What It Takes To Survive The Marines' 54-hour Final Test | Boot Camp

This Marine Corps recruit is not actually injured, he is playing the role of a wounded Marine during a simulated casualty evacuation. Oh, now he drove faster, sir, and his fellow recruits have to drag him inch by inch to safety. It is not comfortable to carry someone on you. your back and drag them through the mud you sweat more in training so you bleed less in combat it's part of their

final

test

in the training

camp

known as the crucible a 54-

hour

event that all recruits must complete fox is collapsing, Mr. Insiders spent four days at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Paris Island, South Carolina, to chronicle how one company took on the challenge - the

final

step before officially becoming Marines - The Crucible

takes

place in week 11 of the 13-week marine corps

boot

camp

the day before marine corps recruits The gender-integrated hotel company gathers in front of its barracks for a briefing, although the female recruits have trained on Paris Island since 1949.

Gender-integrated companies did not emerge until 2019. As of January 2021, this group of recruits was the most gender diverse enlisted company in Navy history and among those in the hotel company there is a brother and a sister of Georgia Lacero Cisneros, 21 years old, and her sister Myra, 19 years old, my sister and I are here making the melting pot together, we are in the same company as we usually do. We don't see each other often, but we always glimpse each other. It's actually motivating just to be able to see it there. I know there is someone here who knows me.

He's going through this with me. He knows the pain he feels. passing at 0-200 or 2 a.m. There are lights on in the hotel company squad bays, guys, we had to rush very stressful thinking about

what

the day was going to be like, the recruits put on their desert utility uniforms known as desert shirts, they fold the first. shadow with you and your rag buddy now fixing your racks and preparing your equipment which weighs about 50 pounds while some recruits may be smiling now they won't be for long after one last trip to the head the recruits line up outside to officially Start the melting pot, we all understand

what

that means, yes sir, you should probably shout a lot louder.

Their first task is a long walk in the cold darkness about six miles long, so nothing too arduous for the beginning, but just enough for them to understand, "Hey, you." You're on your own, we're not going to have you arrested, you're going to walk there just like you're going to come back when the sun rises. The events of the first day began. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to The threat of each crucible event is inspired by a real event in Marine Corps history. Corporal Durham covered the grenade with his helmet and his body and before the event begins, the squad leader educates the group on its historical significance.

He saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. all gears should be on you're facing four turn it on two calls answer this group starts with an upgraded obstacle course i don't know why you're spawning when you're struggling with a simple obstacle so the obstacle course is out there you've seen it all before, just now we are adding a couple more factors to make it more difficult now they also need to safely transport 35 pound cans of ammo across the field when recruits fail to navigate the obstacles their drill instructor orders them to do burpees and are punished as a group, although this recruit was able to overcome the obstacle that his fellow recruits could not, I'll let you go down between burpees, so he had to pay along with them, go, go, pepsi miami seti, yes, we.

I have something that is crazy, just six

hour

s into the crucible and tensions are starting to flare. You want to roll your eyes at me. No sir, are you sure? Yes, sir, because I literally just saw you do that. No sir, many times they could. they get frustrated because they are cold, they feel uncomfortable, no sir, you need to add your problem, no sir, run the diagram training, that is a very common thing we see often, recruits just correct themselves because at this point they already know what is right and what is right. bad fortunately they will soon have the opportunity to let off steam when they enter a structure known as the octagon recruits fight each other with bugle sticks they are tired they are hungry and now we will pit them against each other at some point.

At that time, you are going to be face to face with someone through all these conditions and you will still have to be aggressive enough to win. The winner of the fight runs through a trapdoor under a sign that says devil dogs. The loser reports to the penalty box where they perform a series of planks and other exercises intended to motivate them to avoid returning, there they go and soon have a chance to redeem themselves. All recruits face each other again in one-on-one body combat. I think this is a way to just keep them alert and aware of your actions or the other person's actions.

Recruits are only allowed to hit the body, no hits above the neck are allowed, but stray blows sometimes land. Now I have to throw this equipment away. and injuries can occur, okay, what company is this hotel company? There is a saying downtown that every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. Recruits spend two weeks dedicated to marksmanship during

boot

camp during the Crucible. Recruits combine the skills they have learned at the shooting range with movement in a simulated squad attack, okay, so first there will be cover and movement, and then you will automatically move under fire, if people shoot at you, you will automatically go towards Bottom right.

We're not going to give ourselves that easy target, yes sir, the squads move together through a wooded area before reaching the camp entrance, so you'll stay close to this tree line and run up to that block. come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, here the recruits fire blank rounds during the event that simulates providing cover for their fellow recruits as they advance, you're going to call that guy so that bird stays alive now these recruits have opened the appetite, it's supposed to be rice and beans from Santa Fe they don't taste the rice they're used to they go to the dining room to receive three full meals a day now they will essentially receive field rations directly our ready-to-eat meals, these are spicy jalapenos, I know which are jalapenos, usually a single mre counts as one meal for the crucible, recruits have to ration five mres over the course of the event, mix it well, it's like pudding, it's the best pudding you've ever had in your life. life. that pudding right there there are no naps during the crucible during meal breaks the recruits are tasked with posting security over the course of the 54 hour event the recruits sleep only three to four hours a night and this is where it happens in the structures known as sea huts how tired are you now for now I have good energy left to complete the day I have been trying to ration my food and I have been trying to keep my mind strong for three more days before I become a sailor for lacero your day comes to an end with one of the most intense events in the crucible, come on, you have to save his life, a simulated casualty evacuation in a combat scenario, I think it

