Originally Posted by
OB MSG
I went through the Crucible in 1998. It was a 54 hour field exercise to test a recruits ability to think under stress; deal with little sleep, little food and still get the job done. It starts with a road march, can't remember how long. Then you break up into Squads and Fire Teams. Most of the tasks are done as Squads, but we watched each others backs as Fire Teams, and reported from there.
The tasks aren't that hard, you just have to not out think yourself. A lot of it is leadership ability, taking charge and following commands, which is no sweat after 11.5 weeks of Boot! When you do have some down time, there is knowledge training. The Drill instructors are now Gunnery Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Sergeant, etc. They hold small group classes, mostly about Medal of Honor and Navy Cross recipients and why they earned them. You finish up with a 9-mile morning march back home to the depot Iwo Jima monument, the EGA ceremony and the Warriors Breakfast.
It is a motivating, exhausting, thrilling time, because you know you are that much closer to getting you Eagle, Globe and Anchor and becoming a Marine.
The only thing I ask is that you not pass this information on to your son, let him learn on his own what he will have to go through and he will be thrilled to tell you all about it, don't steal his thunder.
Just a request, but I know I can't stop you.