All SoUtah individuals wishing to be considered for the 10-day Devil Pup camp at Camp Pendleton, California this summer should go to the website www.devilpups.com and print out two forms from the Forms Menu on the left side. (1) Personal Information and (2) Selection Questionnaire. Complete these forms legibly (in ink) and forward them to Col. Toole at 1760 W. Amethyst Garden Circle, St. George, UT 84790.
Some further background: Devil Pups camp is held at Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton (on the coast midway between Los Angeles and San Diego). We are in the second increment, for which the dates are Thursday 19 July to noon Saturday 28 July inclusive. (We will actually leave at 2:00 - 3:00 a.m. on the 19th and arrive at Camp Pendleton by 9:00 a.m. Thursday.) Graduation ceremonies will be Saturday, July 28, at noon at Camp Pendleton. More details on that later.
There will be at least two parent meetings in the next two months, to be held in one of the basement meeting rooms at the St. George Library located at 88 W. 100 South in St. George. Watch for dates and times. You will meet the Mentors who will assist in getting pup candidates ready for camp and your questions can be asked and answered at that time.
There are over 40 candidates at this time who have signed up for the 6-7 slots available for Southern Utah. Experience shows that not everyone who signed up will show up. Physical fitness is crucial, so check out the requirements below and start training now. It will make the difference in (1) whether your scores show you want this challenging camp, and (2) whether you are sufficiently motivated.
The Physical Fitness Test (PFT) consists of four events. Maximum score to be earned in each event is 100 points. Scoring 100 in each event results in a maximum score of 400. The closer you come to 100 points in each event, the better will be your chance of being selected. The events and maximum scores are:
80 sit-ups in two minutes.
60 push-ups – no time limit.
20 pull-ups for males – no time limit; or female hang time of 24 seconds.
1 mile run – 6 minutes or less for males; 7 minutes or less for females.
During the summer leading up to camp in July, there will be various work projects. Your participation will show how much you desire to go to camp. There will be sponsored car washes and odd jobs, most of them lined up for you by mentors from the local detachment of the Marine Corps League who have every wish for you to succeed.
The cost of the program is $500 per Pup. Of that total, each successful Pup candidate will earn $100 toward his cost by performing odd jobs arranged by the mentors. The balance of the cost (i.e., $400) is raised by donations from individuals and organizations wishing to support the program.
Please note, in applying for a slot for camp, that your parent/parents must be agreeable to picking you up at Camp Pendleton immediately after the graduation ceremonies. There is no return transportation from Camp Pendleton.
For further questions, call Col. Toole or check out the older posts on this blog for prior years of Devil Pups camp.
