Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
SummerACTIVITIESPlatoonLoyaltyattheRegimentalLeadershipAcademyByYMLCplSaraLaxsonWesternNewYorkNYEarlyinJulyIhadtheopportunitytogototheTennesseeRegimentalLeadershipAcademy.Itwasablastbutalsodef-nitelythebiggestchallengeIfacedasaYoungMarine.Afterwesettledinwewereputintoplatoons.IwasplacedinJuniorLeadershipSchoolJLS2ndPlatoonandwewereinstructedtogettoknowourplatoonmembers.WhatIhadhopedtokeepabigsecretbecameveryobvi-oustomembersofmyplatoon.Wewerecommandedtogiveeveryonesnamerankandwheretheywerefrom--andIdidhorribly.Laterthatdayaftereveningchowwewereputintosquadsandwehadtotaketurnsdrillingeveryone.EveryonenoticedsomethingwaswrongIwasntdoingthecommandsright.SoIbrokedownandtoldthesquadthatIhaveahearingloss.Thatwaspassedontomyplatoonsergeant.Hethenmadesuremywholeplatoonwasawareofmyhearinglossandthatifandwhentheycalledcadencetheyneededtospeakup.TherestoftheweekwasmuchbetterbecausewheneverwewouldmarchsomewheretheydaskmebeforehandifIcouldhear.JLSreallymademeregretnotwearingmyhear-ingaidsbutImsothankfulforallthesupportmyplatoongavemethroughouttheweek.Theytrulyexhibitedthetraitsofteamworkandleadership.StandingStillWasDifcultatHisFirstUnitOvernightByYMPvtWilliamHarrisonShenandoahValleyVAThedaythatmyschoolgotoutforsummerImetupwithmyunittogototheDivisionIIFieldmeetinMaryland.IhadjustjoinedtheYoungMarinesinMarchsothefeldmeetwasmyfrstovernightexperiencewithmyunit.IwasexcitedbutalsoalittlenervousbecauseIdidnotknowexactlywhattoexpect.ButonceIgotthereitwasreallyfun.Thetwonightswentbypret-tyquicklybecausetherewasalwayssomethingtodo.WecompetedinabunchofdifferenteventsagainstunitsfromalloverDi-visionII.Somewerephysicalchalleng-esandsomewerementalchallengesbuttheyallrequiredteamwork.Thechal-lengesIparticipatedinwereTugOWarandsackraces.Wealsogotupearlytodrillonourlastday.Thehardestpartoftheweekendwashowlongwehadtostandatattentionsome-times.AsIcontinueinYoungMarinesIamsureIwillgetusedtoandbetteratstandingattention.SinceIamsomewhatnewtoYoungMarinesmyfavoritepartoftheweekendwasgettingtoknowothersbetterinmyunit.IalsolikedmeetingotherYoungMarinesfromalloverDivisionIIandlisteningtospeakersattheeventwhowereveryinspirational.IcannotwaittodoitagainnextyearStandingStillWasDifcultStandingStillWasDifcult20ESPRITFall2013