Motivation through camaraderie

On typical Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Utah State University field house, the basketball courts are filled with students playing pickup games. Some students are getting in a late night jog on the treadmills and a few are lifting weights.

In one corner of the field house sit eight young men. After numerous sets of pushup, they begin running laps around the track.

These are the men of the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class.

The Marine Corps physical fitness test, or PFT as it is known, is comprised of three different tests. The first test is pull-ups, with 20 repetitions being a perfect score. The next test is a maximum number of sit-ups in a two minute time period. Most receive a perfect score with 100 points.

The third is a three-mile run. If done in 18 minutes the candidates receive a perfect score of 100 points. The average score for candidates going into PLC is 285 points out of a possible 300.

With the high level of competition in PLC, candidates must be in peak physical condition before leaving to OCS and remain that way through graduation.

Some have already completed Officer Candidate School and will commission this following summer, others have just recently contracted in the program.

Troy Carver, a 26-year-old senior, organizes the bi-weekly physical training, or PT as it is known in the military. Carver has already completed OCS and will commission this summer. After returning from a church mission in 2006, Carver went into school half-heartedly. He took only six credits each semester. Once he contracted with PLC he had to enroll in school full time.

With an aviation contract, Carver will be a helicopter pilot. He looked at his options and the ROTC of the Army and Air Force before making his decision. “I chose the Marine Corps because of the atmosphere and professionalism,” Carver said.

 Before leaving for OCS he trained daily by himself, but found it harder to push himself when he was alone. “Being around the other guys and the camaraderie, helps to push each other harder,” Carver said.

Shane Mozingo, a 22-year-old sophomore, knows he needs to be in the best shape possible before he leaves for OCS this coming summer. Candidates in PLC are given the option of air, ground or law before they commission. Mozingo has chosen ground. His sights are set on infantry or military intelligence.

As a green side Navy corpsman Mozingo’s father worked with Marines as their corpsman. “My dad loved working with Marines, so I decided if I was going to go into the military the Marine Corps is what I would do,” Mozingo said.

Mozingo enjoys the challenge PT gives him. “It makes me feel like crap, so I have to step it up,” he said. “It motivates me.”
(C.Robinson)