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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6988854/
Jami wanted me to share some boot camp stories with her last night. And it's funny how I run into this article the day after. It happened back in February, so I'm late on that. I just happened to watch the video as well, and I just wanted to blog about it. If you're lazy and don't want to bother reading or clicking to watch the video, it's about a recruit that drowned in water survival training during Marine Corps boot camp. The clip shows his drill instructor grabbing him by the collar and chewing his ass out. Then it shows a clip of the drill instructor throwing a "forearm shot" to the recruits head. Basically, the kid refused to train in the water, which is punishable by military law, and when he did decide to swim, he drowned and died. Now the parents want to sue the Marine Corps, in which they probably won't be able, since the law passed by the Supreme Court in 1950, which states that families cannot sue the military for deaths caused during active duty training.
I just wanted to blog and give my opinion on this issue.
Do I believe that it was wrong for the DI to lay his hand on the recruit like that? Yes. Do I think that "forearm shot" was really an attempt to beat the recruit? No. What it looks like to me, is that the recruit tried to walk the wrong way, or towards the drill instructor (which is a BIG no no), and the DI made an attempt to shove him back. The kid flew back because, well look how skinny that kid is. He'd fly back if you threw popcorn at him. Should the DI be charged and relieved of duty? Yes. Because not only did he violate training regulations, but he now got the media and the government involved, and Marine boot camp is going to turn into, yet more of a joke, like Army and Air Force boot camp already is. This DI probably ruined it for other DI's and future DI's who were wanting to train recruits into Marines. Now all recruit training staff members have to abide by a yet more strict regulation, thus cutting down on the difficulty of boot camp.
Yes, it's a tragedy that this kid died, but what most people need to realize is that he signed a contract, and got himself into it. Then, he wanted out, and wrote numerous letters to his family to try and get him out. I think the Marine Corps should have processed him out, but punish him under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) for refusing to train. But then he got into the pool voluntarily, so you can't say he was forced in. I read all these comments about how "OMG he looked like a POW" or "OMG why are they so harsh, everyone write a letter to the congressman!" and look at my watch and say "Yep, the liberals are always on time!" Then the media makes up a story about how the kid joined to relieve his parents from more financial burden, yadda yadda, which, honestly, I think is bullshit, and try to make him look like the innocent little puppy who did nothing wrong. There's absolutely no reason for any DI to lay a hand on a recruit, but at the same time, a kid who signed a contract to make a permanent change in his life, all of a sudden not wanting to do it anymore shouldn't have to be put on such a pedestal and made into some hero. Because all it is now, is another case of the Mothers of America vs. the US Government. Accidents and training mishaps happen all the time. It's inevitable. That DI should be charged and relieved of duty, but not charged for the death of this kid. If you refuse to get into the water, the DIs will chew you out, but they are not going to grab your head and shove it into the water to make you get used to it. And as far as that comment about this kid looking like a POW, the kid was wearing his utilities uniform that was drenched in water, and he had no boots on, which you're not supposed to have on in some parts of the water survival training. And he was standing at the position of attention, in which, well, ALL recruits have to do. So I guess you can say that EVERYONE who goes through Marine boot camp look like POWs, right?
Jami wanted me to share some boot camp stories with her last night. And it's funny how I run into this article the day after. It happened back in February, so I'm late on that. I just happened to watch the video as well, and I just wanted to blog about it. If you're lazy and don't want to bother reading or clicking to watch the video, it's about a recruit that drowned in water survival training during Marine Corps boot camp. The clip shows his drill instructor grabbing him by the collar and chewing his ass out. Then it shows a clip of the drill instructor throwing a "forearm shot" to the recruits head. Basically, the kid refused to train in the water, which is punishable by military law, and when he did decide to swim, he drowned and died. Now the parents want to sue the Marine Corps, in which they probably won't be able, since the law passed by the Supreme Court in 1950, which states that families cannot sue the military for deaths caused during active duty training.
I just wanted to blog and give my opinion on this issue.
Do I believe that it was wrong for the DI to lay his hand on the recruit like that? Yes. Do I think that "forearm shot" was really an attempt to beat the recruit? No. What it looks like to me, is that the recruit tried to walk the wrong way, or towards the drill instructor (which is a BIG no no), and the DI made an attempt to shove him back. The kid flew back because, well look how skinny that kid is. He'd fly back if you threw popcorn at him. Should the DI be charged and relieved of duty? Yes. Because not only did he violate training regulations, but he now got the media and the government involved, and Marine boot camp is going to turn into, yet more of a joke, like Army and Air Force boot camp already is. This DI probably ruined it for other DI's and future DI's who were wanting to train recruits into Marines. Now all recruit training staff members have to abide by a yet more strict regulation, thus cutting down on the difficulty of boot camp.
Yes, it's a tragedy that this kid died, but what most people need to realize is that he signed a contract, and got himself into it. Then, he wanted out, and wrote numerous letters to his family to try and get him out. I think the Marine Corps should have processed him out, but punish him under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) for refusing to train. But then he got into the pool voluntarily, so you can't say he was forced in. I read all these comments about how "OMG he looked like a POW" or "OMG why are they so harsh, everyone write a letter to the congressman!" and look at my watch and say "Yep, the liberals are always on time!" Then the media makes up a story about how the kid joined to relieve his parents from more financial burden, yadda yadda, which, honestly, I think is bullshit, and try to make him look like the innocent little puppy who did nothing wrong. There's absolutely no reason for any DI to lay a hand on a recruit, but at the same time, a kid who signed a contract to make a permanent change in his life, all of a sudden not wanting to do it anymore shouldn't have to be put on such a pedestal and made into some hero. Because all it is now, is another case of the Mothers of America vs. the US Government. Accidents and training mishaps happen all the time. It's inevitable. That DI should be charged and relieved of duty, but not charged for the death of this kid. If you refuse to get into the water, the DIs will chew you out, but they are not going to grab your head and shove it into the water to make you get used to it. And as far as that comment about this kid looking like a POW, the kid was wearing his utilities uniform that was drenched in water, and he had no boots on, which you're not supposed to have on in some parts of the water survival training. And he was standing at the position of attention, in which, well, ALL recruits have to do. So I guess you can say that EVERYONE who goes through Marine boot camp look like POWs, right?