As posted here Sergeant Mark A. Delarosa, USMC, a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego was charged with assault, maltreatment, orders violation, and making a false official statement.
Prosecutors alleged Sgt Delarosa would inflict pain on his recruits to teach them. Sgt Delarosa called this a “pain retains” approach, alleged the prosecution. One of his former 
recruits alleges that Sgt Delarosa spit on him while ordering him to exercise, also known as thrashing or pitting a recruit. The same former recruit alleged that Sgt Delarosa kicked him in the shin while correcting his position during drill. Sgt Delarosa’s defense counsel, Capt Patrick J. Callahan, USMC, defended his client stating he is a taskmaster who dreaded the prospect of having one of his recruits die in Iraq because he was not prepared.
Capt Callahan continued, “This is the Marines, not the Air Force, not the Army . . . We push these recruits. We say mean things to recruits.”
Sgt Delarosa was acquitted of all but one of the charges. The sergeant was found not guilty of assault, maltreatment, and making a false official statement. He was, however, found guilty of an orders violation, in that he violated the standard operating procedure (SOP) for recruit training, by throwing a set of keys toward a recruit to have him unlock a door.
As predicted by yojoe, in the earlier post, Sgt Delarosa received no punishment. On 12 September 2007, Sgt Delarosa was sentence. The members of the court-martial – the military equivalent of a jury – awarded Sgt Delarosa no punishment.
It is incorrect to state that Sgt Delarosa received no punishment, because the conviction will remain part of his record, both in and out of the Marine Corps. Thus, it is more accurate to state that he received no additional punishment, other than his conviction.
yojoe out
Filed under: Crime, Law, Marine Corps, Military, Military Law, War
This DELA ROSA is a person with no heart he deserve more punishment because this kind of people destroyed the name of few proud marines, what will happened to other young men who dream to serve the country they will think the marine have no values and they don’t really follow the core of the marine corps. Hurting someone to make them strong is part of the marine way of creating a Soldier but making this men feel no dignity and feel like trash is not a way of teaching them to be a good soldier. What they want is give a mentality to make them bitter and feel like not a human to able to kill people is no pain, because they already put alot of pain.
as a gratuate of mcrd san diego i can say that i’m happy for this drill instructor. when asked about my most significant accomplishment as a young man i reply, “graduation from marine corps bootcamp”. the poison in our culture is the soft, sniveling populace that thinks they can join an elite branch of the military and expect to be catered to. suck it up or move aside for the real marines to come through. we won’t think less of you until you snivel, then you deserve it. without the corps we would be…….britain.
Mr. Deegan,
Thank you for the comment, and more importantly, thank you for your service. When did you graduate from the Depot?
yojoe Semper Fi
Kelly, LEARN ENGLISH before you comment on American military websites. Your grammer is terrible.
You are the reason that women should not be in combat. You care too much. War is Hell. Do you think the enemy cares about you? Get your head out of the sand.
God Help America
Comment on Marine Corp Drill Instructors being persecuted.
As a Former Marine Corp Drill Instructor, I commend De La Rosa and other Drill Instructors recently stomped on by Snivelers (people that I wouldn’t hesitate to send my daughter out against)! These Marines are not trying to prepare our young men to be able to complete college, or get a job, or complete a marathon. We are trying to train them to go into harms way, and survive; to go there and bring everyone with them, back alive.
Part of Recruit Training in the Marine Corp is to deal with HARDSHIP that no civilian could ever understand. No Drill Instructor that I have ever met, or served with, ever wanted to physically DAMAGE a recruit, because it is self defeating. But let’s get REAL here. The Marine Corp is not the Army, or the Air Force or the Navy (with the exception of Seals & Rangers). The MEN in the Marine Corps are the Elite in Fighting Men, the first to go into harms way with little or no back up. They are the tops in a DISCIPLINED FIGHTING FORCE.
If a recruit can’t take a little mental and physical harassment in Recruit Training, how are they supposed to survive in an atmosphere, where there are other people out there that are trying with all of their heart and sole to kill them? The Marines are a TEAM. They fight as a team, play as a team, live as a team. All of the PANSIES out there that can’t take a little screaming, or forced physical training beyond what they THINK they can endure, or ridicule for not behaving as part of a team, or just plain harassment for not doing the LITTLE THINGS required to be part of the team, don’t belong in the Corp. All they will do is get themselves or someone else, killed, because of there “WHAT ABOUT MOMMIES LITTLE BOY, ME?” attitude.
I am really one of the nicest and most forgiving guys you would ever meet, and the hardest thing that I have ever done, was to be as hard, nitpicky, and unforgiving as I was required to be as a Drill Instructor. As a Drill Instructor I violated the “SOP” forced on us by sniveling “MOMMIES”, and risked my career in the Corps, on a daily basis, because I didn’t want my recruits to go out there and get themselves or anyone with them killed. I have been REWARDED with drinks from recruits that I met, later, out in the fleet or by chance, out in civilian life, from former recruits. I have been introduced to family and friends, and received letters of appreciation, from former recruits that thanked me for being so hard on them in Recruit Training. MANY former recruits have told me, that if not for me and my Drill Instructor Teammates, and the hardnosed, nitpicking, harassing, drubbing that we subjected them to, they would not be here today.
