Marine Corps Recruit Training - Receiving Phase

Before they stepped onto this bus, the lives led by these young men and women from different backgrounds may have had little in common. They are now leaving those lives behind for a common goal. To earn the title of United States Marine. It starts when a drill instructor steps onto the bus to welcome them to Paris Island. Pick your heads up and look at me right now. Scream out, sir. Aye, aye. Don't scream louder than that. Aye, aye. From this point forward, every time I open my face, you will respond back. Do you understand? Aye, sir. Scream louder. Aye, sir. Now, when I tell you to, you're going to get all your crap. Get up, get off my bus, and get on my yellow footprints, four recruits side by side. Do you understand? Aye, sir. That's not screaming. Aye, sir. Get up. Aye, sir. Okay, sit down. Aye, sir. Scream louder than that. Aye, sir. Get up. Aye, sir. Get up. Aye, sir. They soon realize that their lives are about to change forever. Every enlisted member of the world's finest fighting force begins their transformation on the same iconic yellow footprints. Not everyone standing here will earn the title of U.S. Marine. The Marine Corps' success depends on teamwork. Therefore, teamwork is an essential part of your training here at Paris Island. From now on, you will train as a team. You will eat, live, sleep, and train as a team. You are not and no longer part of your vocabulary. Do we understand? Yes, sir. To do so, they must pass through the most demanding recruit training in the world. Not everyone is cut out for it. Over the next 12 weeks, they will be tested more than they could have ever imagined, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The training is intense and uncompromising, but they will find parts of themselves they never knew were there. They will be broken down and rebuilt from the ground up as a disciplined, motivated, and dedicated warrior for their nation. They will be United States Marines. Within minutes of their arrival on Paris Island... What do you have? Nothing, sir. Bring it over here. Say aye, sir. Aye, sir. ...the new recruits surrender the last physical remainders of their past identity as a civilian, such as candy, snacks, cigarettes, and for the men, their hair. Take the treatment off your neck and relax. Welcome to the receiving phase. The receiving phase is made as confusing and disorienting for the recruits as possible to help distance the recruits from civilian habits and to prepare them for Marine Corps discipline. The initial meet-and-greet when the drone instructors are introduced to the recruits is basically a culture shock to basically have them in the mindset of what they're going to be doing here in crew training. The recruit training is 70 training days, and they will be transitioning into those training days as Marine Corps recruits. The Marine Corps' success depends upon teamwork. Therefore, teamwork is an essential part of training on Paris Island. The words I, me, or my will no longer be a part of their vocabulary. Say no. I said get over here. Say aye, sir. Aye, sir. If I ask you a question, you must say yes, sir, no, sir, yes, sir. Aye, sir. No, it's yes, sir. Yes, sir. I'm asking you a question, sir. Yes, sir. Get on the side right now. Yes, sir. No, aye, sir. Aye, sir. I give you a command. Aye, sir. It is to replace the thought of self with the thought of the team. Before training can start, each male recruit must be able to do a minimum of two pull-ups, and female recruits must be able to do a flexed arm hang for 12 seconds. Both are required to do 44 crunches in two minutes and run 1.5 miles in under 13 minutes and 30 seconds for the men, and the females have 15 minutes to cross the finish line. Recruits are advised to report to training with the ability to run much further distances at a faster pace, as the IST run is only half the distance of the three-mile physical fitness test required of all recruits. Failure here means you are sent to a physical conditioning platoon for an additional 7 to 14 days of training. The last thing these recruits want to think about is extending their time on Paris Island, so they have to push themselves to make it. After passing their initial strength test, Marine Corps recruit training begins with a moment these recruits will never forget. It's time to meet their drill instructors. They are the backbone of the Marine Corps, demanding perfectionists who monopolize every waking hour of the recruits' lives. Every second of every day will be spent with these drill instructors who will mold them into Marines. They will instill in them, through their own example, the utmost levels of professionalism, teamwork, discipline, and confidence. They really do make Marines. The next three to five days is the period known as forming. It is nothing short of learning a new language, a new culture, a fast-paced way of life that starts with the willing obedience of every order. Recruits learn a complete new way of speaking and use language and terminology they will use throughout their entire time in the Marine Corps. The drill instructors physically, psychologically, and mentally challenge the recruits, including yelling at maximum volume and intimidation to simulate the stress of the battlefield and to elicit immediate compliance to instructions.