takes

40 seconds to bleed out, listen to it, listen to it, you're going crazy, you're not doing the right thing. options, it's okay sir, no choice is still a choice, you just stand there looking at me confused, he's already bleeding out, you just helped him stop the bleeding, it's okay sir, you're being too slow, you're not communicating where are you going, it came from this direction mister fox you're breaking down mister now I know if you ever need to help someone you can't even help you can't do anything because he's not okay because he just got blown up the legs, I said it is.

I'm going to excite the kid and he's scared and he doesn't know what's going on I have eyes in your head you'll be okay buddy we got you come on sisters come on I've been learning a lot lately combat training combat care this recruitment Keep in mind you still have a lot to learn as Myra attempts to navigate one of the most intimidating obstacles on Paris Island, the 30-foot-high ladder to heaven, a ready move that all recruits must attempt without any safety equipment. I joined the marine corps. with my older brother because of a financial need, I was going to college, I needed the money and the career I want to pursue is a pediatrician, so obviously I have to go to medical school for that and obviously I thought I needed the money, so I went. to the recruiting station and I told him on the phone call that I have a brother, remember him? and they asked me to bring it, so we both went together, they simply convinced us and we joined together.

It turns out that having a brother and training on Paris Island is not that strange, we met another pair of brothers at a hotel company, the relationship has strengthened because at home we were separated, we just played Xbox together from across the hall until We came here, we knew each other, but no. I don't really like talking every day like we have been doing for the last three months, it's a great feeling because every time you think you can't like turning to someone, you can always turn to your real blood brother, he's on the rear. Well, yeah, tonight I'm basically going to pray a little for strength as the sun sets on the first day of the crucible, these recruits are going to have a long night and an even longer day ahead of them.

Simulated casualties play an important role and one of the most challenging events in the crucible the battle of way city named after one of the bloodiest battles in vietnam where approximately 10,000 people were killed including over 100

marines

speakers place sounds of gunshots and explosions to create a more realistic combat environment along with simulated mortar explosions that occur when a spark plug ignites a combination of propane and oxygen activated by pressing this button. The goal of the event is for each fire team to maneuver through the area with all victims and equipment intact. Instructors designate recruits as victims if they fail. hiding during his approach is the responsibility of the still healthy recruits transporting the casualties the recruits must climb the walls crawl through sand and barbed wire he is bleeding while slowly moving the casualties I need help getting out embrace the suction it couldn't have been It's more true here, once you accept the sucking and look to your left and right and see the guys next to you doing it, it just makes you want to push even harder and some of them will smile and then you'll break. a smile and that keeps you active sir macdonald sir you are bleeding hello sir recruits who stay healthy and do not have to attend to casualties are free to negotiate the course as long as they do not do anything to catch their instructor attention turns still most grueling in the rain, which is where we find Myra and her squad thanks to a storm that started out as dirt that quickly turned to mud.

My hip is starting to hurt and I had trouble keeping the gun out of the sand, so there it was. This morning was really difficult, the recruits went into the forest to overcome a series of obstacles as a team, which in the rain made things more complicated for Lázaro and his team. It has been very exciting moving forward from the beginning of training camp to the end. happy to be here with my sister having a once in a lifetime moment. I have seen many improvements in myself. I try to work on myself more as more than just physical recruits.

Recruits are invited to share their personal stories in sessions called core values. I've been trying as hard as I could everywhere I could and while I had this march for college I never had the motivation, but somehow the Marines were the only thing I wasn't motivated for, you know, one thing that everyone says it helps Push them that's my mom and that's my dad he passed away two years ago and it's been hard on her so it's like she's coming home and I'm here so I can't wait to call her and be like your mom finally did it.

I feel like I found a part of myself that I didn't have before and that I never fit in anywhere else. As the second day winds down, all that stands between these recruits and officially becoming Marines is a nine-mile walk back to the parade cover. For the hotel company the crucible has come to an end but there is one last step left each recruit receives their eagle balloon and anchor emblem symbolizing that they have officially become United States Marines for the recruits this is why they have been fighting for these last 12 weeks and many times it is what they have wanted since they were children.

It is absolutely incredible to see these men and women who have fought so hard for what they want andfinally see them achieve it. We started this together. We were going to finish this together yeah, how did it feel when you put that in your hand? It felt like hope for a new future for a family. Are you proud of her? Yes, she has perhaps surpassed me. I'm her older brother, so I see that she has grown up. to become a very strong woman and murray, are you hungry? Yes, Howard, how excited are you for this breakfast?

Oh, very soon, very excited, while the eagle and anchor balloon ceremony is the most anticipated moment of training camp, the warrior breakfast may be a close second. They are very happy to be inside at that time and are given steak and eggs. It's probably the closest thing to a home-cooked meal they can get while they're here. They are incredibly happy.