Parris Island, South Carolina (WJTV) — Parris Island in South Carolina is one of two places in the nation recruits go to become Marines.
The Marine Corps offers a special workshop for teachers, so they can tell their students what boot camp actually involves.
During the April workshop, teachers from Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana were invited to the base for the Marine Corps Educator’s Workshop.
Two Florence High School teachers, Amanda Silas and Clara McDaniel, were the only ones selected from Mississippi to attend that workshop. Our WJTV crew went along with those teachers for their journey through the simulated boot camp.
The teachers were treated just like recruits during the workshop – even down to meeting the drill instructors on base.
“I’m kind of nervous about that,” said Victoria Provenza of Louisiana.
Teachers also went through some weapons training and physical training. They also got to complete some of the obstacles on the Confidence Course on base. “I didn’t do very well, but it was so much fun,” Amanda Silas of Florence said.
Both Silas and McDaniel made a pact before attempting the activities.
“We may not complete it very graceful, but we were not going to tap out,” Clara McDaniel said.
The workshop is designed to show teachers that the military is not a last resort and that it’s an opportunity for high school graduates.
“You want to be a Marine, and you can read,?” said Cpt. Alan Keith with the Assistant Operations Office at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in South Carolina jokingly. “That’s a misconception that’s out there – that Marines are just unintelligent service.”
We’re told recruits go through hours of academic training while at boot camp. After completing the 13-week boot camp, they can leave Marines with college credit.
Teacher Amanda Silas echoed the Marines’ message at the conclusion of training. “They can go to college. It’s not Marines or college. It’s Marines and college, or college and Marines.”
This is Part 1 of 5 in our WJTV Goes to Boot Camp series. Tune in on Wednesday, May 9 as we talk to an actual recruit. You can catch the story at 6 p.m. on WJTV 12.
