Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- The Marine Corps stands out from the other branches by pushing leadership down to its lowest ranks.
To attain this goal, recruits of Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, worked in fire teams to overcome the 12 Stalls event during the Crucible at Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 31.
The stalls stand approximately 20 feet wide and 20 feet deep are in three columns. The fire teams were given only a small set of tools and instructions and were on their way to complete each mission. The instructions described the task to be completed as well as any guidelines they must follow to successfully complete the challenge.
The stall exercise is one of 30 exercises the recruits must complete during the Crucible, the culminating, 54-hour test of endurance in which recruits experience food and sleep deprivation.
The purpose of the 12 Stalls exercise is to encourage one recruit to step up and provide leadership to his team. This gives the recruits an opportunity to develop a leader’s mindset when his team is looking up to him for the next set of orders.
“Marines are leaders and they train to work together as a team to make it possible to get through any challenge,” said recruit Robert J. Jung, Platoon 2165. “The platoon breaks down into small fire team units to provide small unit leadership training to the recruits and that helps produce us into well-rounded Marines.”
Each station held a very different challenge with different sets of rules the recruits were required to follow. However, one constant rule was that recruits could not touch anything on the obstacle that was painted red or it simulated a casualty, which triggered a restart of the obstacle for that recruit.
Before he could restart he was required to run approximately 100 yards with two ammunition cans and use the buddy drag technique to move a fellow recruit back to the start.
Although recruits of Company H were only on hour five of the Crucible, the exhaustion had already begun to set in on their faces as they made their way through the 12 Stalls.
While this event has focused on mental flexibility and teamwork, it’s also a challenge physically.
For example, one obstacle required the recruits to crawl through two tunnels and then use two planks to maneuver across three wooden vertical posts of varying heights. Every recruit a part of the fire team was required to make it across with his gear to complete the mission.
Without the recruits working as a team and using leadership, none of the obstacles would be possible to accomplish, explained Recruit Joshua M. Prima, Platoon 2166.
“As we are working through each of the challenging obstacles, it’s vital we communicate with each other,” said 21-year-old Prima. “Communication keeps everyone on track of what is going on. Without communication, there is a high chance of failing the mission.”
The event helps recruits grasp the concept of the varied combat scenarios they may encounter and reinforces the importance of mission accomplishment.
Once recruits have completed the Crucible and earned the title Marine, they will continue their Marine Corps careers by completing Marine Combat Training or Infantry Training Battalion, and then on to their military occupation specialty school.