Photo By Lance Cpl. Francisco Abundes | Recruits from Oscar Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, help one another reach...... read more read more
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PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Oscar Company conquered their fears by completing the Confidence Course at Parris Island’s Leatherneck Square on Jan. 25.
The course is made up of 14 obstacles, which are designed to test the recruits’ confidence and faith in their fellow teammates.
“You need to have confidence in yourself and the ability of your buddy to overcome the obstacles,” said Staff Sgt. Samuel Baird, a martial arts instructor who oversaw the training. “A lot of times, they’re scared to put themselves in somebody else’s hands to accomplish the obstacle.”
Some of the most difficult obstacles the recruits must conquer are the Slide for Life, Stairway to Heaven and the A-Frame, Baird said.
These obstacles require the recruits to get high off the ground, often challenging the recruits will.
“You need to have confidence in yourself and your training in order to complete it,” Baird said.
That is where drill instructors do their part to help motivate their recruits through the obstacles.
“I’m scared of heights, but my senior drill instructor told me that every Marine gets tired, and they still have to do their job,” said Pfc. Daisy Zamora, a 19-year-old from Chicago. “So I put all my selfishness aside, and I did my best to get up there.”
Recruits also have personal reasons to complete the obstacles. Those recruits who finish the obstacles have the honor of announcing what platoon they belong to and who their senior drill instructor is.
It took Zamora, who is barely five-feet tall, a while to finish climbing the A-frame, but after fighting her fears, she completed the once daunting obstacle.
“[Recruits] let the obstacles get the best of them and feel defeated before they start,” said Gunnery Sgt. Tiffany Guillory, Zamora’s senior drill instructor.
Guillory said recruits come out mentally stronger after finishing the course.
“It builds that confidence that causes them to believe more in themselves and their abilities,” she said.
Guillory said the course also feeds the recruits’ warrior ethos. It teaches recruits not to give up on themselves, encourage each other and push through even in the face of adversity.
Warrior ethos is comprised of three things: mental, character and physical discipline, Baird said.
“You have to be mentally strong to accomplish these obstacles, as well as have some sort of physical strength and endurance to be able to execute these obstacles properly,” Baird said. “You have to look into your character to find what’s going to help you and motivate you and your buddies to the left and right of you, and give you the confidence to accomplish whatever task is presented – that ties in to the whole Marine warrior ethos.”
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.29.2012 10:03 |
| Story ID: | 85947 |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 146 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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