MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, California -- Typically during a work-out there is the luxury of a break or the option to continue another day. However, this was not the case for the recruits conducting the obstacle course as they became fatigued. The more tired they became, the harder their drill instructors pushed them.
Recruits of Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, conducted an obstacle course for the first time at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, June 5.
The event required recruits to climb over bars, logs and up a rope approximately 20 feet high. At the conclusion of the course the recruits finished the event conducting combat carries.
During the last portion, some recruits dropped their partners off their backs and appeared to be unsure whether they could finish.
A crowd of drill instructors quickly surrounded the struggling recruits, and during a pause in between their booming commands, one drill instructor yelled, “You going to quit for the rest of your life? Pick him up!”
Many recruits got the message loud and clear, and despite their fatigue, pushed through to finish their exercise.
Recruit Ryan R. Peterfeso, drill instructor, Platoon 2176, described the experience as a wake-up call to what will be expected in recruit training.
“The initial shock was like cold water on the face, but we’re getting better at stressful situations,” said Peterfeso. “I’ve realized I have to step my game up, and push myself physically.”
Although this challenge occurred on just their eighth day of training, the recruits seemed to understand why their drill instructors were pushing them to finish.
“They’re trying to prepare us for combat scenarios,” said Peterfeso, a Woodbury, Minn., native. “Their yelling motivates us to move faster. Our goal is to become Marines, and the only way to get there is to give everything you have.”
Sgt. Julian Gomez, Platoon 2161, explained ordering recruits to push through exercises translates to instant obedience to orders and is an important part of a process toward instilling a disciplined mindset in the recruits.
“It all starts in first phase, and then that effort and discipline carries over into other phases,” said Gomez. “This is their only boot camp, and it is about giving them what they came here for and pushing them through that pain.”