MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, San Diego -- Two recruits carefully crossed a rope bridge, each holding one end of a rope attached to an ammunition can. If they fell or dropped their gear, they had to start over.
Recruits from Platoon 3209, Company I, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, challenged themselves on new obstacles during the Crucible, Feb. 1, at Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Crucible is a 54-hour training event conducted during Marine recruit training. Recruits go through simulated combat stress scenarios, consisting of food and sleep deprivation. The recruits must learn to work as a team to overcome mentally and physically-demanding obstacles.
In Holder’s Stance, an exercise during the Crucible, recruits had to find a way to get ammunition cans and water jugs to the other end of a rope bridge using various lengths of rope. At Dunham’s Ascent, another obstacle, they had to retrieve a “wounded” dummy from the top of an 18-foot tower with no stairs, called the Skyscraper.
At the obstacles, the recruits separated into squads; one to accomplish each obstacle and the other to provide security around the perimeter to make sure the area is secure.
“Marines have to learn to provide cover in almost every situation,” said Sgt. Jason Lansdon , drill instructor, Platoon 3209, Co. I, 3rd RTBn. “So no matter what squad they are in, they get good training.”
Once the recruits reached the simulated casualty on Dunham’s Ascent, they carried him down a rope net in order to get him medical attention.
“Every Marine has to be evacuated safely without creating more casualties,” said Recruit Berkeley Blum, Platoon 3209, Co. I, 3rd RTBn. “This ensured the troop’s welfare and mine.”
Each obstacle had areas painted in red that the recruits were not allowed to touch to help complete the mission. If a recruit touched any of these areas, he would have to go back to the beginning and perform an exercise before starting again.
“Real-life situations could be different all the time,” said Lansdon. “These are worst-case scenarios. It’s good to learn like this.”
The Holder’s Stance exercise represented the resupply of a unit of Marines under less than optimal conditions.
“We’re here to help guide them, not to tell them what to do,” said Lance Cpl. Duane Curley, field instructor, Field Company, WFTBn, MCB Camp Pendleton. “The leadership they learn and develop here will be used at Marine Combat Training and Infantry Training Battalion, so they can take it with them to the fleet.”
At each obstacle, the drill instructors assigned one of the recruits to be the squad leader. The squad leader had to devise a plan for completing their mission. He is the recruit who will separate the squads and supervise their progress.
“These squad leaders haven’t been in a real leadership role,” said Lansdon. “They have to take charge and learn how to work as a team. None of these obstacles can be completed without teamwork.”