MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, San Diego -- Marines pride themselves on being the toughest of all military branches. According to a Time magazine article printed earlier this month, the United States Marine Corps’ basic training is the most “bone crushing” basic training in all the United States armed forces.
Data contained in military reports from 2004 to 2010 show Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego recruits have broken 688 tibias and fibulas over that period. This marks more lower leg breaks than any other U.S. military training facility. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island follows closely behind with 613 broken bones.
The Time magazine article also shows the Marine Corps’ current status, which is on a decline when it comes to stress fractures. The intent of Marine Corps basic training isn’t to break recruits, but to prepare them for the rigorous physical fitness requirements they will encounter in the fleet and in combat.
“We are pin-pointing what we can really do to maintain the physical readiness and physical fitness of recruits while minimizing the number of stress fractures and other injuries,” said Melissa K. Mahoney, Sports Medicine and Injury Prevention Program manager, MCRD San Diego.
She explains that the high number of injuries in 2004 could have been partially related to the development of the Sports Medicine and Injury Prevention Program in 2003. This program started helping identify the mass of injuries that were tibia and fibula breaks.
After the war began, there was a demand for more people to enlist. Mahoney feels less physically ready people enlisted in hopes they could quickly adapt to the physical aspects of being a Marine.
The war also led to an increase in the number of people wanting to enlist and fight for their country. Their lack of physical readiness resulted in a large number of injuries when they were put under the strenuous activities of basic training.
The initial standard test scores, a physical test poolees conduct to enlist, have increased by a significant amount since 2004. This shows recruits are more physically ready for such vigorous physical activity than were those six years ago.
“The run portion of the initial standard test is a great predictor for stress fractures,” said Mahoney. “Studies done over the past twenty-five years show recruits that run slower on the initial standard test typically aren’t as physically prepared for the training that they are going to receive and are going to break a lot quicker”
Since the Corps has the longest basic training, recruits have more time and opportunity to get injured. According to Time magazine, since 2009 the Air Force ramped up the physical aspects and length of their training, causing them to reach an all time high injury rate since 2004.
Mahoney explains the average amount of running for the recruits during the 12-week span is 37 miles. Running can weaken the lower leg bones causing them to be more prone to fractures.
“When running, each time your foot strikes the ground there’s a force that generates up to the bone. It’s going to cause breakdown in the bone,” said Mahoney. “Like lifting weights, the muscles tear and it gets bigger and/or stronger, depending on what it is you are doing. The same is true with bones if you increase the amount of activity
There are three tiers for the high school education. Tier one is a normal high school graduate; tier two is a graduate that has participated in an alternative program; and tier three is a high school dropout.
From October 2010 until May 31, 2011, the WRR has 75.7 percent of their applicants as Alpha males and 99.98 percent are tier-one applicants.
“We are looking for applicants who are fit, did well in school, and are not only able to complete recruit training, but also become outstanding Marines,” said Woods.
According to Woods, the perception that recruiting is easy because they are making mission early is not necessarily true. There are more motivated recruiters on the streets with better training.
“We have the right Marines doing the right job,” said Woods. “You can see it with the incoming recruits. Their education is better; they are smarter than they have ever been.”
The success is not entirely due to recruiting, said Woods. WRR works closely with the Recruit Training Regiment on planning how applicants should be prepared before leaving for basic training. If RTR notices a trend in injuries, they inform WRR so that they can better prepare new applicants. If we don’t provide them a quality, in-shape man, how can they train them, Woods questioned.
“It’s interesting that in a time of war the Marines are so successful with recruiting,” said Woods. “We are doing so well out there, and it’s not just due to patriotism. We have motivated recruiters and amazing officers and staff noncommissioned officers leading them.”