A few weeks in the Arizona desert with tough-talking Marines were enough to convert a midshipman into a newly commissioned second lieutenant.

" Listen midshipman, this is your last shot to get out. After we're airborne you're in it for the long haul. Keep your eyes open, ask questions, and keep your lunch off the electronics." Gecko, the Marine pilot in whose F/A18 I was sitting, was effortlessly selling me on his service. Fifty minutes and six Gs later, I knew I would be wearing a Marine Corps uniform at graduation.

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