K8's idea of summer camp

K8 has been a cadet in the local Marine Corps Junior ROTC unit the past year. They spent last week having the kind of training every American lad and lass should have. He said it was challenging, but fun. He would go back in a heart beat.

They climbed ropes, and swung across pits and ponds.

They crawled under barbed wire in a hurry.

They ran many miles each day. He got a lot of use out of his wrist watch, because most events were timed. One evening his platoon took a 3 mile run which included a river crossing twice - a big river, holding onto a rope - going out and coming back.

Lots of water breaks. Each day was interspersed with physically demanding activities and a variety of museum tours and other educational opportunities. They had leadership and team problem solving courses, obstacle courses, swimmer survival course, PT courses, played soccer and ultimate frisbee, and even got to drive bull dozers!

They did high crawls and monkey bars.

More low crawls under barbed wire.

And climbed more ropes. He ran the final PT course 3 times in a row. In the words of his LtCol and Msgt, "He's a stud!"

He went to bed in the bottom bunk happily tired each night. Their Master Sergeant woke them at 0500 each morning by banging a trash can lid against the lockers, and they had 20 minutes to get shaved and showered. He said he loved the food in the mess hall. Of course, they weren't allowed to have any sugar until the last day of the week. The girls lived upstairs with their chaperone, and the boys were downstairs with their chaperones.

He said it was a blast, and he can't wait to go back next year. I'm thinking K7 should join up this year and go to camp with him!