MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, San Diego (KGTV) -- We drive by the boot camp where United States Marines are made often, but unless you’ve served, you probably don’t know what happens behind the walls.
A group of educators from San Diego and around the world recently went to boot camp for a week to give their students a better idea of what serving our country is like.
Their first stop was standing on the legendary yellow footprints. It’s where the transformation begins the moment recruits arrive.
“It was very disorienting," said Susan Pilgrim, with San Diego Job Corps.
Pilgrim said at least one person talks to her monthly about a future in the military. The boot camp experience gives her insight into how to answer their questions accurately.
“I wasn’t prepared for what this was going to be like, and I didn’t want to get in the way or make the wrong footstep, so I was being very careful while still trying to understand what was happening," she explained.
The educators then learned the boot camp rules that guide Marines’ lives.
“There’s a lot of screaming and yelling, but there’s also time where they’ve got to learn," said Marine Corps drill instructor Sgt. Emmanual Medina.
Sgt. Medina led Pilgrim and the rest of the group from start to finish and answered all the educators’ questions, ranging from where recruits leave their belongings and if they can express their religious freedoms during boot camp.
The drill instructors even got a little feedback from their civilian counterparts.
"I was confused. Maybe you should speak with some clarity," said one of the educators.
With processes in place and any confusion cleared up, the next stop was the barracks recruits call home for the next 13 weeks.
They also witnessed and participated in a physical fitness test.
All in all, it was an eye-opening experience for the influential figures.
"It gives me a better perspective to talk to my students who are considering a military pathway," said Pilgrim.
Pilgrim comes from a military family and had somewhat of an idea of what to expect.
Now, she's walking away with a distinct understanding and ability to empower the next generation of service members.
"Just stepping off that bus this morning, the anxiety and my heart pounding and I’m not joining the military, but just that understanding for what’s at stake. I think I will have a lot of information," said Pilgrim.
The workshop happens a few times per year at MCRD.
