Post questions now for Chicago & Kansas City educators at Marine boot camp

We had a blast last week with St. Louis and Milwaukee educators in San Diego getting a first-hand look at what training and life are like for Marines, as you can tell from the photos below and the webcasts on our sister site.

Chicago & Kansas City educators are at boot camp in San Diego this week, so feel free to post questions here that you’d like to ask educators from your area about their experience, and we’ll do our best to get answers from them for you. Of course, stay tuned for their stories.

For a brief overview of the program, see the video below, or get details on upcoming Midwest Marines Educators Workshops for educators and members of the news media.

 

Posted via web from Midwest Marines

Educators Workshop Webcast: Bayonet course puts Midwest educators as close to boot camp as you can get without getting your head shaved first

Midwest high school educators overran the bayonet assault course at Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego Tuesday. More than half of the 70 Midwest Marines Educators Workshop participants from Milwaukee and St. Louis screamed, ran, crawled, crossed rope bridges, climbed walls and bayoneted dummies amidst the sights and sounds of battle during the week-long program that makes them experts on Marine Corps basics.

Here's what it sounded like for a four-person team from Illinois and Missouri, which also seemed to have a pretty good time.

• (Team Leader) Brandon Holthausen is a guidance counselor at Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, Mo. (south of St. Louis)
• Saeward Jones is a physical education teacher at Marion High School in Marion, Ill.
• Michelle Elwood is a guidance counselor at Marion High School
• Dave Peirce is Hillsboro High School’s Freshman at Risk teacher

  
Download now or listen on posterous

Missouri Educators tackle Bayonet Assault Course during the first Midwest Marines Educators Workshop of 2010.wma (2469 KB)

Want more? See photos of other educators going through the Bayonet Assault Course.

Posted via email from Midwest Marines Webcasts

Album: St. Louis & Milwaukee educators tackle the bayonet assault course during the Midwest Marines Educators Workshop Feb. 22-26, 2010

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Photos courtesy of Staff Sgt. Joseph Paulsen, Midwest Marines Recruiting Station Milwaukee

Want more? Our webcast lets you join four educators going through the course.

• If you would like to participate in an upcoming Midwest Marines Educators Workshop, find out more here. 

Posted via email from Midwest Marines

Rude awakening today for Midwest educators visiting Marine Corps Boot Camp in San Diego

High school teachers, counselors, coaches and administrators from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri and Illinois started the first two minutes of the Midwest Marines Educators Workshop this morning in San Diego just like recruits would experience the first two minutes of Marine Corps boot camp before spending time with Brig. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, responsible for all recruiting and recruit training west of the Mississippi River (more on black Marine officers here). After talking candidly with recruits from the Midwest over lunch, they finished the day by actually running through an assualt course with rifles and bayonets. We'll try to get some interviews up later tonight or tomorrow, but here's what the morning welcome looked like.

An effective "pick-me-up" in the morning for Midwestern educators.

If you would like to participate in an upcoming Midwest Marines Educators Workshop, find out more here.

Posted via web from Midwest Marines Webcasts

Educators Workshop webcasts start tomorrow; submit questions for teachers today!

Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri and Illinois educators experience boot camp this week, so tune in to our webcast channel starting tomorrow night for their thoughts as the week progresses!

Our educators sponsored by #MidwestMarines recruiting stations in Milwaukee and St. Louis made it safely San Diego today to experience Marine Corps boot camp first hand this week with the Midwest Marines Educators Workshop. Nobody looked disappointed to leave the ice and snow for 65-degree evening temperatures, but Bode Miller’s gold and the US hockey victory over Canada last night didn’t hurt the mood either.

We had a banquet tonight and got to know each other a bit before a full week of long days starts tomorrow exactly where it starts for recruits: on the infamous yellow footprints under the hot breath of a new “guidance counselor.”

I spoke briefly with a couple of educators tonight about their expectations for the week, and they both seemed up to the challenge: 

• Michael Rupnow, the activities director at Case High School in Racine, Wis., is here with his wife Julie, who is a physical education teacher and department chair at Washington Park High School, also in Racine.
• Bruce Rundman, is a guidance counselor at Baraga High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula city of Baraga.

