“Old breed?, New breed?, There’s not a damn bit of difference so long as it’s the MARINE breed!” Chesty Puller, USMC.
August 29th marks the 98th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Congress passed the Naval Appropriations Act on this day in 1916. This Act is in charge of providing trained units to be mobilized for Active Duty in time of war or National Security. It is the largest command in the United States Marine Corp.
Today’s Reservist enlists for an 8 year term. The Reservist have to pass the ASVAB (Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery) which is a written test to determine qualifications in all the Armed Services. Each Reservist must pass Recruit Training (boot camp). This is a 13-week program that is set to the highest standards both physically and mentally. After graduation, Reservists go on to the 2nd phase of SOI (School of Infantry). But if your job is not infantry then you go onto MCT (Marine Combat Training).
For Reservist it is off to home. They will train one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year. I do not make light of this; Reservist are held to the very high standards of every Marine. Reservist are critical to the overall combat readiness the Marine Corp demands.
USMCR are vital to the community. Remember that little program called Toys For Tots? This was thought up back in 1947 by a Reservist and his wife in Los Angeles. Toys For Tots grew by huge degrees and in 1991 Secretary of Defense authorized the non-profit affiliation. Come October through December of every year the USMCR collect new toys for distribution at Christmas time. They also have a website that you may donate: http://www.toysfortots.org/default.aspx
I am partial to the Marines because HONEY is a Marine Vet. And I don’t know a woman, 8 to 80 that does not stop to eye a Marine in his dress Blues!
Semper Fi
OORAH!
~Jacquie
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