Recruits with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, practice close order drill on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 13, 2026. Recruits learn close-order drill as a means of instilling discipline, teamwork, spatial awareness, and as a foundation for executing combat formations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jordy Morales)
Recruits undergo13 weeks of training on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in order to earn the title United States Marine. Recruit training encompasses weapons mastery, basic swim qualification, gas chamber, and physical tests culminating in the crucible, a 54 hour physical and mental test recruits must complete in order to earn the title Marine. (Marine Corps video by Cpl. Kenneth Johnson)
