Making the Corps by Thomas E. Ricks

Making the Corps is exactly what it sounds like. How does one make it into the U.S. Marine Corps. Published in 1997 and researched mostly in 1995. Ricks embeds himself with the 3086th recruit platoon at Parris Island, SC and follows them through boot camp and beyond.

Much of it is what you'd expect and have seen on TV and the movies. Lots of physical training, running in combat gear, rifle range training, etc. But there is much to learn here. For one, drill instructors aren't allowed to hit or swear at recruits. If they do and it's found out, it's most likely the end of their career. Other things to note is that compared to Basic Training in the other services, Marine boot camp is as much, if not more, about instilling a set of institutional values in the recruits as training them to be soldiers. That can be handled later at infantry school. Plus, one doesn't often realize what a grueling existence it is for drill instructors and their families.

It was also interesting to see Sen. Jim Webb's name pop up as a person who was critical in re-vamping Marine basic training. Webb is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Virginia, former Secretary of the Navy, and Marine hero during Vietnam. In the post-Vietnam funk, Webb, among others, realized that the Corps had to do something to regain its image. Webb, as Secretary of the Navy, hired maverick General Al Gray to be the man to make those changes. Gray's hiring was opposed by most in the Corps because they didn't want someone who would rock the boat; but Gray's changes, in Ricks's opinion made for a better Corps.

Even though the book deals almost exclusively with enlisted Marines and recruits, Ricks takes note of the increasing alienation of the military from society and the politicization of the officer corps. The Marines feel that one of their biggest fights is against the decadent consumer culture of America and this makes them "values voters" and makes the officer corps very Republican-leaning. Ricks notes that most Congresspeople don't have military experience (I don't think this has changed) and that Bill Clinton didn't serve in the military. I wonder how many of these officers feel now that two Republicans who didn't serve (Bush and Cheney) have them mired down in missions in the Middle East. Ostensibly Bush did, but we know how that story goes. But, the point being, Obama didn't serve in the military either. A semi-autonomous military, as Ricks notes, could be very dangerous to the future of America. Civilians should do more to understand the military, and the military should remember that its role is to protect America and its society.