March 16th 2011 was my first official marine corp. poolie function. A poolie function is an event for all enlisted marines to meet up and do something related to basic training. This month we had a drill instructor from camp Pendleton; he was very tough we all filed into the Marion high school gym. An instructor said fall in and we lined up naturally I lined up in the front and this would come back to hurt me in the end. We lined up at attention and then I heard the click, click, click of some very shinny black shoes. He appeared a very short stocky Latino his tell tale drill instructor hat and all just like in the movies. The first thing he says is everything I say you reply either Aye Aye sir, yes sir, or no sir nothing else. In unison we all yelled Aye Aye sir he said, “Louder now” so even louder we screamed. His next cadence was the one that tripped me up it was “when I say eyeballs you reply click sir” when he said this it was with a thick Latino accent so I didn’t catch it right away. out of the corner of my eyes I watched him storm up to me take his hat in hand and got in my face screaming eyeballs and finally I found the right words to say but that wasn't good enough. He was screaming so hard spit droplets flew to my face this is so gross. I know but I couldn't wipe it off because that would constitute some intensive training. He said do you understand me and I yelled Aye Aye sir! He kept repeating himself wanting me to say it louder so with everything in me. I let out my loudest warrior scream AYE AYE SIR! finally he told me to fall in so I dropped back in the next ten minutes where filled with commands like sit down, get up, cross your legs, about face, and run. one kid was a slow learner and was called out for not standing at attention he was told, “sit down”,” get up”, but never replied Aye Aye sir after everything was said to him so for the rest of the time he was out front of everyone getting up and down up and down. Finally he said about face then he said sit down. After the Aye Aye sirs were done it was silent no one dared to turn around. A marine that was in his blues came in front of us and answered our questions. He also let the kid that didn’t catch on, in on a little secret that he was supposed to reply with Aye Aye sir after everything said. Getting yelled at made me think I can’t wait to go to basic training because it fires you up in ways I can’t explain.