If you would like to participate in an upcoming Midwest Marines Educators Workshop, find out more here.

Want us to ask the educators your questions? Submit them as comments to this post, and we'll ask them the next day!

Posted via web from Midwest Marines

Upcoming webcasts: Midwest educators at boot camp, submit now for Lt. Col. Shea & Marines in the entertainment business

There's a lot in store for our webcasts through March. Look for the following coming soon:

• Midwestern educators comment next week from a visit to Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego
• We're taking your questions right now for combat veteran Lt. Col. Roberta Shea, who has seen it all in 25 years now commands the Corps' only unit that transforms young civilian women into Marines.
• On the Horizon: Is the Marine Corps sneaking into homes and lives through the entertainment industry? Find out for yourself as we talk to the director of the Marine Corps Motion Picture and Television Liaison Office in Los Angeles and the Marine Corps’ assistant chief of staff for advertising in Virginia. We’ll let you know when you can submit your questions.

Stay tuned, and always feel free to submit your ideas.

Posted via web from Midwest Marines Webcasts

Webcasts start Wednesday! Corps' senior Music Program talent scout talks candidly + getting your own questions answered in future webcasts.

What kind of musician joins the Marines? Do band members go to boot camp? How good is “good enough” to audition? What’s the audition process like? What’s the best source of information? What questions should you ask local recruiters? What positions are available? Does the band go to combat?

Get answers to these questions and more Wednesday during the Midwest Marines' inaugural webcast, as the Corps’ senior talent scout for the Marine Music Program, Master Sergeant Mitch Martin, talks about family and memorable moments, leading the small band of six Marine Music Program directors who scour the nation for worthy musicians, and spending the past 23 years toting his trumpet around the world as both a warrior and a musician.

While MSgt. Martin's visit surprised us, the Midwest Marines are extremely excited about future webcasts because we want YOU to tell us what   questions we should be asking. Here's how:

1.   We announce an upcoming interview on this blog with background information about the subject matter expert to help you determine questions for his or her area of expertise. Our Twitter followers and Facebook fans will also be notified when upcoming interviews are announced.

2.   You submit the questions you want us to ask by commenting on the announcement no later than the published submission deadline. (Please include a first name and the town you're writing from for your questions to be considered). The Midwest Marines will acknowledge your submission.

 

3.   We incorporate your questions into the interview.

4.   We all listen to the webcast that includes answers to your important questions. Midwest Marines webcasts will post on our official website, and you'll find excerpts and related commentary right here on the Midwest Marines' blog. 

Feel free to send us your ideas for future podcasts as well. We want to address what YOU feel is important, so please let us know.

 

Posted via web from Midwest Marines

Republic, Mo., Marine Back from Boot Camp Catches Thief in the Act

Via KSPR News

While this type of action is not recommended, I can’t say it’s surprising either. What’s most impressive about this young Marine is the level of self-discipline he exhibited. He just finished three months of boot camp, to include martial arts training, and is likely in the best shape of his life, yet he exhibited the maturity and judgment to control a heated situation using words alone.

Being reminded how impressive our young Marines are just never gets old. Thanks to KSPR News for covering the story!

Posted via web from Midwest Marines

'Marine' title comes with the inherent obligation to honor it for life

The safest place in America is in its heartland next to a Marine, which makes cases like the tragic death of Indiana University Professor Don Belton even more disturbing than normal since a former Marine may be involved. A recent CBS’ News headline caught my eye in particular: Did "Gay Panic" Lead Ex-Marine Michael Griffin to Kill Professor Don Belton? Despite no apparent connection between his past military service and this case, including the words “Ex-Marine” in the headline is a reminder that this country rightly holds its US Marines to a higher standard, regardless of when they served.

 

 

Most people realize that actions like those alleged are not representative of Marines, and that’s exactly why we’re shocked to hear about it. At the same time, those seeking the title “Marine” should first consider the inherent obligation to honor it for life.

 

While my heartfelt condolences go out to Professor Belton’s family, friends, students, peers, and readers across the nation, I can’t help thinking that he may be missed even more by those of us who will never meet him, hear him, or sit in his classroom.

 

 

 

Posted via web from Midwest Marines