Someone always has it worse than you.

About a year after the Rodney King Riots, the agency I was employed by decided that we neened "Riot Training". To make sure that anyone who was injured was not a Civilain, our local station obtained the use of a M O U T "Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain"(Combat Town) at Camp Pendleton.

The training schedule for the facility was tight. It was used day and night by the Marines. We were granted eight hours.

Our groups' day came. We gathered with four car loads of officers from adjoining stations, San Diego and El Cajon.

It was pouring rain. But, due to the strict scheduling, we could not cancel or postpone.

In my car that I was driving was a famle officer. She was carrying a constant string of complaints:" This is going to ruin my hair", "I don't see why we can just come back some other time", etc. We are now driving down a dirt (read MUD) road. Our progess was questionable as I knew if I stopped, we would be stuck. Our convoy suddenly slowed, and I thought" Oh, no...We are going to bog down". However, we were able to maintain five miles an hour. Then I found out why. Base Rules dictate when passing troops on the march, the speed limit is 5 FIVE miles per hour.

On both sides of the road were Marines in columns, marching with full packs and cammo uniforms. They were totally soaked, cold, and sinking in the mud to their ankles with each step. It appeared that they were doing AIT (Advance Infantry Training) as DI's were up and down the columns.

BUT, you know, I did not hear one more complaint from the female officer in ther back seat.