"This is what we do to rookies," Sergeant O’Donnell said pushing Bette onto the floor roughly. "This is where we tell the difference between the people who really wanna serve the country or who just couldn’t do anything better after high school. And you 18 year old maggots are gonna prove yourself here and now!"

"Yes sir!" Came the loud cry from the frightened new privates. The majority of them, including Bette, were fresh out of high school, though Bette’s reason to join the Marines was because her father ordered it. According to Melvin this is what Bette needed to get the crazy ideas out of her head. All the ideas about art and lesbianism, Melvin was sure the Marines would get rid of it.

"Now get up you maggots and do the obstacle course, whoever is first passes everyone else has a second test!" Sergeant O’Donnell hollered.

All the young privates hopped up and ran towards the obstacle course. It was raining horribly and O’Donnell had forced them to wear their camis without the jackets or the hats. The bitter cold hit them like a ton of bricks but they soldiered on. They climbed the ropes even though the rain had made them slippery and it burned their hands.

They crawled underneath the wires even though the mud puddle was so high it was like swimming and they literally had to hold their breaths.

They stepped through the long line of tires even though it was so dark they couldn’t see where the holes were. Soldiers fell, became stuck on wires, fell off ropes, and not all of them made it.

Out of the 30 that started 15 made it to the end, including Bette who came in 10th. The guy who made it first was relieved to be absolved of torture. Everyone else followed O’Donnell and his squad into a warehouse near the camp.

Bette and two others were the only women there and they immediately felt uncomfortable when they saw a bunch of men there cheering.

"Part two of the test, endurance," O’Donnell said. "Krisner you’re first get over here!"

Krisner was a shy boy but he showed none of that as he approached O’Donnell who said, "get on your knees."

Krisner obeyed and Bette could feel the shiver of fear running through all their spines. O’Donnell grabbed a nine-tail whip and swiftly whacked the boy hard on the back. Krisner cried out and lurched forward.