Marines Aim to Counter Teachers' Opposition to Recruiting Students

Staff Sgt. James McFalin, a senior Marine Corps drill sergeant, gets a few laughs as
he talks about recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego,
Calif., last week. Educators from the Los Angeles and Sacramento
areas spent four days at the base to experience some of what recruits go through.

by Tony Perry, and Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times (MCT) 

The bellowing from the drill instructors began as soon as the newcomers arrived.
"GET OFF THE BUS!" barked one D.I.

It's a ritual reenacted countless times since 1923, when young men first began coming to boot camp to see if they were tough enough to be Marines.

But last week's group was not composed of frightened young recruits.

Instead they were high school teachers, guidance counselors and administrators from school districts in the Los Angeles and Sacramento areas. All had accepted the Marine Corps' invitation to spend four days at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, watching the training and talking to recruits, enlisted Marines and senior officers.