Arnulfo Martinezzavala

When people think of California, they often envision a beautiful paradise of palm trees and beaches. That is not the case, however, at Twentynine Palms Marine base. The Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command and Marine Corps Combat Center is the world’s largest Marines training facility, with nearly 13,000 active duty military working there. It is constantly busy with Marines undergoing training.

Twentynine Palms is nothing but a desert surrounded by dead trees. It was my home for three of the four years I served on active duty. After graduating from Northern Guilford High School in 2017, I immediately shipped to Marine Corps basic training in Parris Island, South Carolina. I spent three long months being yelled at by drill instructors while learning to work as a team with my colleagues. Following basic training, I underwent a month of infantry training in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. After Camp Lejeune, I headed to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to train as a field artillery cannoneer.

To be honest, I had no clue what the job entailed. With a little help from Google and some YouTube videos, I realized I would be shooting cannons for fun! Who wouldn’t like that? I was an 18-year-old who wanted to work out and fire cannons. Artillery school lasted only a month and a half, during which I learned about the different rounds, including some containing TNT and others that could release land mines from their baseplate.

My time at Fort Sill went by so quickly that it felt like a dream that ended too soon. After graduation, I received my orders. One by one, the instructors called out duty stations until they reached my name: “PFC Martinezzavala, ordered to Twentynine Palms, California.” I was shocked. I had heard so many terrible things about it, including that there was nothing to do except for 24/7 field training since our backyard was a desert.

The only good thing was that 17 classmates were heading there with me. No one liked the idea. Our arrival would be the first time in years that the unit had gotten so many new guys. Many older Marines there were heading toward the final years of their contracts, so we were their replacements. 

I grew sad on the plane ride. This relocation would be my first time away from home in a long time. I grew up and lived in Summerfield, North Carolina, but would now be across the country, more than 2,000 miles west.

My first couple of months took some adjusting. I was trying to get accustomed to being a Marine and dealing with the hot weather. I was no longer a high schooler who could do whatever he wanted. I had a daily schedule that involved waking up at 5 a.m. to work out in the desert heat. Throughout the challenges, I learned the true value of having a fantastic group of friends. No matter the harsh conditions, whether the scorching summer heat or the freezing winters, Twentynine Palms, California, will always have a place in my heart.