Rockville future Marines push through 3-mile hike

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Anthony Kirby | U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Nicholas Safran teaches his future Marines about the contents inside of a Meal-Ready-To-Eat Aug. 20 at Sugarloaf Mountain in Urbana, Maryland. Every future Marine had a bag that contained one MRE, two bottles of water, and 1 Gatorade to get them through a 3.31-mile hike. Safran is the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of Recruiting Sub-station Rockville, Recruiting Station Frederick. (Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Anthony J. Kirby/Released)  

URBANA, MD, UNITED STATES

08.20.2016

Story by Sgt. Anthony Kirby 

4th Marine Corps District

Marine Corps Recruiting Sub-station Rockville took their future Marines, also known as poolees, to Sugarloaf Mountain in Urbana, Maryland, Aug. 20 to better prepare them for recruit training.
Every month, recruiters host a poolee function, which brings the future Marines together for physical training and passing of knowledge. For physical training, recruiters and poolees usually do various callisthenic workouts in the form of a circuit course.
“When poolees return from recruit training, we get their feedback of what was new to them and what kind of struggles they came across, so we can incorporate that into our training plan to help current poolees,” said Marine Staff Sgt. Nicholas Safran, staff noncommissioned officer in charge of RSS Rockville, Recruiting Station Frederick. “Getting them exposed to hikes now means it won’t be brand new to them when they do it in recruit training.”
The poolees felt it was a positive change from the norm.
“I feel like it’s a step up from what we’ve normally done,” said poolee Basiru Garner from Silver Spring, Maryland. “We usually do an initial strength test or a really long workout, but this has a unique vibe to it because we’re in a different environment, and it gives us a feel of what past Marines have been through; hiking through all this rugged land and getting through it.”
The hike was 3.31 miles long, going up and down hills elevated 1,000 ft. in at least 85-degree weather. Every poolee had a bag that contained one Meal-Ready-To-Eat, two bottles of water, and 1 Gatorade.
“This was my first time hiking and it was a lot considering we had to walk for miles up these hills, but it was so fun being around nature and my friends” said RSS Rockville poolee Auset Baptiste from Trinidad and Tobago.
Marine Pfc. Victoria Lacey, who recently graduated recruit training and Marine Combat Training, knows from experience how beneficial this hike will be.
“It’s different in recruit training because we’re going much faster and wearing heavier packs, but unlike Parris Island, this hike is really rocky and hilly,” said Lacey, who is home for recruiter’s assistance.
During a break in the hike, poolees were taught how to eat an MRE, taught Marine Corps history and witnessed the promotion of one of their peers, Brian Copa from Silver Spring, Maryland.
“We do promotions in front of the other poolees to reward that good behavior and initiative,” said Safran. “It also helps motivate some of the other poolees to aid in the recruiting effort.”
It seems this will not be the sub-station’s last hike. Poolees have declared it an enjoyable and different experience, and have grown their confidence they can make it through recruit training.

• Date Taken: 08.20.2016
• Date Posted: 10.05.2016 12:15
• Story ID: 211345
• Location: URBANA, MD, US
• Hometown: SILVER SPRING, MD, US