Ass Kickin’ Women
These women
kick ass! Kickin’ some ass to join the Marine Corps. Holy moly what they have
to go through on Paris Island South Carolina brings tears to my eyes…tears of
fear. It is the only place in the country where women become Marines who can serve
in combat. I think they have special
genes as mine would be screaming “Stop, turn back, go to Neimans.” The training is not for the faint of heart, or needing their therapist on speed dial. One
call home and that’s it, poof(!) cut off from the outside world until the day
before graduation. I would hold my
breath and turn blue right after that call.
No email access which gives me a rash just thinking about it. I need to text, Instagram, FB, Snap Chat, Tweet,
and change my profile picture! There is
one piece of good news, I could pass the initial physical fitness test. Yes siree all those gym days have paid off:
15 push-ups, or one pull up (that’s still a little iffy), 44 crunches (?) 1.5
mile in under 15:00 (if my left leg doesn’t fall off). There is hope on the dating front as there
are 750-1000 women and 2,850 men. Better
odds than on Match.com I’d say.
The
typical day is a real downer for me however as it starts at 4 a.m. What is 4
a.m.? There is no mention of your own
bathroom which is really a “must have” on my planet. None of those nasty
haircuts for the women which is a big relief but do they have a good colorist I
wonder? Uh oh trouble is on the horizon
no matter what my hair looks like.
“The
Crucible” looms large – a 54 hour marathon of physical and emotional endurance
that tests every cell in your body. I am
dripping in sweat writing about it. The
test of all the training and I cannot even remember my name at this point. Here goes so be strong : long hikes day and night, climbing ropes,
figuring out how to get the last person over a plywood wall and crawling
through thick mud while pushing boxes of ammunition under barbed wire as they
blast battle sounds. Is anyone thinking
they can do this no problema because there is MORE.
“Noonan’s
Evacuation” a mock rescue based on a real evacuation that took place in
Vietnam. The recruits have to tend to
and evacuate their wounded and dead while receiving simulated rounds of sniper
fire. I think I just fainted.
Exhausted
and blistered (no pedicure, or big spa day) they receive the coveted Eagle,
Globe and Anchor insignia. I admit I am dehydrated, hallucinating, covered in hives and terrified reading about these
women and yet want to thank every last one of them.
You kick some serious ass!
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