Here I am with Sergeant Chuck Taliano. He is the DI pictured in the famous "We Don't Promise You A Rose Garden" poster.
	I made the poor man pose with me for a reenactment. For the entire story of this once-in-a-lifetime meeting, read my BLOG entry.
	The Sand Pit. The Sand Pit is bad. The Sand Pit is evil. One never wants to play in the Sand Pit. The Sand Pit sucks the will to live.
	Here is the inside of a squadbay where the recruits live. The floor is unfinished cement.
	Eric observes a world most civilians never see until it's too late. No recruit is allowed to be in the center which is labeled "DI Country."
	A recruits personal space, salvation, escape, nirvana. Too bad they only get to use it at night when ordered to. This must have been linen survey when they get new sheets. Putting them on will be an exercise in terror as the DIs will make them do it quickly and then not be satisfied. This will cause the DIs to order them to strip the bunks again and start over. The "game"could make many repetitions before the recruits get it right.
	The recruits were herded in and put "on line."
	I think that I got a full dosage of his wrath focused on me and it blurred the picture.
	I recovered and got this shot. You'll never guess what they were preparing to do. I know I didn't.
	A little too close for comfort. We were in the front of the squadbay and the DI had no idea why. We were with the Company Commander so while we were allowed, it probably didn't bode well for the DI who had two Captains and a civilian present without explanation or warning.
	They went through their routine, as much as a routine can exist when you are in bootcamp.
	"HIT THE HEAD!" "HIT THE HEAD, AYE, AYE, SIR!!!"
	At that, they started marching forward...
	... wondering why we were there before filing into the bathroom...
	Before we left, I got a shot of the DI counseling the poor squad letters for some indiscretion.
	Whatever it was, the DI was not very happy about it and the poor squad leaders probably missed their head call.
	Returning the Sand Pit, this is why I wrote that it was evil. I guarantee you the biting sand fleas are having their way with all these sweating, sand-covered recruits A.K.A. sugarcookies.
	They must have really done something stupid because this went on for the entire time we stood there.
	There were two Sand Pits spaced about 100 yards apart. This is the action at the other one. These two get the individualized treatment. Probably the guide and/or squad leaders.
	Whoever they are, they are seriously reconsidering their choice to become a Marine.
	A platoon marches by and I know their over-riding, individual and collective thought is "I'm glad I'm not one of those guys in The Pit."
	Judging from their performance, I would guess they are the next recruits to graduate. They seemed polished but that didn't stop the DI from barking out corrective actions.
	Here, the recruits dash between the Pits as a DI at the other Pit screams at them to get over to him. Predictably it was too slow when they got there so they had to dash back to the first pit and do it again. Fun and games.
	Two of the DIs leave the platoon to the third DI which at least tells the platoon they won't be doing anymore dashing. But that doesn't mean Pit Time has ended.
	Finally they are informed of their mistakes that got them there and what they must do for now on to avoid such treatment.
	When they are told to get in formation, they move quickly as to avoid more time in The Pit.

Quick links to the other sets of this series:

• Set 1: Arriving on The Island
• Set 2: Watching Recruits In The Wild
• Set 3: More Wild Recruits
• Set 4: Squadbay Visit
• Set 5: Historical Sites

Email -- jason@grose.us
Web -- http://www.grose.us/