control over.

My Path

It's been a long few days, to say the least. We wrapped up our MCMAP training, and I have my tan belt now. They say we know just enough to go out into town and get our asses beat. Haha! Some of the stories of Marines going out, getting into bar fights, taking their "Basic Warrior Stance" and yelling, "Marine Corps!" are hilarious. I'll wait until I get my grey or green belt before I try anything stupid. Kidding! But I do want to move up in belts while I'm here. One Marine in my platoon is a Martial Arts Instructor (MAI) and will probably hold classes for a couple hours each weekend so that we can work up to higher belts. The Martial Arts Center of Excellence (MACE) is also open during lunch for those who want to move up as well. I might head over there a few times a week, depending on our schedule.

Part of what made my week so long was being the Company Duty Officer (CDO) on Thursday night. I had to report to my post at 1900 for a brief on my duties, and then another Marine and I got to split the rest of the shift how we wanted from 2100 to 0630. The post is a glorified Fire Watch. Throughout the night we make our rounds about the SOQ and report any unusual activity. My shift was from 0130 to 0630. It made Friday extremely long as we had our Warmup, Exercise, and Flexibility (WEF) circuit. It consisted of Pugil Sticks, Body Sparing, and a Landing Zone (LZ) Drill. It wasn't too awful, just exhausting. I held my own in the Body Sparing and Pugil Sticks. The bayonet techniques we learned throughout the week really work!

Needless to say, I spent Friday night and Saturday recovering. I went to bed by 2100 Friday night and woke up around 0800 Saturday. I wanted to go to church this morning, but my body wasn't having it. I was able to get back into the gym Saturday and today though. It's nice to get back into a PT schedule. Tomorrow morning we have a three mile hike. I'm not too concerned about this hike as it's basically an introductory hike at a three mile per hour pace. I may share in my next post why hikes/humps may concern me. Some of you already know about my experience with them at OCS, but I will share with those of you who don't later. In the afternoon we have our Phase 1 Exam 1. There's a good amount of information being covered, some of which I know pretty well from OCS and some that I need to keep studying for. I studied for a couple hours this morning, then hit the gym. I'm going to study some more after posting this, get some dinner, and study some more. It's going to be an early night with a 0515 On Deck Time (ODT) and a 0700 step for the hump. The rest of the week is in preparation for "Range Week!" Excited! OORRAH!

WODs

20120727

MCMAP WEF

Pugil Sticks

Body Sparing

LZ Drils:

Squad Pushups, Buddy Side Carry, Buddy Squats, Buddy Drag, MCMAP Striking Combos, Bear Crawl, Buddy Vertical Situps, Buddy Flack Drags, Buddy Deadlifts, Crab Walks, MCMAP Knee Stricks, Broad Star Jumps, MCMAP Leg Sweeps, Squad Lunges

20120728

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

Military Press: 100#, 115#, 130# (8 Reps)
Deadlift: 255#, 295#, 335# (8 Reps)

3 Rounds for Time - 7:29
1 Muscle Up into
5 Ring Dips
10 GHD Situps
15 24" Box Jumps
20 1.5 Pood/53# Kettlebell Swings
25 Double Unders

20120729
15 Minute AMRAP - 8 Rounds 8 Reps
1 20' Rope Climb
5 Burpees
10 20# Wallball Shots

MCMAP and Sunburn

Motivation

Take achievements and failures with identical strides.

My Path

It was a welcomed change to be outside for a change. The welcome went away after about three hours though. I could feel my forehead starting to burn. Surprising I wasn't affected by the heat very much, even in full utilities and sleeves down. It was just the sun taking a toll on the skin that started to get bothersome. Of course no one utilized "forward thinking" to bring sunscreen. Although it may be a little late, having some on hand never helps. Sunscreen, along with some aloe, made it onto my shopping list for tonight. We were outside learning MCMAP techniques for at least eight hours straight today.

Today started with the "basic warrior stance," foot movements, punches, leg sweeps, and lower body strikes. Apparently, these basics will be covered each time we begin to "belt up," or increase our belt rank up through to green (the third belt). I understand the importance of being brilliant in the basics, so this doesn't both me a bit. But I wish we got into some more advanced techniques. Much of what we worked on today I had a basic understanding of from my years of Kenpo training. After lunch we got to "box" for a one minute round, body shots only. It was a pretty good way of getting some frustration out. Looking at the schedule, we won't get to do anymore hitting until Friday, which is the newly scheduled day for receiving our tan belts. This opens up our Saturday, thank God. But tomorrow has some interesting techniques scheduled: bayonet fighting, armed manipulations, unarmed restraints, and defensive skills/counters to attacks.

What's cool about the MCMAP training is how instructors conduct "tie-ins." After working each technique, everyone gathers around as the instructor goes into further depth of explaining the technique and then addressing important issues within the Corps. When talking about falls, the tie-in was about suicide. Other subjects were addressed after subsequent techniques, with some personal stories being told. Everything related back to what we can do when we have to lead Marines.

I may not be able to get a post out tomorrow as I assume the Company Duty Officer (CDO) duty right at the end of the training day. I won't be relieved until thirty minutes prior to the start of the next training day. It is a two-man post and I will have the opportunity to sleep, so that won't be a concern. I just want to use my time to perform well during our MCMAP testing. Rest is Key. I'll talk more about my SPC interview on the next post.

WOD

Punching

Kicking

Getting Punched

Getting Kicked

Throwing

Getting Thrown

Falling...A lot!

Company PT and Company Commander

Motivation

"Talent you have naturally. Skill is developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft." 

