Marine Corps boot camps are intense high-pressure affairs where new recruits are trained to constantly be alert and to think on their feet at all times. Those are some of the reasons why company inspections are, well, intense. The drill instructors inspected recruits on the proper wear of their uniforms, the cleanliness of their rifles, and their knowledge of Marine Corps history and traditions.
In this video, drill instructors with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment conduct an inspection of recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.
As stated, it gets really intense as the drill instructors get up close and personal to confront the recruits.
Drill instructors with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, conduct an inspection of recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, May 13, 2016. (Marines/Youtube)
Drill instructors are looking for two things: confidence and bearing. Bearing is “manner that reflects alertness, competence, and control,” according to the Marines website.
It is very important to see how well the recruits fare while being in high-pressure situations, such as one, two or maybe even four drill instructors are screaming up in their face.
Check out the video:
Under this circumstance, can the recruit remember what they have learned about the Marine Corps and the rifle manual?
Gunnery Sgt. Cornell S. Cornish, drill instructor, Platoon 3209 said, “The senior drill instructor inspection shows us where the baseline is for the recruits’ confidence and bearing. It shows the drill instructors what they’ve instilled in their recruits and what they need to work on.”
It will start off with the drill instructor facing each recruit and coming to attention. Each recruit must state his name, where he is from, and his military specialty, which is called “reporting” in the Marines.
Drill inspectors will then drill the recruit on information about the Marine Corps. Then, he will carefully examine the recruit’s uniform for perfection.
Drill instructors with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, conduct an inspection of recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, May 13, 2016. (Marines/Youtube)
Recruit Dustin A. Rits, Platoon 3209 said, “It’s challenging to hold your bearing while a drill instructor is screaming in your face and asking you several questions while you’re performing different movements with the rifle. Marines must be able to react under pressure or in the middle of chaos in a combat environment. Your actions of what you do or don’t do could risk the life of a fellow Marine.”
These young Marine recruits may soon find themselves on deployment and possibly even in combat being fired on by the enemy, so the training has to be intense to train them properly for any situation.
The final outcome must be a confident and calm Marine that acts without error and one that has the knowledge to do so.
