[The Reaper]

I was corresponding with a Marine officer who was preparing to attend SFAS. This was back when SFAS was more than three weeks long, and had full-up team week.

Three days before he reported for selection, he did a water survival practice swim, and then rucked twelve miles in combat boots. The same boots and socks that he had swum in, without drying them.

He sent me pics, most of the skin on the soles of his feet were blistered and falling off. There was more damaged skin than intact.

I told him that there was no way he should attempt SFAS with his feet in that condition. He told me that he had burned his bridges with the Marine Corps by applying for SFAS and agreeing to branch transfer should he be selected. There was no looking back, the Rubicon had been crossed.

I saw him a couple of times during SFAS, limping badly, and I figured he was a goner.

Come my usual visit on Board and Selection day, I asked a cadre if he was still there. He pulled up a roster and shouted for the roster number.

This kid came shuffling over, and I was shocked. I asked to see his feet to verify it was the same guy. His feet actually looked a little better than they had when he started the course, but they were still largely hamburger. Obviously, this Marine REALLY wanted to be SF.

He went off to do some task, and I asked the cadre if he was selected, and he smiled and said, "Roger that."

His teammates from Team Week said that he had the heart of a lion. I cannot conceive of the amount of pain this Marine officer endured during those three weeks. There isn't a lot of time in SFAS off your feet.


I guess there are a few lessons from this long story.

1. Don't ruck in wet socks and boots.

2. If you start feeling a hot spot, stop and treat it.

3. Burning all of your bridges behind you can be a powerful motivator.

4. People who tell you not to go may, or may not know what you are capable of.

5. Never quit or assess yourself out of the program. While a small percentage of people who do poorly are actually selected, we have a 100% non-select rate for Voluntary Withdrawals.

6. What is in your heart and mind is vastly more important to your success than your physical condition. I am not saying that you don't need to be fit and able to execute the tasks given you, but all of the physical fitness in the world is useless if you are not completely dedicated to the cause and are worrying about other matters. Physically strong people without dedication fail at a much higher rate than those physically lesser men who refuse to quit. And when it is just a couple of you left on that mountaintop, and you are stacking magazines, straightening grenade pins, and counting targets, who do you really want standing there with you? I'll take that Marine officer over the biggest PT stud I know.

TR