Kate needs you now more than ever! Two weeks until graduation! Please just keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Send good vibes! Especially while she is on her Crucible, February 26-28.
Its crunch time !!! She is ending her 10th week of training! Can you believe that she has been gone almost 70 days already? She is in the best shape of her life and ready for the final two weeks. The last two weeks contain many “pass or fail” events.
Here is some great info on what Kate will be doing these last two weeks…. this partly from the Marine Corp website.
The Marine Corp Recruit Training Matrix represents the best training in the world. It is a methodical and time-tested process. Every hour of every day for 13 weeks culminating with the 54-hour Crucible is designed for just one purpose. To make the highest quality basically trained U.S. Marine. Without doubt, Marine boot camp is more challenging — both physically and mentally — than the basic training programs of any of the other military services. Not only are these requirements much higher, but recruits are required to learn and adhere to the core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
It has been said time and time again by former Marines that Marine Corps recruit training was the most difficult thing they ever had to do in their entire lives. In order to train the world’s most elite fighting force… It has to be that way.
Tomorrow is Practical Application testing.
Final Practical Application Test – The final practical application test is a series of test events where recruits are required to demonstrate their knowledge and mastery of the subject. These areas include: First Aid skills; Customs and Courtesies like saluting or boarding a ship, Marine Corps Uniform and rank identification, and weapons assembly and disassembly.
Final Written Academic Test – The final written academic test is second of two written tests recruits will take during their training. Recruits must pass both the practical application test and the written test in order to progress in training and to be able to graduate. Recruits are tested across the spectrum of what they have been taught in training. Test material includes: Core values and ethics; the general military subjects of First Aid, History, Customs and Courtesies, Marine Corps Uniforms, Leadership, and policy and organization; BWT subjects like land navigation and hand and arm signals; and Marksmanship.
Monday – 2/23
The Final PFT – Every Marine must be physically fit, regardless of age, grade, or duty assignment. Fitness is essential to the day-to-day effectiveness and combat readiness of the Marine Corps. Furthermore, physical fitness is an indispensable aspect of leadership. The habits of self-discipline required to gain and maintain a high level of physical fitness are inherent to the Marine Corps way of life and must be a part of the character of every Marine. Marines who are not physically fit can be a detriment to the readiness and combat efficiency of their unit.
The “PFT” is a physical test that every Marine takes twice each year and consists of pull-ups, crunches, and a 3.0 mile timed run.
Requirements for female recruits to score the maximum of 300 points:
70 second Flexed-arm hang
100 Crunches
3.0 mile run in 21:00 min (Timed)
Wed 2/25
Final Drill Evaluation – The Final Drill Evaluation tests each platoon’s ability to listen to the orders of its Drill Instructor, and is a final demonstration of unit discipline and esprit de corps. Drill was used as one of the first methods of transforming these recruits from civilians into Marines, and played a large part on their development of teamwork and unit cohesion.
The object of close order drill is to teach Marines by exercise to obey orders and to do so immediately in the correct way. Close order drill is one foundation of discipline and esprit de corps. Additionally, it is still one of the finest methods for developing confidence and troop leading abilities in our subordinate leaders.
Thu/Fri/Sat – 2-26/27/28
The Crucible is the defining moment of recruit training. The Crucible is designed to evaluate a recruit’s mental, moral, and physical development in order to validate the transformation into a United States Marine. For most, the Crucible will be the first time they reach the limits of their mental, physical, and emotional endurance. They will know that they are capable of much more than they previously believed. They will know that they can exceed their own personal limitations through teamwork, perseverance, and courage. The Crucible, once experienced, will be a personal touchstone and will demonstrate for each and every recruit the limitless nature of what they can achieve individually and, more importantly, what they can accomplish when they work as a team.
The Crucible consists of 54 hours of intense, physically demanding training, under conditions of sleep and food deprivation. During this time, recruits will be forged in the furnace of shared hardship and tough training that is the time-tried and battle-proven trademark of Marine recruit training. There will be night forced marches, a tough night infiltration movement, a combat resupply event, a casualty evacuation drill, and combat field firing. Any recruit who quits will not bear the title Marine.
Recruits will encounter unique obstacles, each bearing the name of a heroic Marine from our illustrious history, which can only be negotiated with teamwork. Once each obstacle is overcome, the drill instructor mentors the recruits, critiques their efforts, and retells the story of the Marine for whom the obstacle was named, bringing to light how that individual exemplified our core values. . . . . . . Honor, Courage, Commitment.
The Crucible is the culminating event in recruit training, and in order to become a Marine, all recruits must complete and pass the entire evaluation. Capping the already tough challenges of the previous two days is a 9 mile march with full packs and all of their personal equipment. It is the final event designed to see who has what it takes, and all recruits must complete the march to pass, and those that do not pass are sent home. At the end of the march the recruits participate in the Emblem Ceremony. This is the moment when the legacy is handed down, they earn the title “Marine,” and the newest Marines are presented with the Corps’ emblem, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, by their drill instructors.
