MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., a group of Marine recruits yell and argue. They’re tired and hungry, but they have a mission to accomplish. That mission is to move their squad through and over a wooden structure in a certain amount of time. The structure they are supposed to navigate through looks daunting.
That structure, known as the Weaver, is part of the Crucible, the final training event for recruits before they earn the title, Marine. The Crucible is a 54-hour training exercise where the recruits work their way through 32 obstacles with limited sleep and food.
Before they take on the challenge, one of the recruits is appointed leader of a squad. The leader reads a five-paragraph order, detailing what the group must do in order to complete the assigned task.
After the order has been read to the squad, the recruit in charge must then devise a strategy to complete the task. In the case of the Weaver, the recruits must get through the obstacle by weaving over and under 22 logs set up in an A-frame design. In addition to weaving themselves through the logs, the recruits must also move weapons and ammunition cans filled with 30 lbs. of sand. If a recruit or a piece of gear fall from the logs into the safety net below, they must start the task all over again. If a recruit touches any part of red on the obstacle, he is considered a casualty and the squad becomes one person short.
“Building teamwork and camaraderie is important to accomplishing the Crucible and these obstacles test the trust and confidence that the recruits have built for themselves over the three months they were in boot camp,” said Sgt. Samuel R.Villa, drill instructor, Platoon 3205, Company I, 3rd Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Seven hours into the Crucible, the recruits’ weariness begins to surface while they attempt to complete their challenge. Though they are tired, the recruits still manage to start the task.
“I thought I was prepared to take on the challenge of the Crucible, and I knew I would be tired, but after I have finished I would feel like I accomplished something worthwhile,” said Recruit Tanner J. Henry, Platoon 3205, Company I, 3rd Battalion, RTR, MCRD San Diego.
Near the end of the task, one of the recruits let an ammunition can full of sand slip from his grasp. It fell off the logs and into the safety net below, forcing the recruits to start the obstacle over. Besides developing teamwork among the group, this certain obstacle also challenges their ability to move gear from one point to another.
“It is also a small taste of logistics training because the recruits have to pay attention to all the moving parts and communication is essential in completing the Weaver,” said Cpl. Greg T. Maisch, field instructor, Field Company, WFTBn, MCB Camp Pendleton, Calif. “The Weaver is one of the more difficult obstacles as everyone has to work together to accomplish the mission,” said Maisch.
The recruits finish the task, climb off of the wooden structure and get into a formation. Their drill instructor barks the order to start their movement to the next series of challenges over the following 47 hours.
“The Crucible is not as bad as I have made it out to be in my mind, but it is still intense and challenging,” said Henry. “It is simple for me to put myself into a combat mindset with all the surrounding noise of the helicopters flying over head, shots fired in the distance and the recruits yelling.”