By James Dishner              

                Some of you may have noticed Mrs. Bragg’s absence from school from April 5th to April 8th. In that time, Mrs. Bragg was at the renowned Marine Corps Boot Camp at Parris Island, SC. She went there courtesy of the Marine Corps recruiter, Sergeant Childers, as a workshop just for educators where teachers can gain first-hand knowledge of life at boot camp.  The opportunity will enable them to answer any students questions they may have, since recruiters cannot always be present in the classroom.

                What really caught her eye was watching the recruits during training. She got to see the Crucible, which was the last 54 hours of Boot Camp where those who come out can proudly call themselves “Marines,” something the general public cannot observe.

                “I would consider myself to be pro-military before I went to it,” explained Mrs. Bragg, “but after this trip I have a greater appreciation. I really like how the Corps treats Marines. It’s like a family and they care about the recruit more than I realized. It’s very family-orientated.” Mrs. Bragg was also able to watch a Marine graduation ceremony. She has beheld an Army graduation before as well, but felt a different emotion during this ceremony after walking through Parris Island with the recruits.

                Mrs. Bragg didn’t just watch the recruits participate in Boot Camp, she got to be a part of it herself. She got to go through a confidence course and test her physicality as well as repel from a 47-ft tower. “It was that day that I learned my calling was to be a teacher and not in the Corps,” she said with a smile. “It was a very physically challenging course. On the repelling tower, I ran down it because my break hand wasn’t where it should have been. Some others dangled.” While she was there, she also got to shoot an M-16, stand on the yellow footprints, and view the cockpit of a F-18 that was in combat. It was there that she learned the Corps had their own fighter planes.

                While she was at Perris Island, there was always a Drill Instructor (DI) present while she was on tour. “The DI’s made me feel like a VIP. They really took care of us.” Mrs. Bragg also recalls a certain woman DI she briefly met. “I had a lot of respect for her as a woman. She was in charge of a woman’s platoon, of course. She really impressed me and inspired me as a woman.” Mrs. Bragg also had the honor of meeting the Brigadier General over the training of the recruits. She was deeply moved by this as she explained, “that a 1-Star General would take the time out of his day to address us teachers made me feel appreciated. Especially since teachers are so unappreciated and put down in today’s society; it made me feel worthy of something.”

                Her trip to Perris Island deeply motivated and inspired her and strengthened her appreciation in the military. She would also love to have the opportunity to talk to any student interested in joining the Corps and the and enhance their perseverance, pushing them toward that goal.

                Jessica Schuller from Fox 59 accompanied Mrs. Bragg to Perris Island and did a story on the event, which is scheduled to air this month on the week before Memorial Day.