My classes started out with 58 females and finished with 28, which is pretty good compared to some classes before me. But to give you a different perspective, there were 257 candidates on day one. Five no-shows, and on Graduation Day, there were 173.

I think the biggest challenge for females coming in is that they don’t understand that it is the military. You are in a military environment so don’t expect to have a choice or options. I went into OCS in great shape, so I thought, and I came out in better shape. Some girls really struggled with the PT because they were unprepared. I struggled with the eminent amount of frustration. Everything there is frustrating. Everything. I struggled with the fact that even when it makes sense to do it one way, you’re wrong, haha. When you’re in OCS, there is no more YOU; there is the team. And fortunately, the girls that I graduated with were all in it for the team. I heard of other platoons that were not so lucky.

I also struggled with the hikes and the amount of weight we had to carry. I’m a small female and the pack was literally half my body weight. But there were girls smaller then me that also completed the hikes. Just prepare yourself for that.

The other thing is that females are the minority in the Marine Corps, so expect that the Sgt Instructors are going to make you a little tougher. But rightfully so. If we want to play hard we have to be hard. We as a female platoon did everything the male platoons did. There is no big secret to OCS. Just prepare and go in there and give a 110%.
Good luck
From a new 2nd Lt

Recent OCS Graduates commissioning as 2nd Lts in the National Museum of the Marine Corps

In Memoriam
Charles L. “Chuck” Armstrong (MOI ’80-’82)

Major Charles Lewis Armstrong

Charles L. Armstrong, LTCOL USMC (Ret) passed away quietly in his sleep early on the morning of August 14, 2011 in his Trophy Club, TX home from recently diagnosed brain cancer. Chuck, a native Texan, graduated from High School in Paris, TX in 1966, where he was an All-State coronet player.
Upon graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps, with the expressed intent of serving a combat tour in Vietnam. He eventually did that after graduating East Texas State University and receiving his commission as a 2ndLT. While studying, Armstrong managed and coached at the Paris Karate School, Texas Karate Institute (Dallas) and East Texas State University, where he was a nationally ranked competition fighter and Co-Captain of the school’s competition team. Choosing to remain in the Marine Corps until 1991, Chuck’s career involved him in four shooting wars across 22 foreign countries. He held the posts of Marine Officer Instructor (MOI) at UT, Head of Regular Marine Officer Procurement, U.S. Naval Attaché in El Salvador, G3 of Marine Forces Central Command in Riyadh, as well as others. He was Commanding Officer of units as large as 650 and Chief Operations Officer of units as large as 7,000 and received over 40 decorations, medals, and citations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and Purple Heart.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, LTCOL Armstrong completed the executive MBA program at SMU’s Cox School of Business and went on to work in various executive positions in companies ranging from start-ups to “Fortune 500” before making three returns to combat zones as a civilian. These included Egypt, Lebanon, and, most recently, the Anbar Province of Iraq. Throughout this period, he wrote dozens of articles published in books, periodicals, and professional journals, such as The Marine Corps Gazette, one of which won the Wilcox Award for professional writing. In recent years he enjoyed mentoring several military, retiring military, and graduating MBAs. In addition to competing in numerous karate tournaments, Chuck, a lifelong fitness enthusiast, has run marathons and on two occasions set the world record for the most pull-ups completed in a single session, performing 1,435 repetitions in under five hours during his second attempt. He was a certified parachutist and scuba diver, and an avid weight lifter. He was also fluent in Spanish and enjoyed using the language on a nearly daily basis for the latter twenty years of his life. Armstrong is survived by his wife Marlys, his son Jason, his sister Jane Harper, his wolf Ringo, and countless friends scattered in every corner of the world

Awesome Underwear = Awesome Running "Shorts"

Candidates and friends,

The Marine Corps Times story last week confused many of us and led to many discussions over on the facebook page. I, the blog author, have been in contact with the writer of the story, who helped clear up the issue. See the correspondence below.

Apparently you can still purchase silkies at the moment. Time to stock up on fashion!

• From the Marine Times writer: This was a confusing story precisely because there is no MARADMIN on silkies. It is more based on the Uniform Board’s interpretation of standing guidance on PT shorts. They have been providing guidance to units on an individual basis, they say. This is what I told another Marine who wrote in asking the same thing:  There actually isn’t a MARADMIN which makes it confusing. It looks like there isn’t anything explicitly banning silkies. They are banned by virtue of the fact that they don’t fit with the current style of standard issue short, according to the Uniform Board.

