Recovering at Romeo Company

Preface by Sgt. Erin Miller

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. -- Having suffered an injury during boot camp, I have firsthand experience with the uncertainty of being dropped from my initial company. Families are told, “no news is good news,” but my family received the disheartening phone call that I had been injured and would be dropped into Romeo Company. I was as confused as my family, unsure how much longer I would remain at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego or whether I would eventually go home.

After learning that I had fractured my hip on training day 30, I was immediately put on bed rest and told I would be dropped from Golf Company. At the time, San Diego did not have a female readiness platoon, and there were 12 injured females. Most of us were sent across the country to rehabilitate at MCRD Parris Island’s Female Readiness Platoon, with Romeo Company. I stayed on Parris Island for about three months, where I healed with other recruits and worked my way back to training with Hotel Company on training day 30.

Recruits Finding Their Way Back to Training

When a recruit is injured during training, the priority is to ensure they receive medical attention and determine the severity of the injury. Depending on the circumstances, a recruit may need a few days of rest before returning to training. Others may require a longer recovery period and will be removed from their training company to begin rehabilitation at Romeo Company.

Being dropped from training does not automatically mean a recruit is going home. Each recruit’s recovery process differs based on the nature of the injury or illness, the time needed to heal, and their progress toward meeting the physical requirements to return to training.

Romeo Company consists of four platoons: Male Readiness Platoon 1 (MRP 1), Male Readiness Platoon 2 (MRP 2), Female Readiness Platoon (FRP), and Physical Conditioning Platoon (PCP).

Injured male recruits reside in MRP 1 or MRP 2. Once medically cleared and ready to begin physical conditioning, male recruits can move to PCP to prepare for their return to a training company. Female recruits reside in FRP, where they work toward recovery and meeting the physical requirements necessary to return to training.

Recruits do not have to be injured to be assigned to Romeo Company. During the first week of boot camp, recruits complete an initial strength assessment (ISA), which consists of a mile-and-a-half run, pull-ups, and a plank. Recruits who do not meet the required standards are sent to Romeo Company’s PCP to work toward passing the assessment before returning to a training company. The goal is to ensure recruits meet the physical requirements necessary to continue training.

For recruits recovering from injuries, rehabilitation is an important part of the process. Romeo Company’s facilities include a gym equipped with treadmills, weights, and a stretching area, along with specialized equipment such as antigravity treadmills and a cold plunge tub. Recruits also have access to certified trainers with rehabilitation and physical therapy expertise.

Josh Lundgaard, a certified athletic trainer with Romeo Company, and other trainers primarily rehabilitate recruits and prepare them physically to return to full duty.

“My job is not to heal the stress injury; it is doing that on its own. My program is aimed at correcting movement patterns,” said Lundgaard as he spoke about the rehabilitation process.

One program many recruits complete is walk-to-run rehabilitation, which gradually increases their activity level as their strength and endurance improve. Recruits start at a manageable pace and work progressively toward running again. Their progress depends on the severity of their injuries and how their bodies respond to rehabilitation.

Before returning to recruit training, recruits must meet the applicable physical fitness requirements and receive medical clearance. Depending on the training day on which a recruit was dropped, they must pass either the Combat Fitness Test (CFT) or the Physical Fitness Test (PFT).

For Recruit Alanna Alonzozelaya, 22, from Atlanta, being dropped from Fox Company on training day 18 because of knee and foot injuries was initially discouraging. However, she remained determined to continue training and used her time in FRP to focus on her recovery and personal development.

In addition to participating in walk-to-run rehabilitation, she studied recruit knowledge, worked out in the facility gym, and accepted leadership billets that allowed her to help her fellow recruits.

“I learned a lot of things when having a leadership billet, like how to be a better recruit and be a better leader to the recruits around me,” Alonzozelaya said.

Her time in FRP allowed her to continue developing as a recruit while working toward recovery. After progressing through rehabilitation, she was scheduled to return to training with Charlie Company.

Although rehabilitation is a major part of the process, recruits in Romeo Company also maintain a structured daily routine. While they have more free time than recruits in a training company, their weekdays include activities designed to keep them engaged and progressing toward becoming Marines. Several days throughout the week, they attend life-skills classes or speak with civilians who work in various military support programs.

Staff Sgt. Olivia Cavazos, the senior drill instructor for the Female Readiness Platoon, explained how these activities help maintain structure and discipline while recruits recover.

“Depending on the day, they are given Marine knowledge classes, core value-guided discussions, full duties, drill, a block for uniform maintenance, company beautification, and academic study sessions,” Cavazos said.

These activities let recruits keep learning and developing while working toward their return to training. For some, the extra time gives them a chance to focus on areas they may have struggled with during the fast-paced demands of boot camp.

Alonzozelaya said FRP helped her become more comfortable stepping into leadership roles and facing drill instructors and fellow recruits.

“FRP is a building environment because at first, this recruit didn’t want to be known or seen by drill instructors, but here you naturally start gravitating towards those things without even realizing it,” Alonzozelaya said. “You start coming out of your shell.”

Despite these opportunities, remaining in Romeo Company can be mentally challenging. Unlike recruits in a training company, who generally follow a defined training schedule toward graduation, recruits in rehabilitation may not know exactly when they will return. Some spend several months recovering, while others may remain in Romeo Company for up to a year, depending on their medical needs and progress.

Recruit Alyah Lynn Belcher, 21, from Toledo, Ohio, began recruit training with Golf Company and left training on training day 32 because of a lower back injury.

Belcher used her time in FRP to focus on her recovery and continued development. She participated in walk-to-run rehabilitation and returned to training with Charlie Company. Belcher emphasized that the uncertainty of being in Romeo Company can make the experience especially difficult for recruits.

Recognizing the mental challenges recruits face, Romeo Company’s drill instructors approach their responsibilities with rehabilitation as the primary mission. Recruits are still held to Marine Corps standards, but the emphasis is on helping them recover, remain motivated, and prepare to return to training.

“Our mission is to get them back in training,” Cavazos said. “We’re not average drill instructors screaming at them. We still hold them to the standard, but our mission is to get them back into training. They’re already down in the dumps just being here, so we try to talk to them to keep them motivated.”

That approach helps reinforce the idea that an injury or physical setback does not have to end a recruit’s journey toward becoming a Marine. Instead, Romeo Company provides the time, resources, and guidance needed to work toward recovery while maintaining the discipline and knowledge expected of future Marines.

On weekends, recruits may make brief phone calls home to update their families and maintain those connections. They may also watch educational videos, attend church services, and enjoy additional free time in the evening.

Family and friends are encouraged to write letters throughout their recruit’s time in Romeo Company. For recruits dealing with an uncertain recovery timeline, hearing words of encouragement from loved ones can provide reassurance and remind them why they chose to become Marines.

“Try to communicate with them because being here is hard mentally,” Belcher advises families. “At least when you’re in a training company, you know when the end is, but when you’re here, you don’t know anything.” Cavazos encouraged families to remain supportive and help their recruits stay focused on the future.

“I would just encourage them, be there for them. Give them something to look forward to,” Cavazos said. “Tell them that everything is going to be okay, and it’s okay that they got injured, and it’s okay for them to stay and heal and go back to training.”

Sometimes, the road back to training takes longer than expected. With support from Romeo Company’s staff and encouragement from loved ones, recruits can heal, grow, and keep working toward earning the title of United States Marine. -30-

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