- Will Smith

My Path

There's no better way to start the day than with some Co. PT. I've been looking forward to stuff like this. It wasn't your typical PT. This was more of a training PT to give us an idea of how we could train our Marines when we become a Platoon Commander. They called it a "Combat Conditioning Skills Demo." The thought is, "You train how you fight," so we were in Boots and Utes, performing movements that one might expect to perform while in combat. It's a lot of body weight and buddy weight exercises. It wasn't too difficult, but was educational nonetheless.

The rest of the day consisted of more classes. But tomorrow we begin Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training (MCMAP). This is the fundamental combat skills taught to every Marine. By Saturday, I will earn my tan belt. Over the next four days we will learn punches, falls, bayonet fighting, armed manipulations, unarmed restraints, counters, and falls and participate in pugil sticks. It sounds like it will be a long four days, but a fun and educational four days, to say the least. I'm just looking forward to finally getting out of the classroom environment and do something hands-on.

I finished the day with some more PT. It was said by a uniform shop representative in one of our briefs last week, that all we would have time for would be "PT....And Studyin'!" This seems to be the case thus far. I'm not sure how I'm going to meet my goal of reading twelve professional development books every year with all of the reading they have been assigning us. But what can you expect with 1600 hours of training in six months. That's more than you get in your four years of college. And this is just the beginning of our careers.

WOD

Company PT

4 Minutes/Station

Station 1: 5 Squad Pushups, 5 Buddy Squats, 5 Buddy Situps

Station 2: 30 Seconds/Plank Position - Front, Left, Right

Station 3: 5 Lunges/Leg, 5 Dive Bombers, 5 Burpees

Station 4: 5 Vertical Situps, 5 Buddy Deadlift, 5 Buddy Leg Throw/Raises

Station 5: 5 Situps, 5 Back-Bridge Leg Extension, 5 Slide Side Reach

Station 6: 25m Fireman's Carry, 25m Buddy Drag, 25m Crab Walk, 25m Bear Walk

3 x Tabata (20 Seconds Max Effort + 10 Seconds Rest x 8 = 4 Minutes Total)

Pushup Tabata: 140 Reps

Air Squat Tabata: 160 Reps

Flutter Kick Tabata: 215 Reps

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

Back Squat: 200#, 230#, 265# (6 Reps)

EMOTM for 15 Minutes
3 Reps 135# Power Clean
5 Pullups


Echo Company, Company Commander Maj. Warfield

Major Warfield enlisted in the Marine Corps in November 1990. During his time as an enlisted Marine, Major Warfield was stationed in Okinawa, Marine Corps Security Force Company Banger, 2nd Marine Division and 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.  In 1997, Major Warfield was commission through the enlisted commissioning program and subsequently graduated from the Basic Officer Course in July 1998. 

In August 1998, Major Warfield reported to the 2nd Landing Support Battalion / 2nd Transportation Support Battalion for duty.  During this period, Major Warfield held the billets of Air Delivery platoon commander,  Landing Support platoon commander, operations officer-Company A, 2nd Transportation Support Battalion  and the Transportation Support Detachment Commander for MEU Service Support Group-22 for 22nd MEU deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2002) .

In November 2002, Major Warfield reported to the 7th Marine Regiment for duty as the Assistant Regimental Logistics Officer and Regimental Motor Transport platoon commander.  From January 2003-July 2003, Major Warfield deployed with 7th Marines in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Major Warfield again deployed with 7th Marines in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2004 through July 2004.  In July 2004, Major Warfield was selected to attend the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) in Quantico, VA.  After completing EWS, Major Warfield reported for duty in Frankfurt, Germany as the operations officer for Region 7 (2005/06) and subsequently as the executive officer for Region 1 (2006-08).  While assigned to this duty, Major Warfield advised the Department of State officials on the employment, training and morale of Marines assigned to the embassy Marine Security Detachments.

In 2008, Major Warfield reported for duty as the logistics officer for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.  During this period, Major Warfield coordinated logistics throughout the Western Pacific for numerous exercises and contingency missions.  In August of 2010, Major Warfield reported to the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) G4 for duty as a logistics operations officer.  During his time with III MEF, Major Warfield was the III MEF implantation officer for the new logistics management system, Global Combat Support System, and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (3rd MEB) logistics operations officer.  While with 3rd MEB, Major Warfield participated in exercise Cobra Gold and coordinated logistics in support of Operation TOMODACHI from Sendi, Japan.

In June of 2011, Major Warfield reported to The Basic School for duty as the schools logistics officer.  In June of 2012, Major Warfield assumed command of Company E.

Major Warfield is married to the former Leah Cann of Bellingham, Wa.  He is also the proud parent of 2 great kids Blue (17 yrs) and Makena (14 yrs).

Day 1 of Phase 1

Motivation

"Because I REFUSE to accept mediocrity from myself or others." - Zach Miller

My Path

Today was the official start of training. It didn't really feel like anything different from what we've experienced so far. Just more sitting through classes, twelve hours of classes to be exact. But the classes were informative and beneficial. We received a brief from the TBS Commanding Officer, Colonel Desgrosseilliers. More motivation from higher for sure. I'll include his Bio in a later post, today's will include the Bio of our Staff Platoon Commander (SPC). I was mistaken in saying in a previous post that SPC stood for "Student" Platoon Commander. Honest mistake. In all honesty, I'm feeling rather drained from the long day and having a hard time recollecting what all happened. We did have a discussion group over Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication (MCDP) 1: Warfighting. This was a bit intimidating for me as we had two Tactical Decision Games (TDGs) given to us. I've never seen done one before, but it was an eye opener. It definitely got some major points across from MCDP 1 and made me realize what's expected of us. Time to switch it on!

WOD

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

Bench Press: 160#, 185#, 215# (9 Reps)

Courtesy of Guerrilla CrossFit
"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10 fo Time - 5:35
Double-Unders
Situps


Echo Company, 6th Platoon Capt. Yurkovich

Captain Yurkovich graduated from United States Naval Academy and was commissioned in May 2007.  After commissioning, he attended Basic Officer Course 5-07 and Infantry Officer’s Course 2-08.

