MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO -- Overcast, low 60s and hardly an ounce of wind to speak of; June 8 had the makings of another unremarkable day for many southern California drivers on I-5. But about two miles east of them, conditions couldn’t have been more intense for the men of Company I.
“We are trying to help learn to turn on and off their inner warrior, mental strength and controlled violence that allows the Corps to succeed in today’s battlefields,” said Sgt. Andrew Gabriel, martial arts and field instructor, Weapons and Field Training Battalion., Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. “They learn a lot of other stuff during recruit training, but some of the most important lessons we can teach them happen during their Crucible, and at the body sparring challenge, in particular.”
The Crucible is a 54-hour training event in which recruits work as a team to overcome a series of mentally and physically challenging obstacles while enduring a simulated combat stress consisting of food and sleep deprivation.
“For the most part, you won’t be fresh and energized when the enemy decides to attack you; it could happen after a 10-mile-hike with full pack and combat load,” Gabriel said. “We train like we fight, so learning to get the job done while feeling like garbage is essential if we want to continue accomplishing missions in every part of the world.”
The sparring event is broken into several Marine Corps Martial Arts and exercise stations surrounding a ring. If a recruit isn’t sparring or preparing to do so, he is on one of several exercise stations lining the edge of the ring to ensure he has the proper fatigue level for an accurate Crucible experience.
“A lot of these recruits have been holding back and trying to remain out of the spotlight since they have been here,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Zamora, senior drill instructor, Platoon 3211. “In this event, they can’t hide behind their fellow recruits anymore; they are in the center, one-on-one, and have to learn to flip on the fight switch unless they want to lose."
Gabriel said learning to turn on and off their inner violence and to never give up will be one of the most useful lessons recruits are taught here.
“The ability to persevere and push past one’s imagined limits won’t only help them win battles and accomplish their future missions in the Corps, it will also help them succeed throughout their lives,” said Gabriel. “Even if their technique is terrible, a recruit can still overcome his opponent through will and determination.”
It is the will to succeed in any situation, which will ensure the Corps’ success in the future, said Gabriel.
“Where ever we (Marines) end up fighting next, as long as we never see failure as an option, we will win,” said Gabriel. “There are a lot of factors that go into a battle, but without some kind of indomitable will to win, winning can’t be possible.”