Marine Recruits Get Taste Of Boot Camp At Rickenbacker

Marine Corps recruits from Ohio and West Virginia endured a test in agility, motivation and commitment on Saturday.

They gathered at the Navy and Marine Corps Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker International Airport for an afternoon of physical challenges aimed to prepare them for basic training.

Sergeant Dana Hineline said the exercise was just a fraction of what would be expected of recruits once they arrived at boot camp.

"We cause a little bit of stress just to show them. That way, we can make or break the weak ones verses the strong ones and separate those two," Sgt. Hineline said.

Some proud parents watched as their daughters and sons endured the competition which included events like pull-ups, sit-ups and a distance run.

"I've already seen some positive changes that weren't there before," Kurt Collins said.

Marine recruiters described the drills as an important step toward shaping future Marines.

"Taxpayers are relying us to mentally and physically prepare these guys because it costs the government a lot of money to get these guys to recruit training," Sgt. Major Thomas Herman said. "And if we send them all the way down there, and they're not mentally or physically prepared, then we wasted their time, taxpayer dollars and our time. So it's very very important."

Some of Saturday's participants were expected to report for basic training in a matter of weeks.

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