"Doc" The Marine Corps Drill Instructor, just like "Full Metal Jacket"? Well not exactly. But yes, mild mannered "Doc" was a Marine Corps Drill Instructor.
Both the most rewarding job in my life and yet the most difficult.
The time was 1994-1996, the place, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina (Yes, 2 p's in Parris). If you visit the Drill Instructor school there you will see me in the class picture for DI class 4-94.
The most difficult part of becoming a DI is the school, mentally and physically grueling. Sometimes I can hardly believe what shape I was in back then! It wasn't common to go running in "boots and utes" (Camouflage pants + t-shirt or sweatshirt and boots), M-16 rifle and cartridge belt with 2 full canteens and run 3-5 miles.
If that wasn't enough you would get called out to sing chants, you know "C-130 rolling down the strip yada yada" and all of the other favorites.
With the advent of the internet I have been able to find and contact fellow students of my DI class, a DI class instructor and one of the first DI's I worked with, but none of my Marines.
Attached picture is not me, but pretty typical of what it was like : )
Both the most rewarding job in my life and yet the most difficult.
The time was 1994-1996, the place, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina (Yes, 2 p's in Parris). If you visit the Drill Instructor school there you will see me in the class picture for DI class 4-94.
The most difficult part of becoming a DI is the school, mentally and physically grueling. Sometimes I can hardly believe what shape I was in back then! It wasn't common to go running in "boots and utes" (Camouflage pants + t-shirt or sweatshirt and boots), M-16 rifle and cartridge belt with 2 full canteens and run 3-5 miles.
If that wasn't enough you would get called out to sing chants, you know "C-130 rolling down the strip yada yada" and all of the other favorites.
With the advent of the internet I have been able to find and contact fellow students of my DI class, a DI class instructor and one of the first DI's I worked with, but none of my Marines.
Attached picture is not me, but pretty typical of what it was like : )
No comments:
Post a Comment