From the Uniform Board:

• Q1. Why are silkies no longer authorized for unit PT, but still authorized for individual PT?
• Answer: Paragraph 3023.1 of the Uniform Regulations states:

CH 5 b. Olive green trunks of any material, similar in design to the standard issue trunks, may be worn at the option of the individual on all occasions for which the PT uniform is authorized/prescribed. Optional trunks may be purchased through Marine Corps Exchanges or commercial sources and are not required to contain Marine Corps approval identification.” Marines are authorized to wear any shorts similar in design to the current shorts. The word “current” is the key. The current shorts look like soccer shorts (longer) and are a darker green than the old silkies. The silkies do not look like the current short in either design, color or fabric, as such, they are not authorized.”…

Don’t forget. According to the officials I talked to, you CAN still wear them for individual PT. I’m also not sure how strictly or consistently individual units are actually enforcing the silkies ban. I know a lot of guys like them.

From an applicant: “I have a question. I am waiting to see if my application will be accepted for the Fall OCS class and until then I feel like time is slipping away. Is there anything that I should do or could do with the time remaining besides my normal workout routine? I guess my nerves are getting to me and I feel like I need to be doing more. Don’t get me wrong, I have trained excessively but again it’s the unknown factor that worries me. The ‘if I only did this’ before hand then I would have been better prepared.”

Candidates,

First off, review this post. If you are physically fit, and highly motivated, with a little leadership talent, you will pass this test. Secondly, if I give someone unworthy of USMC officership enough “tips” to pass the leadership tests at OCS unfairly, then I do a great disservice to the Corps.

So, basically work out alot, stay motivated, and do your best, letting the chips fall as they may.

Okay, okay, I can hear you screaming. Once upon a time, I too was a worried candidate. I’ll share a few pieces of advice to help give you something to do before OCS.

• For fall and winter OCS, a great challenge for many will be the cold weather and water obstacles. In the winter, if they have to break the ice for you to navigate the Quigley, they will. Having never plunged into icy water before in my life, that was a pretty big shock at OCS. First tip: take a dip in a very cold tub or shower and stay in it for 5 minutes. Besides getting a little cold, you will gain some mental toughness and discipline which will translate well at OCS.
  

  The Quigley. That's SNOW on the ground. If you don't think this sucks, you haven't been dunked in 40 degree water.

• Secondly, put 50 lbs in a backpack and march for miles once a week in boots, to break in the boots, break in your feet, and get over the mental fear of carrying weight. Start with 2 miles, then add 2 more miles each week until you can do 10, then scale it back until OCS.
• Thirdly, sleep alot overall before OCS to get rid of your sleep debt. But! If you have months to go, take one week and see how you function getting under 3 hours of sleep a night. You’ll still be able to do your workouts, but it will take some discipline to stay awake 21 hours a day after a day or two. Get used to it. That’s like the first 3 weeks at OCS.
• Fourthly, memorize cadences and run while YELLING. You will not have a nice slow jogging pace with easy breathing at OCS. It will all be running on hilly trails while yelling. You will need to have several minutes of cadences ready to go in the first week at OCS.
• Lastly, desserts and sweets, cigarettes, alcohol, even surfing the web can be pretty addictive, and completely out of the questions at OCS. Slowly wean yourself off your addictions. Whenever I actually got something yummy like carrot cake at the chow hall (they did serve it periodically!), it was the greatest treat ever. I know some candidates who had very bad candy cravings. Who knew. Don’t make OCS harder on yourself.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

CAPTAIN HENRY T. ELROD
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN, during action against enemy Japanese land, surface and aerial units at Wake Island, from 8 to 23 December 1941. Engaging vastly superior forces of enemy bombers and warships on 9 and 12 December, Captain Elrod shot down two of a flight of twenty-two hostile planes and, executing repeated bombing and strafing runs at extremely low altitude and close range, succeeded in inflicting deadly damage upon a large Japanese vessel, thereby sinking the first major warship to be destroyed by small caliber bombs delivered from a fighter-type aircraft. When his plane was disabled by hostile fire and no other ships were operative, Captain Elrod assumed command of one flank of the line set up in defiance of the enemy landing and conducting a brilliant defense, enabled his men to hold their positions and repulse determined Japanese attacks, repeatedly proceeding through intense hostile fusillades to provide covering fire for unarmed ammunition carriers. Capturing an automatic weapon during one enemy rush in force, he gave his own firearm to one of his men and fought on vigorously against the Japanese. Responsible in a large measure of the strength of his sector’s gallant resistance, on 23 December, Captain Elrod led his men with bold aggressiveness until he fell, mortally wounded. His superb skill as a pilot, daring leadership and unswerving devotion to duty distinguished him among the defenders of Wake Island, and his valiant conduct reflects the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country./S/HARRY S. TRUMAN