 In April 2008, Captain Yurkovich reported to 3d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division and served as 2d Platoon Commander, Company K until June 2009.  During that time Captain Yurkovich deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Gulistan District, Farah Province, Afghanistan. 

From June 2009 to August 2009, Captain Yurkovich served as Weapons Platoon Commander, Company K.  In August 2009, Captain Yurkovich was assigned as the Scout Sniper Platoon Commander, Headquarters and Service Company.  While serving as the Scout Sniper Platoon Commander, Captain Yurkovich deployed to Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia as a detachment commander to assist Marine Corps Training and Advisory Group with a mission rehearsal exercise for the 31st Georgian Light Infantry Battalion.

Captain Yurkovich then served as the Assistant Operations Officer for Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, from April 2010 until June 2011.  In August 2010, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed early with the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group to Pakistan to conduct humanitarian aid.  Throughout the course of the deployment Captain Yurkovich planned, coordinated, and conducted bilateral training throughout the Central Command area of operation.  From January to May 2011 Battalion Landing Team 3/8 was detached from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to Afghanistan to reinforce the Regional Command Southwest Winter Campaign.

Upon return to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Captain Yurkovich transferred to The Basic School, Quantico Virginia in June 2011 and was assigned as a Platoon Package Primary in the Warfighting Department.  He is currently assigned as 6th Platoon Staff Platoon Commander in the Basic Officer Course, Company E 5-12.

Discovering the E-Course...Kind Of...

Motivation

Accomplishments aren't measured by medals around the neck or trophies on the shelf. They're measured in the blood and sweat poured to get there.

My Path

Two things I forgot to mention yesterday. First, it was pretty surreal having Ramer Hall to myself, lower gym and weight room, for almost an hour. It was nice to have no distractions and push myself for myself. Second, I'm falling in love with Quantico. It's something about the wilderness feeling and the weather. As I was walking to the gym yesterday morning it was raining and as I passed the Colors (American Flag) Morning Color's played. I pass the Colors daily, but it's rare that I'm within earshot of Morning/Evening Colors. It was something about the rain and being the only soul visible, aside for the duty detail, that made me realize what an awesome opportunity I've been given. With the cool rain and mild breeze, this place is paradise. Hopefully I'll be hear a little longer than the six months of TBS.

I woke up this morning with every intention of going to church. My roommate and I got up early to knock out some of the online courses we needed to have completed by tomorrow morning and got ready for church. For some reason, we just weren't meant to make it today. We tried three different addresses for the church we wanted to attend, and none were correct. Hopefully we don't get as lost looking for ammo can boxes in the woods during land navigation as we did looking for this church. Dunk'n Donuts and a trip to the PX would suffice after 45 minutes of roaming about Quantico. We grabbed a quick breakfast and picked up some essentials for new assignments we were given the night before. It seems like word gets passed at the last minute around here, but "C'est la vie." But after that we came back to wrap up the online stuff. Originally I wanted to load up our new Field Packs (ruck packs) and go for a little hump; 3-5 miles. We decided to go for a run along the Endurance Course (E-Course) route instead. I'll have some more info on this in the "WOD" section.

Because we haven't been given the "Introduction the E-Course" class yet, we weren't going to negotiate any of the obstacles. We just wanted to run the path. From my understanding it's a little over 5 miles long. I wouldn't be able to tell you with any certainty after todays run as we got about half way through it and couldn't find the new path's separation point after the turn around. And I don't know if you could really say that we "ran" it. We didn't want to go balls the wall and had every intention of jogging it, but parts of it were more like a march. It wasn't because of a lack of endurance, but more of a safety precaution. A little over a week ago, one group of Lt's went out on the course and incurred a casualty. A Lt rolled his ankle pretty bad, despite his boots, but was able to make it through the PFT four days later and medical screening later that week. We didn't feel like getting hurt just before picking up the actually POI. It felt good to get out and do something other than lift weights or another CrossFit workout. As much as I love CrossFit, somethings you need to just go primal and run through the woods.

Once we cleaned up after the run we worked on a "Terrain Model Kit," yet another short notice assignment, for a couple hours. It consists of basic troop/unit indicators, maneuvers, and tools for creating a map grid on the ground or in a sandbox. The idea is to, basically, project a 3D map onto dirt/sand in the field using miscellaneous objects that represent actual landmarks, terrain features, man-made roads/structures, and friend/enemy positions and actions. It'll be really cool getting to use this stuff, but it was a pain making it all. Then it was time to make sure the rest of our Fire Team (FT) and Squad had their trash together. It was a small Three Ringed Circus this evening. But we all worked together and made it work. Probably one of the longest days I've had since checking-in at TBS, but I'm well aware that it won't be THE longest. But I'm looking forward to it.

WOD

Boots and Utes (Combat Boots, MARPAT Trousers, PT Shirt) Run/Jog/March

Route: Modified E-Course - Approximately 4.5 Miles

Duration: Approximately 1 Hour

Gear:

Modular Tactical Vest (MTV)/Plate Carrier (PC) - 13#

Full CamelBack Hydration System - 3#

Short Days that Take Forever

Motivation

 

"I firmly belive that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle...victorious."

- Vince Lombardi

My Path

I apologize for not getting a post up yesterday. It was one of those days where not a whole lot was done, but it took forever for it to get finished.We took an Intro Review Exam and then it was another typical day of briefs, which were over by 1100, and we wouldn't have another until 1400. I made sure I had my paperwork finished for our "Green Jacket" folders. This was the only thing we really had to worry about for the day. We had three quick briefs and then turned over to collect all of the paperwork. This was about 1530. To sum it up...we didn't secure until about 1900. Some people were missing things, while others had it filled out incorrectly. It was a mess to say the least. But then we headed out to Poncho Villa's for dinner.

