Got a minute? Brian Boushey

Why did you join the Marines?

I joined the Marines because it’s a big honor to become a Marine. My father was a Marine. I wanted to serve our country and do my part for this nation while we’re at war. It’s a big honor, I believe, to serve in the Marine Corps.

How did your dad specifically influence you?

He influenced me in a large way. Growing up, seeing him in uniform all the time and being in the unit with him was like growing up in the Marine Corps. I’m glad that I can make him proud and kind of follow in his footsteps a little bit.

Before you were a Marine, you were an Eagle Scout with Edneyville Troop 605 and also Vigil, the highest rank in Order of the Arrow. How did Scouting prepare you for the service?

It prepared me a lot. Just the little bit of leadership you can experience in Boy Scouts helps so much. And the backpacking and camping, there were so many people that were inexperienced in things like that. Being in Boy Scouts definitely gave me a cut above the rest.

Did they recognize the Eagle Scout rank in boot camp?

Yes sir. They promoted me to private first class from private because I did obtain Eagle Scout.

When did you go to boot camp?

May 19 I left for boot camp and then graduated on August 15.

What was the toughest thing about boot camp?

Getting adjusted. Those first couple of weeks are very chaotic and very hectic. Once you do get adjusted, it starts getting easier, but those first couple of weeks are definitely difficult.

How was the weather?

Very, very hot. We only got rain a couple of times. So it was very hot and dry.

Lose any weight?

Yes, I lost about 13 pounds.

But gained muscle?

Yes sir. Gained a lot of muscle.

What happened during the Crucible?

The Crucible is a huge test of your leadership capabilities and how you can work with a fire team using teamwork. It’s a lot of hiking. We hiked about 42 miles total, and we do a lot of team building exercise, a lot of fire team platoon exercises, to see how we can do. We ration our meals; we’re only given three MREs for the three days to see how we can ration our meals. It’s a very gruesome test. Very difficult.

How heavy a pack do you have?

Around 70 pounds.

You became honor graduate of your platoon. How did that come about?

Our senior drill instructor kind of asked some of the platoon members who do you think is a good person to be our platoon honor graduate and also he had pros and cons marks he had been looking at the entire process in boot camp for the last three months. So I got selected as that and it was a really big honor.

Then you became honor graduate of the entire company of 458 recruits. How did you get that higher recognition?

There were six platoons, and every platoon had one honor graduate. And we all went before a board of all the senior drill instructors and the company first sergeant and we were asked a series of questions about the Marine Corps and depending on how you did on that board you won, and I actually won that board, and it was a really big honor.