Don’t you aviation contracts ever think that the basic rifleman and infantry tactics learned at OCS or TBS could never be useful. Everybody needs to take all of the training seriously. Look at Captain Elrod, who shot down Japanese planes, then ditched his damaged plane and commanded the flank of the ground defense, and fought the Japanese with one of their own captured weapons. Semper Fidelis, Captain Elrod!

Semper Fi.

The Law of Sacrifice

Last month, James “Jimmer” Fredette was selected in the NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. It was a moment that capped off a breakout season for Jimmer. In his senior year, Fredette captured national attention with his dazzling three-point shooting and led the Brigham Young Cougars to a record-breaking number of wins and the school’s first trip to the Sweet Sixteen in thirty years.

The moment also represented the fulfillment of a contract his older brother had drawn up and Jimmer had signed a few years before:

Jimmer hung this contract in his room and looked at it every single day. “It reminded me of what my goal was,” he said, “and if I didn’t want to work hard or practice that day, I would look at that and think, ‘You have to work as hard as you possibly can and do things other kids aren’t doing in order to be the best and reach your goal.’”

The things the other kids weren’t doing were drills like “The Gauntlet,” in which Jimmer would dribble down a pitch dark hallway at church, as his friends jumped out of classrooms in an attempt to throw him off his game. He also played pick-up games at the local prison, where he learned not to be intimidated by trash talk and extremely tough play.

When college recruiters didn’t come around, having deemed him too white and slow to be a viable prospect, he just kept on practicing and honing his game at one of the few schools to offer him a scholarship: BYU.  In the summer after his junior year, he attended predraft camps with NBA teams in order to find the weak spots in his game that needed improvement.

The work paid off when he got to don the Kings’ cap and hoist a NBA jersey on June 23^rd.  He had made the necessary sacrifices to reach his goal.

What Is Sacrifice?

When we hear the word sacrifice, we often think of completely selfless acts in which someone does something for another entirely for the other person’s benefit. The image of a soldier sacrificing his life for his comrades frequently comes to mind.

Read more at Art of Manliness

Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.
Benjamin Franklin

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.
Albert Einstein

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
George Bernard Shaw
Man and Superman.

Most American Picture on the Internet. Those are Marines & Sailors unfurling the flag.

The Commandant’s Professional Reading List is the official Marine Corps list of recommended reading, and includes a list of books for each rank to read. Every Marine is required to read at least one of these books each year for his current rank.

The following books are the required reading materials for Officer Candidates. Don’t ask me “what more can I do?” if your PFT isn’t 300 and if you haven’t read these books:

First to Fight: An Inside View of the US Marine Corps by LtGen Krulak

Every Marine's Read

Deftly blending history with autobiography, action with analysis, the legendary Marine general Victor “Brute” Krulak offers here a riveting insider’s chronicle of U.S. Marines–their fights on the battlefield and off, and their extraordinary esprit de corps. He not only takes a close look at the Marine experience during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam–wars in which Krulak was himself a participant–but also examines the foundation on which the Corps is built. In doing so, he helps answer the question of what it means to be a Marine and how the Corps has maintained such a consistently outstanding reputation. First to Fight has been included on the Marine Corps’s recommended reading list for many years.

MCDP 1 Warfighting

The United States Marine Corps is the largest such force on the planet, and yet it is the smallest, most elite section of the U.S. military, one with a long and storied history. Here, in the most current version of the manual used by the

Buy it. Read it. Love it.

