San Diego -- With sweat dripping from their foreheads, recruits of Company E, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, pushed themselves physically and mentally through the obstacle course for the second time aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Oct. 4.
Every recruit must complete the obstacle course, also known as the “O-course”, which is an event that requires recruits to climb over a series of elevated bars, walls and logs and to use their very last ounce of strength to climb a rope at the end.
“This is their second time through the course,” said Sgt. Jonathon Montalvo, senior drill instructor, Platoon 2114, Co. E. “They’re more familiar with the course now, so they know what to expect and how to maneuver through it faster.”
The purpose of going through the course is to increase their speed and endurance while maneuvering through the obstacles, according to Montalvo, a 23-year-old from Huntsville, Ala.
Before the actual course began, recruits sprinted 880 yards around the course. This was done to exhaust them, and to show them that they can complete the course even when they are physically drained.
“We want to push their body’s limits to see how well they will perform under stress,” explained Montalvo. “It will help build their mental and physical strength.”
Hurling themselves over logs and pulling themselves over bars, recruits also learn different techniques on how to move through the course more efficiently.
“Going through the course really tested our limits,” said Recruit Mitchel Christensen, Plt. 2114, Co. E. “We really get to see how far we can push ourselves.”
At the end of the course, recruits must dig deep and use whatever strength they have left to pull themselves to the top of the towering ropes. By this time, recruits are worn out from the course which makes it difficult to pull themselves up.
“I feel it challenges us more through the mental aspect,” explained Christensen, an 18-year-old from Denver. “We learn about our body more when you push through being tired and stressed.”
As they reached the top of the rope, recruits yelled out their name, platoon number and senior drill instructor’s name before they slowly slid back down to the wood chipped-covered surface.
Recruits go through the “O-course” each phase in recruit training. This allows them to see what they’ve learned from their first experience and how much stronger they’ve become, explained Montalvo.
“Every time they go through, their technique and strength improves,” said Montalvo.
Fatigued from the day’s events, recruits of Co. E walked away from the experience knowing their body’s limitations and the confidence of knowing how far they can go.