This morning I woke up to get a good workout in, since I missed it yesterday. Then I gathered up all of my needed uniforms to go to The Marine Shop to have them tailored. It's amazing how much your body can change in just a year. Then I headed over to the Mainside MCX to check on a few items and books I was interested in. Didn't buy anything, thank God, but had some lunch. I didn't want to spend too much money today, because I already knew I'd be dropping about $300 on a new pair of boots. While at OCS we were issued two pair of boots. The problem about it was that we were never given ample time to fit them properly. My feet were pretty jacked up for twelve weeks over two summers. That's the last thing I need for these six months. I purchased a pair of Danner RATs. They will be my field/hump boots. Properly fitted and durable. The rest of my day consisted of getting more reading and online courses finished, dinner at B-Dubs with a group of the guys, and finally setting up my XBOX360. Just watched the first episode of season four "Breaking Bad." I may be a bit distracted until I finish this season.

WOD

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

Deadlift: 155#, 195#, 230#

Courtesy of  Guerrilla CrossFit
5 Rounds for Time - 3:41
5 Deadlift @ 275#
10 Burpees

Moto XO Speech

Motivation

"Man cannot fully find himself, except through a sincere gift of himself."

- Pope John Paul II

My Path

Just another relaxing day. Mainly briefs and a class on the computer lab. There are some great learning resources at our disposal, here at TBS. One program lets you practice calling for fire (artillery fire), while another provides a virtual world of urban exercises from all the Marine Corps Bases. At the end of my 6 months of training, we conduct a Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). It's the culmination of our training, applying everything we have learned. The afore mentioned program allows us to make reconnaissance of the area without ever leaving the building. It's pretty awesome. There is no excuse for not being prepared when given these resources. There are also online resources that relate to the classes we will be taking. My plan is to read the student handouts before class, participate in class discussion, use the online/computer lab resources as a means of review, and then apply these skills in the field. Hopefully this will keep me proficient in each military skill.

The highlight of the day came at the very end. We were introduced to our Company Executive Officer (XO), Capt. Ingold. I will provide his biography at the end of this post. He is an Infantry Officer and shared some of his experiences from the Naval Academy, through TBS, and in the fleet. I wish I had a transcript of his brief. It was extremely motivating. He shared the ups and downs of his career, and made clear what his goals were. He, and the rest of the TBS staff, are here to not only make sure we graduate, but to make sure that we are prepared to lead the Marines we will take charge of in the fleet. If we fail our Marines, they feel that they have failed their mission as instructors. I can't put into words how excited his brief made me to start training. Monday is Day 1 of Phase 1. The big show begins then.

WOD

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

Military Press: 65#, 75#, 95#

Power Snatches
5x1 @ 95# (Warmup/Brush Up on Technique)
2x2 @ 95#
2x2 @ 105#
2x2 @ 115#
2x1 @ 135#
1 @ 145#
Failed @ 155#
I need my Oly Coach, Jeff Pruitt, Desperately!


Echo Company XO Capt. Ingold

Captain Ingold graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned in May 2006.  After commissioning, he completed his Masters in American History at the University of Maryland, College Park. He attended Basic Officer Course 2-07, after which he graduated from Infantry Officer Course 4-07.

In October 2007, Captain Ingold reported to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines and served as a weapons platoon commander in Golf Company.  In March of 2008 he attended Tactical Air Control Party School through EWTGPAC and became a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC). From April to December 2008, he deployed with TF 2/7 to Farah and Helmand Provinces in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  

In January 2009, Captain Ingold attended Infantry Mortar Leaders Course. On return to his battalion, he assumed duties as 81mm Mortar Platoon Commander, Weapons Company. From January to July 2010, he deployed with BLT 2/7 on the 31^st Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Okinawa, Japan, and participated in Exercises Balakatan and Cobra Gold 2010.  

Captain Ingold reported to The Basic School in August 2010 and served in Warfighting as the Senior Primary Instructor for the Squad package. In October 2011, he joined Alpha Company 1-12 as the Staff Platoon Commander for 5th Platoon, which graduated in the following spring. Currently Capt Ingold is serving as Executive Officer, Echo Company 5-12.

More Admin & The Gym

Motivation

Wiser is the man who makes a million different mistakes than the man who makes the same mistake a million times.

My Path

I'm going to try to keep this post relatively short as it's late and I've been doing nothing but paperwork for the last few hours. Time for some rest. Today consisted of medical screening and vaccinations, POV registration, finally taking an audiogram, and getting my military ID (get one before you show up to TBS if you can, it'll save you a lot of hassle). Had I already had my ID and gotten through the audiogram yesterday I would have been secured by 0830, like my roommate. But I'm not going to complain about being secured at 1430 either. Once secured, it was time for some much needed PT.

I've been training at Ramer Hall, which is on Camp Barrett. It consists of a weight room, pool (there are hours posted for lap swimming), half a basketball court, functional fitness area (that's what we'll call it for now), sauna/steam room, and locker rooms. The Physical Trainers room is also located in the basement. While I don't record it here, I try to do a weight routine everyday. I normally work 3 day splits (Mon/Thurs: Chest and Back; Tues/Fri: Legs and Shoulders; Wed/Sat: Biceps and Triceps). The Ramer weight room has plenty of equipment to hit these muscle groups in multiple ways, so varying the exercises isn't an issue at all. But what I do record here takes place in the "Lower Gym," or the functional fitness area that takes up the other half of the basketball court.

