Summer 2012 Newsletter - LaGuardia Community College - CUNY

They try very hard to cover up their truth and brainwash teenagers into becoming one of them.
Once I joined I was indoctrinated to their way of thinking but it didn’t last very long because I
wasn’t blind to see what was going on around me. Unfortunately marines are oppressed and
cannot share their negative views publicly therefore allowing the Marine Corps to keep brainwashing
the public.
Through these experiences I have changed. I understand the world and feel the need to better it.
I understand the need to fight idiocracy and educate people. Through life experiences we change
but more importantly we evolve.
Jesse Torres
When talking about character, some think of it as a “stamp” in our genetics. If you’re an asshole
that pretty much means you were born one. But life led you to situations which, whether good
or bad, made you who you truly are today. Emily bakers’ article, “How the Military Can Change
Personalities, Slightly,” brings to light that psychological characters are truly something of development.
Military life is built on breaking down and changing many soldiers’ lives and boot camp
is the beginning of that change.
Boot camp, or basic training, is not combat but by definition it is considered a traumatic event.
What is a traumatic event? It is an experience that causes physical, emotional, psychological distress
or harm. Traumatic events involve: moving to a new location, anxiety, fear, separation
from parents and pain. We can all agree that these are felt at basic training. Traumatic events
will make a person feel numb and sometimes trigger a memory from the event. A great example
that just seems to come up for me is the particular smell of morning dew on grass. The smell
evokes a memory of 5:15 am formations in tight “pt” shorts and “glow straps”, an image that
presents itself plenty and hard for me to forget. Traumatic events are a huge part of changing
ones psychological character. But even though causing traumatic events seems to be a harsh
way to create change, Boot camp does create other productive ways to change.
Boot camp is designed to place an individual through many obstacles and challenges. A key factor
in the development of our character. Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University,
states that there are two types of mindsets, a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Many fixed
mindset individuals shy away from challenges for fear of failure. Growth mindset individuals embrace
challenges because they see it as an experience that will ultimately lead them to become
stronger in the end. As much as I wanted to believe that I was a “growth mindset individual”,
one who embraced challenges, who was not discouraged by obstacles, one who saw failure as an
opportunity to learn, I definitely was not. In basic training, like many of you, I was forced to face
challenges and obstacles. I was forced to fail or succeed. I was forced to develop and I was
forced to change. Whether it was the fact that I could not swim, shoot a gun, or terrified of
heights, boot camp seemed like a never ending episode of fear factor. But every obstacle and
challenge was completed and every experience instilled a confidence that helped me get through
and ultimately come out of it, a better man.
When recruits graduate boot camp, or basic training, many see the physical changes. Whether
its weight loss or weight gain, families are blown away at the difference boot camp has made.
But inside the change is much bigger and much more permanent. It is pride. Big name companies
have been using pride “tactically” to drive exceptional service, continued innovation and
extreme commitment for their success. Our military use these same tools and have perfected
them down to a science. Giving credit where credit is due, military advertisements are some of
the best motivating commercials out there. They can stop you right in your tracks to watch.
Whether it’s the announcers deep words or the intense imagery, those commercials create an
image that are truly awe inspiring to say the least. Commercials like the US Marines “Towards
the sounds of chaos” or “Americas’ best” get young men and women filling the recruiters office
to maximum capacity. I would know because I too was blown away by awesome explosions and
cool uniforms. Recruiters begin the stages of pride building with their poolees, a term used for
those who signed up but were not considered recruits yet till basic training. A great example
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