Phase I

“BANG! “
“CLANG!”
“THUNK!”

We were awakened by the sound of metal trash cans thrown down the center of the squad-bay (barracks) - bouncing off the metal posts of our racks (bunks) and in some cases hitting unsuspecting people in the head. This was followed by 3 drill instructors (D.I.s) getting in our faces and yelling at the top of their lungs:

“GET UP, GET UP, GET UP! YOU’RE LATE – LET’S GO! C’MON YOU PUSSIES GET OUT OF YOUR RACK AND STAND AT ATTENTION! MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!”

Waking up in a strange place for the first time with people you hardly know is bad enough, but this had everyone scurrying and tripping over each other. It wasn’t until later that I realized...that was the desired effect.

They told us it was 5:30 a.m. and we had 2 minutes to be fully dressed and back at attention by our racks. They marched us like a mob to the chow-hall continuously berating and yelling at us the entire way. We stood at attention outside the chow-hall for what seemed like hours with no explanation. If anyone moved, there was hell to pay. Turns-out they woke us up at 4 a.m. and just told us it was 5:30 a.m. Since there were no clocks anywhere and nobody was allowed a watch, we were dependant on our D.I.s for the time. Not the "real time" mind you, but Marine Corps time.

That was my first encounter with the brainwashing techniques they used in the First Phase (the first 4 weeks out of 12) of boot-camp. First Phase was all about tearing down the individual to be built up later. They already proved they could fuck with our concept of time, but they didn’t stop there.

After breakfast they marched us back to the squad-bay and told everyone they better go to the head (bathroom) because the next head-call was after lunch. So we all filed into the head to take care of business (whether we needed to or not).

After that we had our first morning exercise session - The Marine Corp Daily Dozen (jumping jacks, push-up, sit-ups and so on). These were led by an instructor standing on an elevated platform surrounded by hundreds of recruits. This was followed by a three mile run. Then we were given instructions on how to polish boots and brass. After lunch we were given a 5 minute time-frame to make head-calls and then it was back out for more instructions and training.

The old saying “you gotta go, when you gotta go” was replaced by “you gotta go, when they let you go.”

For the first few days this was a common scenario:

RECRUIT
Request permission to speak to Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery-Sergeant Harris, SIR!

D.I.
Speak, freak.

RECRUIT
Request permission for a head-call, sir.

D.I.
Denied! Get back in line

If you had to go, you just held it or pissed on yourself (one guy in our unit did).

There was one incident that I will never forget. It was one of our first nights and we were standing at attention waiting for final inspection before “hitting the racks.” Pope, my rack-mate, could not hold it any longer:

POPE
…request permission to make a head call, sir.

D.I.
Denied

POPE
Sir, it’s an EMERGENCY head-call, sir!

D.I.
(zeroing in on Pope):
Really, Pope, an emergency head call? Here’s what I want you to do. Drop down and give me 20 push-ups...AND YOU BETTER NOT PEE ON THE DECK!

POPE
Sir, yes Sir!

The Drill Instructor didn't stop there.

D.I.
Now, run to the other end of the squad-bay. Put your hands in the air and swivel them around like siren lights. Then run to the head making a siren noise the whole way. NOW!”

So, here’s this guy in his underwear, gyrating his hands in the air and screaming like a European ambulance, “Woo-ooo, wooo-ooo…” He ran past all of us standing at attention and disappeared into the head.

Everything went silent.

D.I.
I CAN’T HEAR YOU!

His “siren” started up again and could be heard by all of us (in between grunts and water spalshings).

D.I.
DON’T FORGET TO WASH!

Finally, a very hoarse Pope runs back to his place on the other side of our rack and stops making the siren noise.

D.I.
3, 2, 1 - MOUNT!

Everyone hopped into their racks and the D.I. turned off the light.

D.I.
SLEEP TIGHT, PUSSIES!

After that, nobody had an “emergency” head-call again. After about two weeks of this, everyone’s bathroom cycle had conformed to the allotted times.