The Lower Gym consists of 2 squat racks without safety bars, 2 squat racks with safety bars, a deadlift platform, 2 20' ropes, a pullup rig/pullup bars around the walls, GHD, Concept2 Rowing Machine, vertical peg board, suspended rings, kettlebells of assorted weights, and a couple cable machines. With all of this equipment you can hit Metabolic Conditioning workouts (METCONs), strength workouts, work on olympic lifts, or resistance workouts. Although the bumpers are old and starting to chip, they get the job done. It could use some improvement, but since when do you need perfection to get a good workout in. If you bring your own jump rope or speed rope, you can make things really nasty. I'm hoping to keep up with most of the Guerrilla CrossFit (my old CrossFit box) workouts, as long as the equipment and space allows. I don't see any reason for me to make it out to either of the other two gyms on base when this one does the job well and it's so close. Hopefully I will get one or two training partners. It's always more fun training with someone else.

WOD

Courtesy of Guerrilla CrossFit

5 Rounds for Time - 21:09

50 Jump Touches (18" Above Extended Hand & Finger Tips)

40 Air Squats

30 Standard Situps

20 Pushups

10 Pullups

Kicked Out of DEERS & INTERNET!

Motivation

We can master anything with enough effort, even ourselves.

My Path

An early morning, as usual. I was already used to it before checking in to TBS. I would be up every morning by 0500, and 0430 isn't much of a change. But we were loaded up onto busses and shipped to the Mainside medical offices. Today we attempted to be screened at dental, optometry, and audiology. Optometry and dental were relatively quick. But we received word that the audiology office was only taking six Marines every 15-20 minutes. In an 8 hour day, that only equals out to about 150 Marines. Our company is close the 300. Needless to say, we sat around waiting a lot for something that never came. We are scheduled to make it up tomorrow. 

Rather than just sit around for nothing, a few Marines and I attempted to get our military IDs. We had to walk about a mile to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) office. It wasn't all bad once we signed in. We sat in the AC for about 15 minutes when a woman came into the waiting room and announced, "I need to see all Lieutenants with Echo Company." We filed back to her office for her to tell us that she could only take the Marines who had dependents, so that they could be added to the system, making them eligible for all military benefits and coverage. The rest of us were turned away and told we couldn't get our IDs until August 20th. That kind of poses a problem as we are required to have a military ID when passing through the base gates and to register our personally owned vehicles (POVs) with the DoD. She mentioned that we may be able to make apointemtns with her five Marines at a time before business hours. There's about 40 or 50 of us needing IDs. Hopefully we can get everything taken care of tomorrow. I agree that it is more important to get the new Instructor Battalion staff members' family into the system first. I just wish the communication was a little better. But it's the military, what can you expect.


I had scheduled an installation appointment for today between 1500 and 1700. The field tech called me at 1230 wondering if I was available. Obviously, I was not. I was concerned that I wasn't going to get it taken care of today as we weren't sure when we were going to get back and what else was in store for the evening. I guess my persistent phone calls paid off. I received another phone call at 1545 and had everything installed by 1635. I'm happy to say that life is al ittle less stressful now that I have direct Internet access. I am able to access all of my military accounts and financial information more readily. And now I'll be able to get posts up more regularly.

WOD

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

Back Squat: 125#, 155#, 185#

"Jerk Work"

95# - Push Jerk x 3/Split Jerk x 3

115# - Push Jerk x 3/Split Jerk x 3

135# - Push Jerk x 3/Split Jerk x 3

155# - Push Jerk x 2/Split Jerk x 2

175# - Push Jerk x 1/Split Jerk x 1

185# - Push Jerk x 1(PR)/Split Jerk x 1

195# - Split Jerk x 1

205# - Split Jerk x 1(PR)

215# - Split Jerk x Failure

Inventory Physical Fitness Test

Motivation

Accept that you can do nothing for anyone and everything for yourself. It’s not about impressing others, but proving to yourself that you can do better than you ever imagined.

My Path

This morning was an early one, as I mentioned before. Got up for a small breakfast and a good stretch. As standard operating procedure (SOP), a lot of “hurry up and wait” going on. I’m glad that we were in the first group of platoons to run the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). It rained last night and as the heat increased, so did the humidity. On our way out to Landing Zone (LZ) 7, we saw a company exiting their SOQ in full gear and cammie paint. I believe it was Charlie Company preparing to go out on their final FEX. Maybe it’s their second to last, but they only have two months left of training. They were packing all kinds of weaponry: M40G, M16A4s with M203 grenade launchers, Squad Automatic Weapons (SAWs), and maybe even some mortar tubes and bases. Just another day in the life of a Marine Lieutenant and TBS.

I exceeded my expectations on the PFT. I guess it was just a good day. Details will be down in the WOD section. But once we finished the PFT, it was off to O’Bannon for Height and Weight measurements. I came in at 69.5” and 167#. That’s a little heavier than I have been over the last couple months, but I haven’t been able to continue the same volume of workouts as when I was back in Indiana. Then it was time for urinalysis and free time until 1200 for more briefs for the afternoon. During that free time I was able to get some financial stuff taken care of with USAA, set up an installation appointment with Comcast, and get a good amount of reading in. There were some good briefs about Sexual Harassment and Assault, Uniforms, and the reputation we are establishing as Marine Officers in the afternoon. How our peers perceive us now will follow us throughout our careers. Hopefully I’m making a good impression, but it’s hard to tell with how competitive many LTs are getting already.

It’s been difficult to find a good niche within my platoon as about 85% of the LTs in my Company are from the Naval Academy. There aren’t a whole lot of us OCS guys here, and definitely not within my squad or platoon. I’m sure once training picks up and we interact more with each other, rather than just sitting around in classes, we will all start to mold into a cohesive unit and it won’t be so bad. Now for more reading before another early morning. Headed to Mainside for medical, dental, and personally owned vehicle (POV) registration. Hopefully I won’t be held up too late so that I can meet the Comcast installation technician in the late afternoon.

