San Diego -- Under the detailed and thorough eyes of their drill instructors, recruits of Company A, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, marched onto the parade deck one platoon at a time aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Jan. 14.
Any given day the parade deck may have multiple platoons practicing drill, but on this particular cold winter morning, platoons of Co. A had the parade deck to themselves to compete in an evaluation known as final drill.
Earning the title “Marine” involves training recruits in strength, knowledge and discipline; drill is a skill which incorporates them all. It is the primary way recruits are taught discipline because it requires the platoon to listen and move as one unit. For recruits of Co. A, training and discipline began on Nov. 5 when they arrived and stood on the yellow footprints aboard the depot for the very first time.
Drill is used to march recruits to different training events and is continuous during recruit training. During the 10th week of training, recruits compete in final drill, to demonstrate drill movements they have perfected.
For one recruit, final drill was an exciting and awaited opportunity for recruits to show what they have learned so far during training.
“It wasn’t hard to stay focused. We wanted to impress our senior drill instructor,” said Recruit Marc A. Spender, Platoon 1013, Company A, 1st RTBn. “It’s all about how well we can execute each move to perfection. Our final drill performance was crisp.”
Before the performance begins, the unit leader selects a drill card at random. Each drill card has different movements which test the unit leader and the platoon’s knowledge.
The platoon is judged on the performance as a unit. They are graded on several areas such as how well they execute drill techniques, whether they have excessive movement and how well they follow orders confidently and without hesitation.
The unit leader is graded with the same requirements but also on how confidently he can control his platoon.
“Recruits need to have a certain amount of bearing and discipline at the stage in training. They need to execute a movement on command and know what they are doing, including the unit leader,” said Sgt. Kenneth A. Stewart, drill instructor, Platoon 1013, Company A, 1st RTBn. “Their uniforms, hygiene, alignment and handling of the weapon are graded; everything is graded.”
Recruits took different approaches to prepare for final drill. For Spender, the preparation was both physical and mental.
“We prepared and practice during the night, mostly during fire watch. If there was any one up practicing, I would practice with them,” said Spender. “I practiced all the movements in my head. It was mostly a mental thing.”
The process of learning drill can be somewhat redundant, however, practice makes perfect.
“Preparing for drill is repetition, doing it over and over again, and correcting any small mistakes,” said Stewart.
Now that final drill is over for recruits of Co. A, their graduation marks the last time they will train as recruits and begin their voyage as United States Marines.