News - The Joe Dillon Difference

A Gauntlet of Tests Leading to Graduation
March 30, 2026
When we came back from Edson Range, our Drill Instructors picked up the tempo and the intensity of our training. Every activity became more intense.…
Even Marine Snipers Must Begin On The Range in Boot Camp
March 16, 2026
Our second week at Edson Range is when we got our chance to put the Instructor’s teaching and coaching into action.
Mastering Marksmanship at Edson Range
March 2, 2026
After we had completed the first 6 weeks of boot camp, we still had a long way to go but our platoon was at least a semblance of a Marine platoon. We…
Working Every Day to Master the Basics
February 16, 2026
The first clue is in the very name: Basic Training. A major difference between the Marine Corps and other services is that the Marine Corps takes…
Day #5: Swim Qualification
February 2, 2026
Day 5. About a quarter of the recruits in my Quonset Hut are awake and a few are even out of their racks and on their feet before the Drill Insructor…
Day #4: Fitness Baseline and Our First O-Course
January 20, 2026
For me, running any of the 3 O-course was one of the things I most enjoyed in my 13 weeks of bootcamp.

A Gauntlet of Tests Leading to Graduation