Photo By Sgt. Erica Kirsop | Members of the Navy and Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program form Recruiting Substation...... read more read more
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Approximately 90 members of the Navy and Marine Corps’ delayed entry program gathered at Collette Park for a physical training competition in Riverside, Calif., June 26.
Marine Recruiting Substation Riverside and Navy Recruiting Station Riverside partnered to create a six-event challenge that would encourage participants to learn about their counterparts’ purpose and training style, build a bond with their fellow services, and become more physically fit.
“We have never done an [interservice] challenge like this,” said Petty Officer 1st Class William Currie, the lead petty officer for NRS Riverside. “The Navy and the Marines work closely with each other [in the fleet], and this challenge is a great way for these kids to get to know each other and learn about what the Marines do.”
The event challenges included pull-ups, individual and squad push-ups, relay races, a flutter-kick endurance test, and concluded with drill movements.
All attendees took part in at least one exercise. Some were part of a team while others went one-on-one with a member of the opposing service. Participants for each event were selected at random.
“We didn’t want to create teams that favored one set of skills or strengths,” said Staff Sgt. Edgar Razo, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of RSS Riverside. “By picking people at random we encouraged competition throughout the entire group instead of just our strongest people.”
Upon first arriving to the event it was very clear who belonged to which branch of service. There was almost an invisible line separating the two groups. Marine Corps poolees were only speaking to Marine Corps poolees and future sailors were only speaking with other future sailors. However after each competition the groups grew closer in proximity and conversation.
By the end of the challenge Marine poolees and future sailors were cheering each other on through each event regardless of branch. They were giving one another high fives and congratulating the winners as well as anyone who gave it their all.
Instead of reveling in their individual victories, competition winners were seen going back to run with racers who were still trying to get to the finish line, explaining ways to help others improve their pull-ups, and cheering for competitors to keep going with the exercises even if they were exhausted.
“I really liked this challenge because I wanted to focus on improving my weaknesses,” said Bridget Duarte, a future sailor from Riverside, Calif. “The Marines had a female who did like 9 pull-ups, and it motivates me because if I see how she is able to do it, then maybe I can improve mine.”
While some poolees saw this event as purely exercise, others viewed it as a way to get to know their future brothers and sisters in arms.
This event was great for camaraderie. Anytime everyone is giving a competition their all, it is going to be a good time. It didn’t matter if you were here for the Navy or the Marines, we were here to have fun and encourage each other to be our best, explained Cassandra Escobar, a poolee set to leave for recruit training in 2015.
As the last event came to a close and everyone gathered around the picnic tables for lunch, participants were not avoiding the other branches or asking who won. Everyone was too busy laughing and having a great time with their new friends and soon to be fellow service members to check the final score.
Currie and Razo plan on repeating this interservice challenge in the future with hopes of expanding it to include more substations and Navy recruiting offices.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2014 17:32 |
| Story ID: | 135003 |
| Location: | RIVERSIDE, CA, US |
| Hometown: | RIVERSIDE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 521 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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