Cpl. Karim Delgado said he’s still learning to live with his demons. But unlike some Marines who struggle with the piercing memories of combat, Delgado is haunted by what he calls “non-deployment guilt.” “You feel guilty for not having gone, like you did a disservice. You have this shame because you have people who will say, ‘you’re a Marine and you can’t talk about combat,'” said Delgado. “What you’ve got left are boot camp stories.” The combat correspondent did a tour in Okinawa and worked on several humanitarian missions while he was in the Marine Corps from 2004-2008. But one…
Author Bethany Crudele
This week’s Marine Corps Times takes a look at the new physical fitness requirements for female Marines and the impact the change is likely to have on the entire force, not just women. In a forcewide message last week, Marine Commandant Gen. Jim Amos announced that women will be required to complete three pullups to pass the test and eight to achieve a perfect PFT score starting in 2014. The change is likely to impact promotion fairness and unit training for men and women starting in 2013. The flexed-arm hang will remain as part of the Corps’ initial strength test…
On Nov. 10 Marines will celebrate the 237th birthday of the Marine Corps. Cake cutting ceremonies and birthday balls will be held throughout the next few weeks as a way to honor the sacrifice and service of Marines past and present. On Oct. 24 I spoke with Bonnie Amos, wife of Commandant Gen. Jim Amos, following an event for military spouses to discuss careers, deployments and romance aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. Since Marines all over the world will celebrate the Corps’ birthday later this week, I asked Amos about tips for those attending this year’s festivities: [HTML1] I…
Military working dogs have long been a warrior’s best friend. Since World War I, dogs have been used in the military for various missions, including explosive detection, search and rescue, and security patrols. Most recently, hundreds of IED detector dogs – primarily Labrador retrievers – have been deployed to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to help Marine infantry units find explosives hidden by members of the Taliban. Memorial Bracelets, a website created in 2001 to help raise funds for Sept. 11 victims through personalized bracelets and dog tags, has added the abbreviation “MWDH” next to the branch of service members…
Eighteen weeks of training and 26.2 miles later, we made it to the finish line of the 37th Marine Corps Marathon. Despite incoming Hurricane Sandy, we ran alongside some 30,000 runners from every state and 54 countries on Oct. 28. The turnout was the largest participation in the event’s 37-year history. Despite months of preparation, healthy eating and plenty of rest during the weeks leading up to the race, I forgot how hard running a marathon can be. My running partner, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Boutwell (ret.), and I finished the race in 4 hours and 25 minutes. We ran a…
It’s almost here. The Marine Corps Marathon is right around the corner. Rather than give you some of my own advice, I thought I’d get some tips from actor and Marine Rob Riggle, who will serve as an honorary starter at this year’s race. In addition to being an actor and comedian, Riggle is also a Marine Corps reservist. During his more than 22-year military career, Riggle has been deployed to Afghanistan, Albania, Kosovo and Liberia. We spoke over the phone earlier this week. Here’s what he had to say: Q: Do you prefer Mr. or Lt. Col. Riggle? A:…
There’s nine days left until the 37th Marine Corps Marathon. For many runners living in Washington, D.C. or Virginia, this weekend’s Army 10 Miler will be a good preview of what’s in store for the big day on Oct. 28. Many marathon runners use the Army 10 miler as a last training run in advance of the longer course. While the crowds of spectators are generally smaller, the turnout is always impressive and the course is flat, making it one of the most popular races in the area. This year’s marathon is expected to be the largest in the race’s…
The marathon is now just around the corner. With less than three weeks until the race, my running partner Staff Sgt. Jeremy Boutwell (ret.) and I each completed a solid and steady 19-mile run over the weekend. We both finished in about three hours, causing us to slash our goal in the actual marathon by 45 minutes, from 5 hours to 4 hours, 15 minutes. “That’s my goal. I think that’s realistic based on training,” Jeremy said over the phone. Last weekend was the final long run for each of us. Our schedule has us slated to run 12 miles…
Marine Corps Marathon is exactly one month away. With just a few weeks left to embrace the blisters, multi-hour training runs and insatiable cravings for carbohydrates that accompany marathon prep, my running partner, Jeremy Boutwell, and I have encountered a number of challenges in advance of the race. Last weekend Jeremy and I both missed one of the longest (and arguably one of the most important) training runs on our schedule. I got hit with a sinus infection that kept me in bed for a couple of days and Jeremy wrestled with a fever and increased pain in his lower…
In preparation for next month’s Marine Corps Marathon, retired Staff Sgt. Jeremy Boutwell and I decided to run the Navy-Air Force half marathon last weekend in Washington, D.C. Jeremy flew in from Texas on Sept. 14 and after a well-balanced meal of spaghetti, Oreos and Gatorade Saturday night, we felt ready to run 13.1 miles. Before crossing the start line, we had a chance to mingle with other Run and Remember teammates who were racing. Several runners, in addition to Jeremy, flew in from out of town. “It was a beautiful morning,” Jeremy said, “Just perfect weather, nice and cool.…
