| Instead of teaching school, a group of U.S. | | | | "It not only builds confidence but extreme |
| educators recently attended school. They went to | | | | discipline. It allows people to show how much |
| Parris Island, South Carolina where they took part | | | | they've grown up for the past three months." |
| in a workshop to learn about U.S. Marines Corps | | | | The educators watched the drill instructors yelling |
| basic training, also known as boot camp. VOA's | | | | at the recruits during training to keep them in line. |
| Deborah Block was there. | | | | The teachers got a taste of what it feels like to |
| U.S. Marine Corps basic training is the hardest and | | | | get yelled at during their own combat exercise |
| longest of all the American armed forces. Three | | | | with a drill instructor. |
| months of grueling boot camp -- for both men | | | | They also learned how to shoot an M-16 assault |
| and women -- prepares these young recruits for | | | | rifle. |
| war, especially in Iraq or Afghanistan. | | | | Andrea Lafinara is a career counselor at a high |
| Twelve weeks each year, the Marines Corps | | | | school in Virginia. "I think it's amazing how they are |
| pays the expenses for groups of high school and | | | | taking us out here and giving us a look at what |
| college educators to come to Parris Island for | | | | goes on here. And we get to see what the |
| several days to learn what recruits go through to | | | | recruits do and actually try some of the things |
| become Marines. The idea is that if they like what | | | | ourselves. I think it will help us work with our |
| they see, then they will recommend the Marine | | | | students and that we can explain to the students |
| Corps to their students. | | | | what goes on here if they have questions." |
| Recently, about 50 educators from the | | | | Mary Ann Shirts, a college administrator, says the |
| Washington, DC area came to Parris Island. A few | | | | Marines Corp may be good for some students |
| had served in the military or grew up in military | | | | who do not know what kind of job they want to |
| families. Most knew little about boot camp except | | | | do. "You learn a lot of discipline, you learn |
| that it is tough. | | | | teamwork, so many valuable things you learn in |
| The educators watched the recruits' intense | | | | the military that you take with you your whole |
| training and later tried out a challenging obstacle | | | | life." |
| course. Special education high school teacher Lisa | | | | Trisha Leggett says while she respects the |
| Ushery from the state of Maryland grew up with | | | | Marines, she is not in favor of the U.S. being in |
| a father who was in the U.S. Navy. | | | | Iraq. "I don't like the idea of our young men and |
| "Getting up early and doing some of the exercises | | | | women being in Iraq. I don't like the idea at all. But |
| that they do was exhausting so I can't imagine | | | | when they (the recruits) are here I see they are |
| what they're doing. I just have so much respect | | | | getting the confidence that they need. They're |
| for the people who train and educate the | | | | here because they want to be here." |
| Marines." | | | | High school career advisor Scott Woo is also |
| Some recruits ate lunch with the educators, | | | | against the American presence in Iraq. But after |
| including Angela Jenkins, a high school career | | | | four days of learning about boot camp and |
| counselor in the state of Virginia. "The recruits | | | | attending a recruit graduation ceremony, would he |
| seemed to be very disciplined and it just seems | | | | be more likely to recommend the Marine Corps to |
| like an awesome program." | | | | his students? "I wouldn't say more likely but I |
| She bumped into 20-year-old Rafael Negron, a | | | | have more knowledge now to share information |
| graduate from her school. He says the training is | | | | about what Marine life is all about. |
| hard but worth it. | | | | |