United States Marine Crucible

The United States Marine Corps Crucible is the final test in phase three of Marine Corps recruit training. Designed to emphasize the importance of teamwork in overcoming adversity, the Crucible is a rigorous 54-hour field training exercise demanding the application of everything a recruit has learned until that point in recruit training.

Throughout the Crucible, recruits are faced with physical and mental challenges that must be accomplished before advancing further. Teamwork is stressed, as the majority of tasks are completely impossible without it. Also stressed are the core values of "Honor", "Courage", and "Commitment". Many challenge events are named after Marine Medal of Honor recipients, and the starting point of the event includes the citation of the award. Some of the challenges encountered during the Crucible are various team and individual obstacle courses, day and night assault courses, land navigation courses, individual rushes up steep hills, platoon sized MCMAP challenges, and countless patrols to and from each of these. Often, these challenges are made even more difficult by the additions of limitations or handicaps, such as the requirement to carry several ammunition drums, not touching portions of an obstacle painted red to indicate simulated booby traps, and evacuating team members with simulated wounds.

During the Crucible, recruits are only given two or three field ration packs (MRE) each and only allowed eight hours of sleep — four hours each night, unless given extra night duties such as firewatch. Depriving the recruits of sleep and food helps to simulate the stress of the battlefield. At MCRD Parris Island, the final crucible event is a ten mile march in full combat gear, also called a "hump". At MCRD San Diego, the final Crucible event is a ten mile march that culminates in climbing up a large, steep hill dubbed "The Reaper." At the top, the U.S. flag is raised and the national anthem and Marine Corps hymn are sung. At this point, recruits are presented with the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, which symbolizes their transition to U.S. Marine. After the ceremony, the new Marines are treated to a Warrior's Breakfast of steak and eggs.

The following week will begin Marine Week, family day, and the graduation ceremony where they will be formally recognized as Marines.

ee also

* MCRD Parris Island
* MCRD San Diego
* The Basic School

References

:Marine Corps
* [http://www.marines.com/page/usmc.jsp?pageId=/page/Detail-XML-Conversion.jsp?pageName=The-Crucible&flashRedirect=true "The Crucible"] , U.S. Marine Corps. (Retrieved on 2006-06-20.)
*cite web|url = http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/basic/#crucible |author=Garamone, Jim | title= "The Crucible" | work=Rite of Passage: Making Basic Training Tougher | publisher="Armed Forces Press Service", United States Department of Defense |date=14 January 2003 | accessdate=2006-06-20