SAN DIEGO - The Crucible is one of the final, most challenging steps that every recruit aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego has to go through before receiving the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and becoming a Marine. Each recruit is pushed to their limit physically and mentally and must rely on their fellow recruits and all the training they’ve retained since Training Day 1.
The recruits of Company G, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, embarked on The Crucible, March 19, at Weapons and Field Training Battalion aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
The exhausting, 54-hour simulated field-training exercise tests the skills recruits have learned throughout recruit training by forcing them to hike to different obstacles with very little sleep and food.
Recruits are tested on their ability to perform as a leader, come together as a team to complete missions, and the application of leadership traits and core values.
“The Crucible is a culminating event for the recruits,” said drill instructor Staff Sgt. Ricky Broadway, Co. G, 2nd RTBn. “They are pushed to their limits to see how they can perform with the lack of sleep.”
At each event, a different recruit is put in a leadership position and have the opportunity to demonstrate their communication skills and the 14 leadership traits that are emphasized throughout recruit training.
“We see a lot of them step up to be leaders,” said Broadway. “Putting them in that position allows them to open up more and builds that confidence they need to perform.”
Many recruits are quiet throughout boot camp and The Crucible is their chance to show what they’ve learned about leadership and if they can step up to take that role, said Broadway.
The recruits are then graded on their performance based on the Marine Corps core values of honor, courage and commitment. It takes a lot of courage to step up and be a good leader. Through this courage, the recruits build camaraderie and use teamwork to complete the assigned mission, said Broadway.
The obstacles and missions consist of real-life combat situations, such as evacuating casualties, re-supplying ammunition, movement under fire, an improvised explosive device detecting simulation and hand-to-hand combat.
“High Iams Drive” body sparring is an event where recruits to go head-to-head and execute techniques they’ve learned from Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training.
The event is based on the Medal of Honor citation for Sgt. Ross Lindsey Iams, who was awarded for his actions in Haiti in 1915. He fought enemy forces and battled them with hand-to-hand techniques till the resistance was captured.
Each event at The Crucible is based on citations of the remarkable, heroic actions that Marines have been recognized throughout history.
“Reading the citations gives them [recruits] an understanding of what they’re doing at each event,” said Sgt. Ignacio Castellanos, martial arts instructor, field company, WFTBn. “Most of them have never been in a fight, and doing this puts them in a situation to take on an opponent and see what they can do.”
Body sparring allows them to find themselves and builds confidence in their abilities, said Castellanos.
Exhausted and hungry, the recruits still maintained their combat mindset and fought against each other, proving their knowledge of MCMAP.
“Seeing how we perform in this event shows us that we can continue the fight even though we’re tired,” said Recruit Barrett Cliett, Platoon 2142, Co. G, 2nd RTBn. “You can fight through it.”
Throughout the training days before The Crucible, recruits are prepared mentally and physically to overcome each obstacle, but the unknown is what really keeps them on edge.
“You never really know what is going to happen next,” said Cliett, a 21-year-old from Houston. “I tried to prepare myself mentally by having the motivation to earn my Eagle, Globe and Anchor.”
Every Marine Corps value the recruits have learned in boot camp is brought out in The Crucible, said Cliett, but teamwork was stressed from the very beginning of recruit training.
“The platoon lacked cohesion in the beginning of boot camp but we’ve worked together as a team to accomplish our missions.” said Cliett.
The recruits complete the hardest and last obstacle standing between them receiving their Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
“This is the transition from recruit to Marine,” said Broadway. “We want to see what they’ve learned and see if they can put it all together.”
Tired and unaware of what challenge they’d overcome next, the recruits trekked on throughout the day to face each obstacle with confidence and teamwork.
“As food and sleep becomes less, we’ll definitely be put to the test,” said Cliett. “We’ll never give up.”