What was it all for?? DISCIPLINE!!!!! If they can’t handle this little bit of “being uncomfortable”, here in recruit training, they won’t be able to survive in combat.
SEMPER FI MARINES!!! OOOOHH RRAAAHHH!!!!
This comment is meant for all REAL Marines. Not the sniveling, politically correct, brown nosed, butt kissers, that are persecuting the REAL MARINES out there saving lives and getting the job done.
Sgt Delarosa was my drill instructor when i went to boot camp. I was there when he got into trouble for all the stuff he did. Now that i’m out of boot camp i’m glad he did the things he did. It made all of us better Marines.
As a former Drill Instructor (1970s) who faced a special court martial (and was acquitted) I am happy that a jury felt that the sergeant was in part doing his job. It is regrettable he was convinced of tossing keys to a recruit.
The Marine Corps is the finest fight force in the world and today, the Marine Corps has the best NCOs and officers in the history of any military combat force.
The problem for the Marine Corps is the mindset that many Americans have towards the military. Kelly, for example, believes Sgt. Dela Rosa has no heart; however, what I do know about training recruits for combat requires the DI to have a bigger heart than the average person. If Sgt. Dela Rosa wasn’t concerned about his platoon and the welfare of this recruit he would have allowed that person to fall short of the true values of being a Marine. This would, in today’s time, be equal to a death sentence for both the recruit and the Marines in his platoon. It is unfortunate that Sgt. Dela Rosa had to face a court martial for such trifling offenses. As well as, it is unfortunate that America has allow too many weak minded people (like Kelly) to affect the true nature of warrior training.
Kelly, before you trash someone (Sgt. Dela Rosa) and something (Marine combat training) take a moment and review history. Start with Alexander the Great, Hannibal, the Romans etc… You will discover that the reason why those individuals/nations were as successful as warriors wasn’t from soft treatment of their recruits. From all accounts no recruit received any permanent injury (other than their pride/feelings were hurt).
And last, look at the statistics, only the individuals whose feelings got hurt, are bitter, and are demoralized, are the ones who failed to live up to Marine Corps standards. The Marine Corps, just as Sgt. Dela Rosa have proven their ability to be effective combat agents for their country. If you were a Marine you would understand this, as well as, the mindset that “Pain is Weakness leaving the Body.” SEMPER FI! MARINES! OOOOHH RRAAAHHH!
FUCK YOU!!! who ever cried like a bitch… get the fuck out of the Marine Corps.
i think the pain retain method is the only way they will learn.
that is how marines are trained. thats what seperates the marine corps from the army. if you cant take real training then leave my corps and if you dont like the way we do things then get out of our country
I am the mother of the recruit that De la Rosa hurt. Mark fractured my son’s shin and refused him medical treatment. My son continued to do his pt’s afterwards with no complaints. His leg was purple from the knee to the bottom of his foot. My son was not the one who reported De La Rosa, it was another recuit who went to the CO. My son’s fellow recruits had to carry my son back to barracks after pts because he could not walk.
The recuit who reported it was tired of seeing De La Rosa pick on my son all the time and threatening to kick him in the shin again. My son was called to the CO’s office. The CO asked my son to pull up his pants leg and the CO was pissed at DE La Rosa. De La Rosa and other Drill Instructor buddies, threatened to kill my son for reporting the incident. My son put in a separate barracks with guards, because the threats with so intense. My father was a Marine drill instructor at Parris Island, he was also one of very few who lived through the Chosin Reservoir battle (the Frozen Chosin, as they are called), he was very upset about the treatment of by son (his grandson). He said that as a drill instructor for the Marines, he never laid a hand or foot on his recuits. He punished them with lots of extra pts. De La Rosa is up for Court Marshall again just recently, for the same thing. My son was asked again to be a witness against De La Rosa. The Court Marshall in last year ended as it did because, yes, De La Rosa did great things in combat in Iraq. However, he should not be allowed to be a drill instructor any further. The Marines are known for their pain giving, grulling Boot Camp, but being inhumane is wrong. My son was one of the top recuits in his group. He was not a whimp as many of you think. He has a black belt in marshal-arts and expert marksman.
He wanted to make the Marines his life. He now has premanent nerve damage in his leg from De La Rosa.
My son was one of the most promising recruits that his recruitor had ever met in his 12 years as a recruitor.(quoted from Gunny Sargent ). You fellow marines can say what you want about my son, but I am very familar with the ways of the Marine Corps. As soldiers you need to stand by each others side in time of war, my son would have been one who gave his life for his fellow soldier. He was commited, unafraid, wanted to get the enemy, and defend our country. You who write these nasty comments only know want the media was allow to tell, there was much more to the incident then you realize. My son, even today as a civilian, does whatever he can to help the Marine Corp and has referred many, many young men to the recruitors. I as his mother, am very proud of my son and so are many, many fellow Marines who know him.
