The First Steps
At 0900 on April 5th, 2025, more than 250 young men and women about to ship out to recruit training, known as Poolees, and Marines gathered to conduct an annual pool function hosted by Marine Corps Recruiting Station Charlotte at South Iredell High School in Statesville, North Carolina. The pool function is designed to ensure that all future Marines are physically and mentally prepared for the rigorous training that they will encounter upon...