July 21, 1997 - Camping, Boot Camp Style

Note: While at Basic Warrior Training, I was unable to write in my journal (the horror!), so I have one long entry that covers all three days. In order not to spoil anything here, I will only include the journal entry portion relevant to the given day.
970724 - Mon: morning, nothing really. Afternoon: moved out to bivouac area for BWT, set up hooches (tents). Evening: 6 mile night hump (hike)...very challenging.

I really love camping.

I love waking up to the sound of nature, going out and having a cup of coffee. I love cooking on the campfire and even just sitting by the campfire. I love the mixed smells of campfire smoke and nature. I love playing cards or other games by the light of a lantern, telling stories and riddles. And I love going on leisurely walks through the woods, stopping here and there to examine some tree or trail, or just stopping to enjoy the view.

Going to the field in boot camp had none of that.

Instead, we awoke to the sound of screaming Drill Instructors. There was no coffee. There was water. There was no cooking or sitting by the campfire because there was no campfire. Our meals were Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs. They were vacuum sealed bags of what might pass for food, if we'd been allowed to use the included heaters and heat the food. But we weren't. In fact, much of the MRE was taken away as soon as we got it. In addition to the heating elements, we were required to surrender our instant coffee, sugar packets, juice mix, and any gum or candy that had been included. And the only smells we had were the same smells we'd had all summer: sweaty young men with no time for proper personal hygiene.

And then there was the hike, or “hump” as Marines call it (Honestly, I sometimes think they made new names for things just to see if anyone would finally say, “Ok, I think we've made enough weird names for things,” but no one has). A boot camp hump was anything but leisurely. For starters, you're in a formation, so unless you're lucky like me and in the 1st or 4th squad, the only scenery is someone else's back. Secondly, though we weren't marching, and we weren't allowed to be running, there were times when we were walking so fast that we looked like a platoon of elderly mall-walkers. And finally, there were the Drill Instructors. Throughout the entire hump, they would repeat:

DI: Tighten it up! (This meant that we were supposed to maintain 40 inches between our chest and the back of the recruit in front of us; no easy task when power-walking.)
Us: Tighten it up, aye sir!
DI: Align to the right! (This meant to stay in line with the recruit to our right; especially challenging if they weren't “tightening it up” like they were supposed to.)
Us: Align to the right, aye sir!
DI: Tighten it up!
Us: Tighten it up, aye sir!
DI: Align to the right!
Us: Align to the right, aye sir!
DI: Tighten it up!
Us: Tighten it up, aye sir!
DI: Align to the right!
Us: Align to the right, aye sir!
DI: Tighten it up!
Us: Tighten it up, aye sir!
DI: Align to the right!
Us: Align to the right, aye sir!

I'd say you get the picture, but you couldn't possibly. If you want to “get the picture” go for a 5-mile power walk and yell that for nearly the entire time.

Going to the field in the Marines was only slightly better than in boot camp. Still no campfires or leisurely ambles through nature, but we did get to keep our candy. So, there's that.

It took several years after I got out of the Marines before I liked and even loved camping again. And, full disclosure, I now camp with a pop-up camper, so it's even more far-removed from anything experienced in boot camp. Though sometimes my kids steal my candy.

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