WOD

USMC PFT

Strict Pullups: 20/20 (Score: 100/100)

Crunches in 2 Minutes: 100/100 (Score: 100/100)

3 Mile Run for Time: 17:47 (Score: 100/100)

Overall Score: 300/300

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

Bench Press: 95#, 120#, 145#

5 Rounds for time – 12:28

20 Double Unders

10 Glute-Hamstring Developer (GHD) Situps

20 Pullups

10 1.5 Pood/53# Kettlebell Swings

Information Gathering and Reading

Motivation

Invest in others if you want to be good. Invest in yourself if you want to be great.

My Path

0730 is pretty close to “sleeping in,” right? It is compared to when I have to wake up tomorrow. Tomorrow is a 0525 muster, so I will probably be up around 0430 to get a small breakfast in my room and a good stretch in. But today was somewhat stressful with trying to gather financial information due to the lack of Internet. My roommate, a LT from across the hall, and I made a trip to the PX to grab WiFi at Starbucks to gather reading materials and our financial information that we have been assigned to document. It’s not the easiest thing to do on a Sunday when all the financial businesses are closed and there is limited information on the Internet. But I was able to get what I thought would suffice for the time being.

I decided to finally invest in a mattress pad, and boy does it feel amazing so far. Hopefully it will prevent the stiff back that I woke up with this morning. There was some more grocery shopping done and I was able to play a little catch up with the 2012 Reebock CrossFit Games (you’re welcome for the free advertising, Reebock). I realized today that I had missed the entire weekend of events. It’s pretty upsetting. I watched some of the heats from different events on YouTube and some highlight videos put together on the Games’ website. There are some crazy WODs thought up by the CrossFit HQ staff and being destroyed by some amazing athletes. I wish I could have seen it all go down. Once we get some interwebs I will have to check some more videos out.

My day consisted mainly of reading. The LT from across the hall hooked his laptop up to my TV and we watched the first episode of Vietnam in HD. It tells some pretty amazing stories, accompanied by some moving video. The recent hand tear made my morning workout a bit tough as my grip strength was weakened, but I think I will be just fine for the pullups in tomorrow’s PFT. I’m not expecting a 300/300, but I’ll score in the high 290s. I wanted to go heavier on the barbell, but my time was cut short. Another early night for an earlier morning.

WOD

Power Clean Technique Work

5 Power Cleans @ 65# x 3

3 Power Cleans @ 75# + 30 Unbroken Double Unders x 2

2 Power Cleans @ 115# + 30 Unbroken Double Unders x 2

2 Power Cleans @ 135# + 30 Unbroken Double Unders x 2

Errand and Exploring the Base

Motivation

“When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they’ll tell you.” – Walter Payton

My Path

Believe it or not, I would consider waking up around 0800 “sleeping-in.” It was glorious despite the box spring they call a mattress that is my bed. I think a mattress pad is in order. But I woke up, finished the laundry I had started the night before and went for a run. Once I finished my morning PT I freshened up and headed to the Town of Quantico or Q-Town. I had a needed a couple nametapes made and a few sewn onto a couple sets of cammies. Then I went to the Mainside Marine Corps Exchange (MCx or PX). I sat down to grab some WiFi from the Starbucks inside, paid some bills, and got in touch with Comcast. Apparently the woman who enters new locations into the system was out for the day, so now I get to play phone tag with the representative on Monday. I guess it’s a start. Then it was time for my haircut, and some grocery/novelty items shopping. I headed back to Q-Town to pick up my nametapes, and a big and long anticipated purchase.

I had a conversation with my father earlier in the day about my birthday gift I hadn’t received back in April. It sounded like funds were back up for me to finally cash in on it. I’m a proud new owner of a Mameluke Sword. This is the Marine Corps Officer’s Sword used during ceremonies. It is belated, but awesome nonetheless. Once we have our Sword Manual class, and they clear me on its fit, I will get my sword engraved. I know I don’t need it right now, but it’s nice to know that I have it in the event that an unlikely event arises that I would need it.

After unloading the car and parking it on the parade deck, which is the main authorized parking location for TBS students, it was time for some more reading. I read The Warrior Ethos by Stephen Pressfield. I highly recommend it for anyone, whether you’re considering joining the armed forces, are intrigued by the military service members, or want a better understanding of why many of us do what we do. It describes the warrior spirit very accurately and clearly. It’s a very fast read and is extremely enjoyable. To take a break I decided to get a second workout in for the day. Once I wrap up this post it’ll be time for some more reading before bed. I’ll probably head to the PX once again to get a mattress pad. My back can only take so much.

WOD

4.35 Mile Run – 29:32

Path: SOQ to PFT 3 Mile and around Camp Barrett back to SOQ

3 Rounds for Time – 10:32 (Should be Sub 9:00)

20 Sandbag Kettlebell Snatches (~30#, 10 Reps/Arm)

15 Toes-To-Bar

10 Burpee Bar Touches (6” Above Arm Extended Overhead + Fingertips)

5 Bar Muscle-Ups

This is what happens when you don’t take care of your calluses and the pullup bar is taped. Hopefully my grip will hold up for the PFT on Monday.

Laid Back Day: Not Expecting Many of Them

Motivation

Toughness is the ability to consistently perform toward the upper range of your talent and skill regardless of competitive circumstances.

My Path

Even though we didn’t have to be awake for accountability until 0615 I still woke up at 0500 so that I could get morning chow and get a little bit of reading done before performing my first platoon duty. It wasn’t much at all; just sweeping the ladder well (stairwell) on my side of the SOQ. Not a bad gig, especially now that it’s not part of my platoon’s area of responsibility (AOR). Get used to the TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms), they are prevalent in the Marine Corps. After sweeping the ladder wells we were free to do what we wanted on Camp Barrett until 1100, which we gathered for platoon afternoon chow. Then it was an afternoon full of briefs.

