When you go to enlist, your recruiter will have you attend workout sessions with other recruits led by him/herself. They make sure you can pass all of the PT requirements prior to you shipping off to boot. If you can't pass boot, you're wasting their time and money.
I have a warm spot for the Marines as well, but for unusual reasons (although those are there as well). At my 21st birthday I was bar-hopping with a group of friends. We were at one bar for awhile when a group of 7 or 8 guys came in together. You could tell they knew how to kick ass and chew bubblegum. Heads shaved or closely buzzed, tats and the characteristic marine body frame. I figured they were probably going to be obnoxious but damn if I wasn't wrong.
After being there about 25 minutes one of them came up to me and asked if it was my 21st. I said yes and he asked me to follow him. Went up to the bar with him where all his buddies were waiting. They had a drink prepared that they called IEDs (obviously playing off of Improvised Explosive Device).
It was Bicardi 151, Jager, and Goldschlager in a class. You take a shot of Tequila and drop it in the class and then chug. After the burn wears off if you haven't puked, you yell BAM! So we slammed the drink together and all yelled bam. Afterwards I thanked them graciously and asked about what they do. They had just gotten back from two back to back tours. One in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
I was floored. They fight for our country sacrificing two years of their lives, not to mention the possibility they might be killed, come back home and buy some random kid a shot for his birthday? I should of been buying them shots.
Anyways, ever since then, I approach most people I see in uniform and give them a short thank you for what they do.
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