Tough one, though there are several options....

One is to exercise unit level punishment up to and including Article 15, .... however there is a twist to this, as "standing together" is not neccesarily a bad thing. In fact, it would be good to punish the insubordinates together, as they committed the offense together. But they should be hammered like tent pegs.

At that stage of the Soldierization process, allowing any insubordinate conduct is simply not an option. I would definitely consider these men for recycle, confinement, or discharge. Might the specter of EEO be raised because these "ethnics" chose their ethnicity to seperate themselves thereby indirectly but effectively causing a racial incident?

One way to never have had the situation develop was to NOT HAVE GROUP PUNISHMENT or the robot like atmosphere of MCRD. I have always thought that artificially induced "suffering" was a poor way to administer mass "justice". I always thought that holding individuals accountable for their actions was the best policy, but to also make sure that their immediate leaders felt some heat for the fact that their people failed to perform. On the rare occasions that we had a belligerent refusal to train, the CO made sure that the entire company was on hand to witness the UCMJ in action. One idiot, knowing his rights under the UCMJ, requested a summary court vs an article 15. No sweat. He spent some 60 days in confinement and was either recycled or discharged. I think he was discharged. A simple refusal to train or to qual on the rifle would have netted him a non characteristic seperation. This guy had to push the issue and wound up with a bad discharge.

I'm the Senior DI.

I call in the entire ethnic mafia and "take my smokey hat off".

I level with them. I tell them that they have to decide if they are going to be Marines or not.

If not, we will discharge them.

You cannot quit and abandon your fellow men.

We have screwed up here by not explaining the "game" to you. The idea is for us to be the bad guys representing the enemy and for you all in the Platoon to turn to each other and work together, not turn on each other. We have also tried to just run you into the ground until you humiliate yourselves, this is our mistake. But remember, in combat the enemy will not stop until he KILLS YOU. If you do your absolute best, then that's all you can do. But you have to try. This platoon needs a victory.

This is YOUR MARINE CORPS. Those are YOUR Marines you are in the platoon together with. I am asking you to open your heart and make EVERY MARINE your brother. I can't make you do it, but I am asking.

Whether you choose to stay or go is up to you.

But I will promise you this, from now on my Drill Instructors and I are going to start treating you as our brothers, regardless---because we are Americans, and most importantly we are human beings. We are in this together. You ARE my brothers.

I need a written statement from each one of you what you want to do. You can talk amongst yourselves also. Those that want to stay will be welcomed back in the Platoon, and I will have a heart-to-heart talk with everyone on this matter. Those that want to go will be processed out without prejudice since WE have failed YOU by not showing you leadership-by-example from "a band of brothers". If you stay, it will not be easy we have a lot to catch up on, but I KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO if you put your mind to it. Now its in your hands.