Corps itself, is an explanation of the philosophy that makes the Marine Corps unique-here are the concepts and values behind how the Corps fights. Topics discussed include: . war defined . the science, art, and dynamic of war . war as an act of policy . styles of warfare . professional military education . the philosophy of command . and more

The Armed Forces Officer, DoD 2006

Initiated in 1950, this 2007 edition is the latest in a classic series of books of the same title. Journalist-historian S. L. A. Marshall wrote the first at the behest of Gen. George C. Marshall, who formed the great citizen army of World War II. The general believed officers of all services needed to base their professional commitment on a common moral-ethical grounding, which S. L. A. Marshall set out to explain. Ever since, these books have provided a foundation of thought, conduct, standards, and duty for American commissioned officers.

A Message to Garcia by E. Hubbard

This short story is required reading at TBS. It is available for free on many websites. Just read it!

Rifleman Dodd by C.S. Forester

This is a classic tale of one man’s fight against the enemy. A British rifleman has been cut off behind enemy lines by the French advance into Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. The British Army was pushed back to a last line of defense. The rifleman continues to do what he can to stop the French advance, with no hope for personal recognition or

rewards, and a slim chance of survival. Highly trained to do his duty, he takes to the woods, scouts the enemy, and carries out hit and run raiding. The novel is a study of one man’s commitment to duty taking precedence over his own personal survival. It shows how one man with ability, courage, and initiative can make a difference to the outcome of a war.

The Soldier’s Load by S.L.A. Marshall

Since, 1950, official studies have relied extensively on
S.L.A. Marshall’s “The Soldier’s Load and the Mobility of a Nation,”
which examined a man’s physical load-bearing limitations and ways of
overcoming them. Marshall noted that the infantryman is “a beast of burden” but that his
chief function in war does not begin until he delivers that burder to the
appointed place. His load should therefore be light enough to enable him
to fight unimpaired when he arrives at the field of battle. In the past,
this has not always happened. Marshall contended, for example, that
during the assault on Normandy, the troops were slow coming off the
beaches because they were exhausted from their heavy loads.

Enders Game by O.S. Card

Intense is the word for Ender’s Game. Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses — and then training them in the arts of war… The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of ‘games’… Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games… He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

Once A Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery

The last human being I see with perfect clarity – the last I will ever fully see – does his damndest to kill me.

From this dramatic opening line in Chapter One to the last sentence of the Epilogue you will not want to put this book down; it’s simply that good.

The Lions of Iwo Jima

In this intense, moving account, the authors bring the reality of the fighting on Iwo Jima to readers, who are likely to be shocked and even numbed by the nonstop descriptions of carnage. Warren is a journalist and author specializing

in military affairs; Haynes is a member of the diminishing group of Iwo Jima survivors, and he has collected for decades letters, diaries, and previously unpublished memoirs, written by his comrades, which are put to superb use here.

The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War

Up until now, the Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam gives us a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides astonishingly vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major figures — Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim, and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgway.

Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War by M. Sallah & M. Weiss

During the Vietnam War, Tiger Force was the code name of an elite platoon of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry. Its pedigree was impeccable. The battalion’s executive officer, Maj. David Hackworth, organized the 45-man volunteer force in 1966, and it became one of the war’s most highly decorated units, paying for its reputation with heavy casualties. But for seven months beginning in May 1967, Tiger Force descended into a moral abyss. Operating in what was defined as enemy country, the platoon engaged in an orgy of atrocities that ranged from taking ears, scalps and teeth to the mass killing of unarmed civilians.

The Last Stand of Fox Company by B. Drury & T. Clavin

The authors of the bestselling Halsey’s Typhoon do a fine job recounting one brutal, small-unit action during the Korean War’s darkest moment. In November 1950, as General MacArthur’s troops were advancing deep into North Korea, China warned that it would intervene if armies approached its border. U.S. troops were scattered through mountainous terrain at the onset of a freezing winter. Using extensive interviews with survivors, the authors tell the story of one 234-man company ordered to secure a rocky promontory overlooking the legendary Chosin Reservoir.

Anyone who has ever attempted to complete the Marine Corps PFT will tell you that it is no easy task. Completing the test is challenging enough by itself, let alone attempting to earn a perfect 300 PFT score.

To earn a perfect score, a Marine must execute 20 dead hang pull-ups/chin-ups, 100 crunches in 2 minutes or less, and a 3-mile run in 18 minutes or less. Anyone that could achieve 300 points on this test is a true warrior-athlete. It is a balance between upper body strength and cardiovascular strength.

The Army PFT is different and challenging as well. The APFT consists of push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2-mile run. A Soldier maxes it by executing 75 push-ups in 2 minutes or less, 80 sit-ups in 2 minutes or less, and a 2-mile run in 13:00 minutes or less.
These standards are relative to the age group they belong in, in this case 21-26 year olds.