A very uneventful day, but a lot of information to learn and more assignments given.; more reading and memorizing! I might have to start keeping a “To Do” list with how much is assigned out here. We have the weekend free to ourselves, but must have fresh haircuts by Monday. It sounds like I’ll have to get a haircut every weekend. The good news is that I will be near an area with reliable WiFi and cell phone service. I’ll get this post published and get a phone call into Comcast to see if they can get my internet activated. The aggravation is starting to set in.

It never bothered me while I was at OCS that I was cut off from the entire world. We had no cell phones, no newspapers, no Internet access, and we were perfectly content. Everything we ever needed was provided for us by our staff and the supply/cash sales department. But now that that we have to provide for ourselves and the majority of what we need is located online, it’s a bit frustrating that it’s next to impossible to reach it without jumping through several hoops. Hopefully I can get something figured out with Comcast to get the Internet going. Not having cell phone service in the bunker that is the SOQ doesn’t make it much easier. I thought it would be better being on the top deck, but the service is just as unreliable as being on the first. The best way to contact me is via text message, but I may not get it until I am out of class. Heywood Hall is a bunker of an academic building. I guess I should have expected that from a Marine Corps Base. And for those of you trying to post comments to this blog, you may need a Google+ account to do so. Run a search on it and it’s easy to find and get set up. You can also sign up to “Follow” my blog, adding you in an email list so that you will be notified whenever I publish a new post.

I looked over the statistics for my blog. I was blown away by the number of page views it has received. It means so much to me that many of my friends and family are reading what’s going on in my life. It shows me your support for what I am doing, and I greatly appreciate it. I hope that as the Period of Instruction (POI) picks up I will be able to maintain the volume and consistency of my posts. I’m sure I’ll have so much more to tell you about once we start “real” training.

WOD

Every Minute On The Minute (EMOTM) for 30 Minutes

5 Strict Pullups, 10 Pushups, 20 Crunches

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

Military Press: 115#, 130#, 145# (3 Reps)

Deadlift: 290#, 325#, 365# (2 Reps)

Supply and Swim Qualification

Motivation

“Patience is bitter, but its fruits are sweet.” – Aristotle

My Path

I have a feeling that I will be waking up most mornings around 0500 unless we have an early FEX. It seems to be a decent time to get up, grab morning chow at O’Bannon Chow Hall and be back for muster.  I would bet that most mornings I would have time to come back to my SOQ and get some reading done. We have been assigned Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication (MCDP) 1 Warfighting and The Warrior Ethos by Stephen Pressfield to read by next Friday. The material is testable, but we will for sure have a test on all the Zero Week handouts, all twenty-three of them, next Friday. That’s about another 400 pages of material. This whole reading thing…I just don’t get it. I did just fine in college without any “real” assigned reading. Maybe that has something to do with me being a Computer Science major, but it’s going to be a pain getting back into reading. >:(

Today we received, what I hope to be, all of our gear for TBS: USMC Field Pack, Plate Carrior (PC)/Modular Tactical Vest (MTV), sleeping bag, waterproofing bag, wooden campstool, and more. The only real item of gear left to get is our M16A4 Assault Rifle and M9 Pistol. We had very little time for afternoon chow so I grabbed some snacks for lunch and then headed over to Ramer Hall for the Swim Qual. The Swim Qual was conducted in full Boots and Utilities (Boots and Utes). The following was the basic qualification: 25 meter swim, jump from 3 meter platform to 50 meter swim, float/tread water for 4 minutes, 10 second submerged, shallow water gear shed (rifle, Kevlar helmet, flack jacket), and 50 meter floating pack push/pull swim. The only event that I felt weak on was the 4 minute float/tread water. I was having a difficult time staying afloat and felt myself starting to panic just a few seconds in. I calmed myself down and slowed my motions. Some Lieutenants (LTs) used techniques to inflate their blouses. I wish I had had the confidence to try those techniques out, but without trying them before and sinking the second I stopped treading water I decided to gut out the 4 minutes of treading water. It wasn’t easy at all.

The rest of the day consisted of sitting around for a brief that we ended up not having. Then there was another trip to Walmart and a uniform shop in Stafford. I picked up some more food and a couple items for PT and to make some of my supplied gear fit better. Then we came back to get some PT in before it got too dark. Not the most difficult PT, but I needed to get at least one long run in before the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) on Monday. Hopefully I’ll get a little longer run in on Saturday and rest Sunday. As far as the Internet is concerned, I’ve decided to hold off until I know my permanent room assignment. I’m going to pay some bills and get these last three blogs posted via Internet from another Lieutenant. It might not be another week or two before I will have regular access to the interwebs. I will try to continue writing my blogs in Word Documents and transfer them over. I apologize for the delay. Thank you all for your patience.

WOD

Easy Run for Time: Approximately 3 Miles in 21:31

5 Rounds of 5 Pullups, 10 Pushups, 20 Situps

Administrative In-Processing: A Long Day

Motivation

Know your limits, but never stop trying to break them.

My Path

As you can tell by the title, it was a long day of filling out paperwork. We spent about 10 hours, total, in Classroom 3 of Heywood Hall. We were briefed on parking zones, sick call and athletic trainers, Medical/Dental In-Processing, the Montgomery and Post 9-11 GI Bills, the TBS Mail Room, tomorrow’s Swim Qualification (Swim Qual), and Security of Personal Information. We also filled out all of our pay/reimbursement paperwork. There is still no word about the access to the Internet in our rooms. We have been given a mailing address, but keep in mind that it is subject to change per my medical and dental screening.

