Training the Best

Every year on or about the 10th of November, all marines pause to commemorate the birth of our Corps. No matter where the marine's unit is, whether it be in combat or safely at home in the states, they will celebrate our birthday with a cake cutting and a bit of ceremony. Whether that cake is a towering masterpiece or the pound cake out of an MRE, every marine gets cake on the birthday. Even recruits at Parris Island get cake on the Marine Corps birthday.

Down here, in Pensacola amongst several thousand sailors, we marines of MATSG-21 do the ball big. Medals are polished, expensive dinners and hair appointments (for our date) are booked, and we tie one on in grand fashion. Our officers ball was Saturday evening at the National Naval Aviation Museum on base. It was a really good time, many complained that there was no real feeling of comraderie and they were upset that dinner was not served, but it was a lot of fun having the ball amongst dozens of historic naval aircraft and the ceremony was top notch. Overall a well done ball.

I did have more drunken fun at the balls in Charlotte, but I guess I've grown out of that kind of fun. Well maybe not entirely, but when a woman drives four and a half hours and puts on an evening gown for you, acting like an ass and throwing up in the bushes is not the way to show your appreciation.

The lady I speak of is Bela, a friend of my roommate Leah. They went to Georgia Tech together and she now works as an industrial engineer in Atlanta. I met her back in September when she came down to visit Leah and then Leah and I went to GA Tech last weekend to see the Yellow Jackets beat the Clemson Tigers. She's quite popular at Tech, I think I was introduced to over a hundred people in the couple of hours I was walking around campus with her. A runner up for Miss Georgia Tech 2004 too ;)

Being her first experience with the military, I did have to brief her on the uniquities of the Marine Corps and our birthday celebration. I think it was something like "Expect a lot of grunting and yelling preceeded and followed by a lot of drinking." Plus my buddies from second platoon had to indulge her with my nicknames and a few embarrassing stories from TBS. She did return home with me afterwards, so I guess the stories weren't too bad.