The Cost of War: Boot Camp

This series is a glimpse into my experience in two different armed services (Marines/Army), and has some very sad and low points, but there were some triumphs and humorous moments that I remember fondly, please forgive the language, I am not going to censor. I hope you enjoy!

December 14, 2003

Young men including myself had flown into San Diego with more or less only the clothes on our backs. I wore my Marine Corps T-shirt that the recruiter had given me which caused great humiliation later. As we walked through the airport into the USO there was a Drill Instructor taking our administrative packets and getting a headcount before calmly moving us on to the bus. As soon as we loaded and sat down, the DI came on the bus and our wakeup call began. "Put your fucking heads between your legs, and if I see one motherfucking cocksucker staring at me before we get to MCRD I will stop this bus!". For a short 5 minutes we rode the bus to Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). When we arrived we unloaded the bus and immediately stood on the yellow foot prints where heroes had stood before. It sunk in, the gravity of this choice, failure was simply not an option, it felt like it would be a betrayal to the honor of my name...which is where this gets confusing.

Shortly after getting heads shaved, initial issue of gear, and prior to moving into our training platoons, we received a stamp kit. This stamp kit was a blank with letters that could be attached.

We received a tag to attach to a button on our shoulder pocket and we were instructed to stamp our last name, first and middle initials. At this time we were told we weren't good enough for sewn on name tapes and that was reserved for when we graduate. I diligently set up the stamp, my last name spelled LUMSDEN. If there are any Marines reading this, I am guessing they know whats coming. The "L" had a track mark on the top of it and made the "L" look like a "C". I was rushed off to start working on cleaning the living quarters of a graduated platoon and hadn't noticed.

When I arrived with several other recruits to the location we needed to clean, a few drill instructors were there to motivate us to do it quickly. One of them called me up "Hey you!", I ran up to him and yelled at the the top of my lungs "Recruit reporting as ordered SIR!". This was not correct because I was supposed to say my name, which drew his attention to the tag on my shoulder, "Whats your fucking name recruit!?" As he looked down he saw the freshly stamped tag..."CUMSDEN?!, No fucking way!" He turned to the other two drill instructors "Hey you guys gotta fuckin see this, we have a recruit cumstain!!"

Of course even after it was cleared up that the stamp had tracked ink accidentally, the name stuck like glue. I answered to it for months and owned it. This type of behavior of course isn't acceptable in the Marine Corps, but back then it seemed normal. I remember our pugil stick training where I became even more known.

They matched me at 148lbs with a giant that easily tipped the scale at 220lbs. Our instruction was to use our sticks as if they were rifles and use the fighting method they had taught to inflict a killing blow while keeping both hands on the stick. I was completely screwed, and I knew it. This guy had reach, weight and height over me (I am relatively short at 5'6"). As soon as they blew the whistle my adrenaline spiked to a level I had probably never felt before, we began the charge across the circle, and when I was within 5ft of him, I took my left hand off of the weapon and grabbed it from the bottom and thrusted it directly into his face, and gaining advantage over his reach. He crumbled to the ground after I had broken the rules, the drill instructors came running over thinking there would be a fight, and the recruit did stand up and tried to rat me out for breaking the rules, but the drill instructors understood why I had done it and tore him to pieces for not seeing that coming. The recruit actually kept defending himself which is a terrible thing to do with drill instructors. Thats when, in front of the entire company, my drill instructor yelled loudly, "Shut the fuck up recruit, you just got destroyed by my cumstain". Now hundreds of people knew...

March 12, 2004

I graduated, and it was the first time I would see my parents since I had left. I remember marching out on the parade deck to receive our Eagle Globe and Anchor insignia, signifying that we had earned our title, and were now Marines! We were halted at the appropriate marker, the bleachers to our left, until the Senior Drill Instructor gave the command "LEFT, FACE!"
I sharply executed the move along with the other graduates and 20ft directly in front of me was my father. I had been shamefully using some stupid substances before I decided to go into the Marines, and I think deep down my dad knew how dangerous it had gotten, and this was a special moment for him to see his son make an honorable commitment and accomplishment. He was the hardest man I have ever known, but also the most loving. I had never seen that man shed a tear until that day.

The drill instructors began going down the formation awarding the Eagle Globe and Anchor to each man in the formation. The Senior Drill instructor would hand it out and the subordinate Drill Instructor followed him with a wooden box filled with the appropriate amount. I was handed mine by the Senior and he shook my hand and smiled (his back to the bleachers), then he stepped to the next man. I began fixing the Eagle Globe and Anchor to my headgear as Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant "H" stepped in front of me to shake my hand and carry that box. He quietly said to me "Well look what you became recruit cumstain". I quietly replied back "Its Private Cumstain now, Sir". This was the first time I had ever spoken on the name, and he was nearly unable to keep his bearing, as he held in his burst of laughter. As soon as he stepped away, I saw my father again, and he has a tear running down his eye because this is a very touching moment for him. Meanwhile, I am feeling like a complete badass for correcting the Drill Instructor for once, and then it dawned on me that I could never explain that moment to my father. To this day, he doesn't know that his son, was Recruit Cumstain.

Thank you for reading, please smash the up-vote and leave a comment!

If you would like to read any of my previous Cost of War please use the links below:

https://steemit.com/thecostofwar/@lumlum85/the-cost-of-war

https://steemit.com/thecostofwar/@lumlum85/the-cost-of-war-frequently-asked-questions-that-shouldn-t-be

https://steemit.com/thecostofwar/@lumlum85/the-cost-of-war-fort-hood-shooting-2009