Graduation

On Friday, just hours before boarding buses to the San Diego airport, the educators were lucky enough to witness the graduation of 512 new Marines in Charlie Company (The Marines are different than the ones that received their Eagle, Globe and Anchor Thursday morning. Those Marines are slated to graduate Jan. 23, 2009)

Once the ceremony is over the Marines are dismissed. As they break out of formation they stop to shake each others hands before heading to see their families who sit waiting in the stands.

Now on leave for 10 days of rest and relaxation, the new Marines will spend time with family and friends before heading back to the depot for 24 days of infantry combat training. After that they will head to their respective "schools" to where they will be instructed in their military occupation specialty or (M.O.S.).  Schooling can take anywhere from three months to a year. Once schooling is done they will be receive their orders.

A typical Marine enlistment is between four to six years. Given the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is fair chance many of the young men and women who graduate this year at MCRD San Diego and MCRD Parris Island will be deployed sometime during that initial enlistment, public affairs officials said. Those Marines who chose infantry as their M.O.S. will skip the basic infantry training required of all new Marines, and instead train for two months at Camp Pendleton's military combat training school. Once done with their course those Marines will be sent abroad to whatever post the branch finds their services will be most needed.

It's a story and a process that will be repeated throughout the year as the depot and its drill instructors continue to "make Marines."

According to Marine Brigadier General Angela Salinas, who overseas  MCRD San Diego, the depot graduates a new company 42 weeks out of the year.