Separation Platoon: Boot Camp’s Hotel California

Every branch of the military has some version of the place nobody wants to be assigned to during boot camp.

The name may change. The procedures may change. The reasons for being there may change. But the concept is remarkably familiar: you've been removed from the normal training pipeline, and nobody is quite sure when you're getting out or where you're going next.

Welcome to Separation Platoon.

Unlike the recruits marching toward graduation with their divisions, the people in Separation Platoon are in military limbo. They're still recruits. They're still under orders. They're still expected to follow instructions.

But they're no longer on the same road as everybody else.

And that creates a awkward military universe.

Some recruits find themselves here because of an injury or some type of medical issue. Some could have failed a requirement, had an administrative problem, or been determined unable to continue training. Some are waiting to be discharged. Others may eventually be recycled into another training group and get another chance at earning the title they signed up to do.

Nobody knows exactly how long they're going to be there.

Which can make it feel like the longest assignment of your military service.

Your buddies are moving forward while you're standing stuck in limbo.

They've got a training schedule.

You've got questions.

They know what they're doing next Tuesday.

You don't even know what you're doing tomorrow.

And that's where the military's favorite phrase “Hurry up and wait” takes on a whole new meaning.

Separation Platoon wasn't about a collection of misfits who didn’t belong. Some recruits just got hurt. Some discovered that their bodies weren't going to cooperate. Some encountered circumstances that had nothing to do with their motivation or character.

And that's something veterans from different branches can understand.

The Army may call its process something different. The Navy may organize it differently. The Marines and Air Force have their own terminology and procedures. But the experience of being pulled out of the herd and placed in limbo is something many former recruits recognize immediately.

You learn something that nobody puts on the recruiting poster:

Getting into the military is one thing. Making it through boot camp is a whole different story.

And sometimes the hardest part of boot camp isn't marching, running, swimming, shooting, or getting screamed at.

Sometimes it's simply waiting to find out whether you're going home...

or getting another set of orders to start all over again.