Marines still looking for a few good men and gals

I personally have to admit I don't get the appeal of this activity. It's a
group bonding deal. Building up the esprit de corps.

Powerful religious overtones too. "Ye shall handle serpents and drink
their blood," right out of the Gospel of Mark if I'm not mistaken,
although it's my understanding that the drinking blood part was left
out of the King James and later editions.

As Christian symbolism this may be just what the doctor ordered
before one goes on crusade against the Islamic hordes, although on
the face of it there seems plenty of margin for exegetical error. I mean
 "blood of Christ and blood of the serpent" in such close proximity is a
misunderstanding waiting to happen.

But if the US Marine Corps is into this, it won't be long before it's
 a team-building exercise at Goldman Sachs and Citicorp.