Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- Although their first attempt at the Combat Fitness Test was a practice run, their second attempt was for score.
Recruits of Alpha Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, pushed themselves to their best performance during the CFT at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Nov. 20.
The CFT is graded on three exercises, a timed half-mile run, a maximum set of ammunition can lifts and a maneuver under fire. Each exercise is worth 100 points for a possible 300 for the entire event. Recruits and Marines strive for a perfect score because the totals are placed on record and are used for promotion purposes.
For their first test, recruits lined up across the track like Olympic sprinters ready to run the two lap race. When their drill instructors gave them the go, they hit the turf full speed. After their first lap many recruits could be seen gasping for air. However, no matter how tired they were, they still had one more lap, ammunition can lifts and a maneuver under fire to do.
For the ammunition can lifts, the recruits must complete 91 repetitions within two minutes for a perfect score. The maneuver under fire,however, is graded on how fast you can complete a high and low crawl, short sprint, fire man’s carry and ammunition can carry. Perfect score for the maneuver under fire is a two minute, 14 second, completion.
Although the recruits had done these exercises before, the benefit of familiarity was minor because many recruits were out to beat their previous score.
“The last time I did this, I did not have all the training I do now,” said Recruit Isaac V. Mota, Platoon 1014. “(Since then) I’ve been challenged physically and mentally and found I can push my limits farther than I thought I could. So far I’ve done better I ran ten seconds faster on my half mile.”
Despite the aches and pains of fatigue, recruits pushed through as best they could.
“I drank too much milk this morning,” said Mota, shaking his head. “After the half mile I felt like I was going to throw up. But that’s just your body being tired and fatigued. Even though your body is saying, ‘stop’ you have to push to do good.”
Mota explained the desire to do well for his platoon and his family is what drove him to perform well despite the nausea.
For one recruit, it was neither platoon nor family that motivated him most but a desire to represent the Marine Corps to the best of his ability.
At times it was hard to breathe, hard to stand up but at the end of the day it’s worth it,” said Recruit David O. Spencer, Platoon 1014. “At the end of the day, we have to hold up to the title Marine and set the pace for other Marines to come behind us.”
Whether the CFT was easy or hard for the recruits of Co. A, they came away with their first official CFT score and will have a score to improve upon once they arrive in the Fleet Marine Force.