TRIAL BY FIRE

IT'S HERE......IT'S NOW

Parris Island, Training Days 63, 64, 65  August 12-14, 2010

The Crucible


By definition, a crucible is a state of prolonged anguish and privation. As it relates to the making of Marines for the 21 st century. It is boot camp’s defining moment. This 54 hour event that Sara and her almost completely Basically Trained Marine Recruits are about to begin "features" little sleep, little food, over 40 miles of forced marches and 32 stations that test physical toughness and mental agility. "It is designed to build self confidence, teamwork, trust in her fellow Marines, positive peer pressure and emphasizes the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. They will be required to make complex decisions at the lowest level and perform under more stress than ever before. The two missions in the Marine Corps -- to win battles and make Marines -- are embodied in...The Crucible.

Plt 4024 will get eight hours of sleep during the entire 54-hour exercise. They get two-and-a-half MREs and are responsible for rationing out the food to themselves. They are put through tough physical activities like road marches and night infiltration courses. As quoted, they will actually march about 40 miles in these next 54 hours.

It isn't long before Sara and 4th Batallion November Company Platoon 4024 will be tired and hungry... but as they keep going they will realize that they, together, will call on reserves they never knew they had.

A 0300 march to the Crucible begins the 'adventure.'   The gear stowed in huts, Platoon 4024 will prepare for the first of four four-hour events.  Each event has a number of "warrior stations" that the team of recruits must work together to overcome or solve. Each station is named for a Marine hero and the drill instructor has a recruit read a brief explanation of how the hero's actions exemplify the Corps and its values.

Usually a different leader is chosen for each station so all the recruits understand what it's like to be the leader and what they have to do to be a follower.  They will grab food and water when they can.

So, after day one events comes a fast paced five-mile night march. Lighting is poor and exhaustion will be setting in.  Sara will hit the rack for a quick four hours of sleep, then charge into another day.  They will be tired and hungry and most likely, will be getting short with one another.  But... each recruit knows by now that they must work together to finish. No one gets through the Crucible alone. More events and a second MRE...
At the end of Day 2, these recruits will go through a night infiltration course and then hit the rack for another four hours. When they get up Saturday morning at 4 a.m., they will face a nine-mile march and...
... the end of the Crucible.

As the sun rises, the recruits will cross DI Bridge.

"Once across, the drill instructors start Jody calls and the recruits join in. As they get closer to the main base, the Jody calls get louder until they reach the Parade Deck. The recruits form up around a half-
size replica of the Marine Corps Memorial -- also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.

There, a significant transformation takes place.

"We're not just giving them basic training, we're turning them into Marines." 

"There's more to being a Marine than knowing how to fire a weapon. There's a whole tradition behind it,
and we want these recruits to measure up to the men and women who went before them."

A color guard will raise the flag on the memorial.

The chaplain will read a prayer specifically written for the finish of the Crucible, and
November Company first sergeant will address the recruits.

Then the drill instructors present each of their recruits with the Marine Corps insignia -- the eagle, globe and anchor. She will shake Sara's hand and call her "Marine" for the first time.

Many will accept this honor with tears streaming down their faces.

And me?... With great pride, halfway across the nation, Saturday mid-morning, I will know that I can finally put the emblem my Sara gave me just before that long ago morning at MEPS on the back of my Land Cruiser that says for all to see ...that My Daughter has earned the title of United States Marine.  One big fat... OOHRAH, Sara!!!!

No doubt, Sara will be proud of herself.  Proud of her fellow Recruits.  Proud of her accomplishment.  Proud of her Future.  Proud of her title. 

And hopefully she won't be needing crutches.  We will find out on Sunday afternoon when she calls.




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