Once again, Corps plans to ax Recruit Wrap

[unhappycamper]

Once again, Corps plans to ax Recruit Wrap
By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Dec 7, 2008 11:06:41 EST

’Tis the season of giving, but after this Christmas, officials at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., are ending the decades-old tradition of allowing recruits to take a break from boot camp so they can buy gifts for family and friends back home.

The event is known as “Recruit Wrap.” During the holidays, the recruits are driven platoon by platoon to the base exchange and allowed a half-hour to an hour to buy their gifts. Volunteers in the surrounding community then wrap the presents and get them ready to ship.

It’s been this way, on and off, since 1965, when the event was started as a recruit training regiment initiative. A similar event was once held at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego — minus the community volunteers — but was canceled at least three years ago.

Recruit Wrap is meant to be a relaxing time when recruits can sing Christmas carols and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies. But officials at Parris Island don’t think that fits in well with the otherwise arduous curriculum that defines boot camp.

“Breaking that training focus for even a few days is a backward step against progress,” said depot spokesman 1st Lt. Josiah Nicely. There’s no time built into the schedule for “special events such as these,” so including it means removing something else.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/12/marine_recruitwrap_120708w/%2e