2^nd LT Ross E. Allen

Echo Co. The Basic School

21641 Belleau Ave.

Quantico, VA 22134

It is important to include my rank in the first line and all of the second line. If you plan to send me anything, make it standard mail unless you let me know ahead of time. The TBS Mail Room does not accept packages from UPS, FedEx, or DHL or any mail that requires additional postage (i.e. priority mail, express mail, delivery confirmation, etc).

I have one more brief to attend as I write this post. I’ll probably grab some evening chow at O’Bannon Hall and then get some PT in, Probably a run around a decent loop to the pull-up bars. I’ve been told that there are some makeshift sandbag kettlebells. My hopes are to work those into a circuit somehow. I also may find my way over to the 24-hour weight room and see what kind of equipment they have. I’ll post my actual workout below once I’ve completed it.

WOD

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

Bench Press: 180#, 205#, 230# (4 Reps)

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

Skill Work

Muscle-Up Sets to Failure

Multiple Sets of 10 Strict Pull-Ups followed by 10 Butterfly Pull-Ups

3 Sets of 15 Strict Ring Dips

3 Sets of 15 55# Kettlebell Swings (Work on getting Full Extension)

Day Zero, Zero Week: Just the Beginning

Motivation

You can’t compare yourself to your competition. That only puts you on their level. To win you have to be above your opponent.

My Path

Today I arrived in Quantico, VA to report to TBS. At first I had the same butterflies in my stomach that I experienced each time I went to OCS, but they subsided as soon as I checked in with the Officer of the Day (OOD) and my Student Platoon Commander (SPC). At that moment I realized that this would be a far different experience than OCS.  Rather than crazy platoon staff babysitting us, we will be in complete control of ourselves. While liberating, it adds much more responsibility.  Bring on the responsibility!

I arrived just after 1230. The OOD informed me that I was in Echo Company (Technically Mike Company at the moment) 6^th Platoon. I met my SPC and she gave me, and two other Second Lieutenants (2ndLt), a quick brief of what to accomplish for the day. I met my current roommate during this brief (At the completion of Zero Week, there may be changes to the platoon rosters). We headed up to the second deck to create a Marine Online account, and then made our way down the hall to pick up our publications (pubs) that we will be reading and referring to during the period of instruction (POI). The next stop was Haas Hall, my Student Officer Quarters (SOQ) to secure my room. I’m all the way up on the 4^th deck. Pros: Some phone service (I use the word “some” very liberally); Cons: Lots of stairs to climb. I will say that I was very impressed with the size of the room - shower, toilet, 2 sinks, refrigerator, freezer, microwave, and very open. After changing into my cammies I headed over to the data entry building to fill out some forms with basic information. These questions will probably be repeated throughout Zero Week to ensure that everything is accurate. Once I finished up there I made a few trips from the car up to my room to start moving in. This was interrupted by an introductory brief held for the entire company around 1700. I was able to grab some evening chow by 1830 and then make a few more trips up the 4 flights of stairs. The night was wrapped up with a trip to Walmart and unpacking a bit more.

Tomorrow begins at 0530 and we will be doing much more administrative work throughout the day. We’ll see if make it in and out of the chow hall between 0500 and 0530. It may be pushing it. As things pick up I’m sure there will be more interesting information and reflections. I’m writing this as a Word Document for now as we do not have the Internet set up yet.

WOD

Several trips up and down 4 flights of stairs with unknown loads for time. No less than 8 rounds. 3-2-1-GO!

Ok, maybe not for time, but it was still a pretty good workout. Hopefully I’ll get a real workout in tomorrow.

Introduction and Intent

Background
For those who do not not me, my name is Ross Allen. I am a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps (USMC). I completed twelve weeks of USMC Officer Candidate School (OCS) through the Platoon Leaders Course (PLC). PLC consists of 2 six week sessions in Quantico, VA during the summer. I attended PLC Aug-July 2010 and Aug-July 2011, between my Junior and Senior years of college and after graduating. I graduated from DePauw University in May 2011 with a Bachelor's of Arts Degree, Cum Laude. My major was Computer Science, minoring in Business Administration. I accepted my commission as a Marine Officer Aug 22, 2011

Intentions
I plan to be far less formal in my future posts. This first post is to give some information about myself as well as what to expect from this blog. I will post only as often as I have time. While at The Basic School (TBS) I will be busy with academic studies and field exercises (FEX). I want this blog to be a means of keeping friends, family, and future Marine Officers updated and informed, as well as a resource to prepare for TBS. My Path as a Marine Officer will also serve as a place for me to record my thoughts and experiences while serving our country. I expect that there will be times that I will reflect on childhood memories, experiences at OCS, and expectations I have for my career as a Marine Officer.

Layout/What to Expect
I want to maintain a consisten format to My Path as a Marine Officer. The following categories will be in each post: Motivation, My Path, Workout of the Day (WOD). "Motivation" will be a quote or something a short realization that I have had. Part of being a leader is having the ability to motivate others. I hope that this section can serve its purpose. "My Path" will contain updates and information about my career in the Marine Corps. There my be reflections, successes I've had, failures I've experienced, and general life updates within. "Workout of the Day (WOD)" will document the personal physical training (PT) I put myself through. I have always had a love for fitness and have recently discovered CrossFit. I have given thought to training for next year's CrossFit Games and will use this space to document my progress (I may have a separate blog for this later). If there is a graded PT event at TBS, I will post my results here.


I hope this post serves as a sound foundation for many more posts in the future. Thank you to all of my friends for all of your love and support you have shown me while pursuing my dreams and career in the military. I hope I can make you proud.



Disclaimer: Any thoughts or ideas expressed in this blog are not of any organization or government I am affiliated with, but of my own.