Ok Penny! It seems that you dont know shit about the Marine Corps, because we are Marines not soldiers and u are just plain stupid because it is MARTIAL not MARSHALL. IDIOT!!!! From what i know recruits that get picked on all the time are called shitbags sorry to break it to u but your little boy was one of them. There are Marines missing limbs and you are complaining about your sons purple leg. COME ON!!!!! Yeah and i am sure that it was another recruit who brought that up to the CO. I bet your son sits around telling his buddies storys about home much of a badass he was. and its all crap. PAIN DOES RETAIN!!!!! SEMPER FI!!!!!
well im sry that u guys have nothing better to do than stick ur nose in others bussiness the sadest part about the corps now days is fucktards like u dumbasses honor and integrity are the most valued part about being called marine u help people when no one else can not sit around and talk shit because 1 marine did not forfill his oath as a drill instructor u should know what that oath means as a drill instructor u are traing the future of the corps do want them to think lying and cheating and fucking other marines up is what the corps ios about or ur goal should be teaching them marine corps values honor courage and commitment and for all of you that think that being mean to fellow americans is cool ur stupid and have learned nothing the marine corps set out to teach you and should talk to ur CO’s im sorry if i offended anyone in this statement but u need to ask urself what the corps is known for and its there values why because the marine corps is not just a career its a way of life and when all the shitbags which that term is more than just boot term its for all shit bags that have no moral values and discipline some of my friends are still in the corp been in the corps for years tell me all the time good thing i got out when i did cause its all gang bangers and fucktards in the corps the only ones worth a damn are staff nco’s now and are pogues u all have a good night and remember the corp values
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO JOHN LITTLE-NICE MOUTH DID THE MARINE CORP TEACH YOU TO TALK LIKE THAT
CHILLI DOG, LETS GET FIVE DRILL IDIOTS TO BEAT ON YOU AT ONE TIME THROW YOU IN A ROOM AND MAKE YOU STRIP DOWN TO YOUR BRIEFS BECAUSE YOU CAME DOWN WITH AN ASTHMA ATTACK. AFTER HAVING A BROTHER WHO WAS A MARINE IN THE 60′S AND FOUGHT AND PROTECTED HIS PLATOON FROM HARM HE WOULD ALWAYS TELL US DON’T LET YOUR SONS BE MARINES. IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF YEARS TO DEPROGRAM MY BROTHER, ALL YOU ARE TAUGHT TO DO IS KILL, YOU WOULD KILL YOUR MOTHER IF YOU WERE TOLD TO. IN MY OPION ALL MARINES ARE BRAINLESS BECAUSE YOU ARE BRAINDEAD YOU CAN NOT THINK FOR YOURSELVES, YOU ARE TOLD EVERYDAY WHAT TO DO THAT INCLUDES TAKING A PISS. YOU ARE NOT MEN YOUR ASSES.
Marines do not make robots. They make killers.
I am proud to say that Drill Instructor Sgt. Delarosa was my drill instructor. He is a great man who helped inspire me to become the man I am. If you ever have the honor of meeting this man you will know what I mean when I say that he is rough around the edges. But none the less he is fine drill instructor and even finer man.
I will not say if he had physical contact with me or my fellow recruits, but understand that basic training is not a summer camp. It is an institution to save lives. It is not a “9 to 5″. If mistakes are made in the the civilian world life will go on. Unfortunetly for men and women serving over seas, when mistakes are made life does not always go on. I have served in a forward operating area as a rifleman, and having a man who is as well trained as I am standing at my side protecting me while I am protecting him is a remarkable feeling. Great drill instructors Like Sgt. Delarosa make this feeling attainable.
I currently have the privelage of serving with Marines who I went to bootcamp with me. We are all in agreement when we talk about our bootcamp stories. We talk about the things that Sgt. Delarosa made us do and activities we performed. They all serve their purpose in way or another. We speak of the great times we had and what a good man he is.
Serving our country is one of the most honorable things a human being could ever do. It is noble and sacrafices such as these will never be forgotten. But what needs to be understand about serving in the U.S. military is that it is not for everyone. People have different abilities and potential. Where they will use the traits will not always be best for the military. I am not trying to justify Sgt Delarosa’s actions, and my sympathy goes out to the family that has gone through this hassle and emotional unrest. I would just like to present the other side of this story.
I would also like to say that it saddens me to read some of these entries. The extreme arguements on both sides of this matter are ridiculous. I am offended by both sides of the story and would like to say that I do not like to be stereotyped as a marine. I do my best to uphold the standard and image of the Marine Corps. You should never judge people like that. That is not even a military teaching. That is something you should do as a human being and citizen of humanity. God Bless Drill Instructor Sgt. Mark Delarosa.