Now that we have a basic overview of each PFT, let’s take a look at how well they stack up against each other. As you read on I want to pose the following questions. Which PFT is more challenging? If you earn a 300 on one, would you able to earn the same score on the other? Which one produces the better warrior-athlete?

Pull-Ups VS Push-Ups

Hands down the Marine Corps pull-ups are more challenging than the Army push-ups. The exercise itself is simply tougher to execute. The pull-ups are especially more challenging for the taller and muscle bound Marines. It is safe to say that if you can do a pull-up, chances are that you can probably do a push-up, but I wouldn’t say the same for the contrary. When you execute a pull-up, you are moving your entire body weight as opposed to moving only your upper body weight during a push-up.

To support this statement, let us take a look at the primary muscles that each exercise targets:

As we can see, both exercises share a lot of similarities. I am willing to stick my neck out there and say that training to do Pull-Ups can make you effective in doing Push-Ups and vice versa, but due to the amount of weight being moved in the Pull-Up it would be more effective.

Crunches VS Sit-Ups

This event belongs to the Army. The sit-ups are a bit more challenging to complete than the crunches. Although a Soldier only needs to do 80 sit-ups instead of 100 crunches, the range of motion of the sit-up is a bit longer. The Marine Corps crunch has a very short range of motion. It would be challenging for a Marine to execute 80 full sit-ups if the Marine is struggling with 100 crunches.

Which is better you say? It depends on your physical condition and your fitness goals. A crunch is generally better to develop your abs while the sit-up is better for your core strength.

3-Miles VS 2-Miles

No contest, this one belongs to the Marine Corps. Marines need to run further and faster to max out. A Marine has to run a mile in an average of 6 minutes per mile for 3-miles. On the other hand a Soldier gets a full 30 seconds longer per mile, and only needs to run 2.
In conclusion, a Marine should fair quite well on the Army PFT, while a Soldier may struggle quite a bit because of the pull-ups and the longer run. I will personally put this claim to the test. I hope that you enjoyed reading this article. Please let us know what you think in the comments… Nothing like a little friendly rivalry!

Are you training to get ready for an upcoming PFT or just want to get in military shape?

Visit http://300pft.com for The 300 PFT guide. No equipment, no fees, no excuses!

Today’s post: These are my personal recommendations of films to watch to either learn about USMC culture, history, or a general United States warrior ethos (vis-a-vis Band of Brothers).

The Pacific

The Pacific centers on the experiences of three Marines (Eugene Sledge, Robert Leckie and John Basilone) who were all in different

The Pacific DVD set

Regiments of the 1st Marine Division. You should read the books it was based on–but wait for a future post on that. The program was lauded by critics but actually met mixed reviews by the Marines I know, due to the overall depressing mood. Historically accurate, it shows war for the hell it is, so don’t expect any “tales of glory” like an old John Wayne-type movie. Still, it’s important history and you should view the stories with the mindset, “one day, men such as those will be ‘my Marines,’ who I will be leading.”

Band of Brothers

Greatest war mini series ever. Not Marines, but soldiering is soldiering. The series holds many lessons of leadership and warfighting that will be highlighted at OCS and beyond.

Band of Brothers

Generation Kill

It’s HBO, so don’t be offended when they focus on the most profane and crass aspects of the Iraq invasion,

Generation Kill DVD set

but it is a useful initiation into the Marine Recon’s Spartan world.  Some great scenes of modern combat, a lot of wasted film trying to titillate modern HBO audiences.

Full Metal Jacket

Remember the first half well. Once at OCS, you won’t believe how true-to-life it is! Marine Corps training hasn’t changed much in many years. After OCS, those scenes will be hilarious.

Guadalcanal Diary

Guadalcanal Diary is a memoir written by war correspondent Richard Tregaskis. The book recounts the author’s time with the United States Marine Corps on Guadalcanal in the early stages of the pivotal months-long battle there starting in 1942. Tregaskis relates combat and conversation in an immediately accessible vernacular, taking care to cite the full name, rank, and hometown of each of the Marines he encountered over the weeks he was on the island.  The book was so well received at home upon publication, and spoke such volumes on the camaraderie amongst the Marines, that the USMC still makes Guadalcanal Diary required reading for all officer candidates.