Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego --
Storming into a building with armed suspects, traversing across a high mountain pass and driving into known enemy territory riddled with Improvised Explosive Devices all have one item in common, it requires confidence and courage to accomplish. Recruits of Company M, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, overcame their fears and conquered the Confidence Course aboard the depot, Feb. 25.
The purpose of the Confidence Course was to challenge a recruit’s mental and physical courage.
“The Confidence Course is used to build and develop confidence in recruits to overcome their fears while also building strength and endurance,” said Staff Sgt. Greggory A. Ferry, drill instructor, Platoon 3269. “They need to be able to charge into the unknown without question.”
Some of the obstacles included in the Confidence Course were the Stairway to Heaven, Tough One, Slide for Life, Weaver and Cargo Net Climb. Recruits began, as with most of their other events, by performing dynamic warm-ups. After recruits finished warming up, drill instructors took them to each high obstacle to demonstrate the proper techniques to utilize while on them. Afterward, recruits were broken into groups with one drill instructor per group. Drill instructors took their squad to their starting obstacle, each at a different one so that no one group was waiting behind another.
One obstacle that caused trouble for recruits was the Stairway to Heaven, a ladder-like structure 30-feet high with logs/steps that start out close together but start to spread out the further a recruit got to the top. After a recruit reached the top, he had to climb over the top log and descend on the other side. At the top, recruits learned if they had a fear of heights.
“I saw some recruits get to the top, look down and just freeze up; their fear of heights kicked in and started messing with them,” said Recruit Jacob A. Guffie. “Thankfully I didn’t have that issue. I made it into a competition and didn’t want the guy next to me to beat me through it.”
Letting their fear overcome them was not an excuse on the Confidence Course. Recruits were required to complete every obstacle and would not advance until completed.
“Not doing the obstacles wasn’t an option,” said Guffie, a Sutherlin, Ore. native. “Getting through our fears now will help us achieve mission accomplishment in the future.”
Other obstacles in the course required recruits to utilize basic skills while going through them, which for some turned out to be harder than they thought.
“Recruits struggled with climbing the rope to get up the A-Frame obstacle as well as using their coordination to work themselves through the Weaver,” said Ferry, a Granite City, Ill. native.
The last obstacle recruits had to conquer was the Slide for Life, which required recruits to climb a 25-foot tower and then climb across a descending 90-foot cable above a pool of water. Halfway through the climb, recruits were instructed to change positions while hanging above the pool. Those recruits who were able to complete the obstacle looked back at their accomplishment, those who didn’t fall into the pool had to walk back to their squad bay in their soaked camouflage utility uniforms.
Co. M recruits are now closer to achieving their goal to become United States Marines. Throughout their recruit training they will be placed in great hardship with the goal to build and strengthen the best Marine possible. Only the best will succeed to become part of the few and the proud.
“It’s all about building confidence, taking charge of a fellow recruit (or Marine), esprit de corps, team building and leadership,” said Ferry. “These are the tools we try to instill in them through events like this. It sets them up to carry out a successful career in the Corps.”