Identification

• Basic training is the primary induction course of the U.S. Marine Corps. It is also known as "boot camp." All recruits, whether destined for enlisted or commissioned service, are required to undergo this training prior to entering active service.
  
  

Geography

• The U.S. Marine Corps maintains two Recruit Training Depots. The better known of the two is the famous facility at Paris Island, South Carolina. There is another in San Diego, California. Which location a prospective marine goes to train depends on where they volunteer. Recruits inducted west of the Mississippi River usually go to San Diego, with those East of the line going to Paris Island.
  
  

Time Frame

• Boot camp lasts for 13 weeks, starting from the initial phase of receiving and processing new recruits upon arrival.
  
  

Features

• After induction and basic processing, trainees at Marine boot camp go through a number of training phases. Part 1 lasts for four weeks, and is mostly about turning a civilian into a soldier, breaking them of civilian habits, acquainting them with discipline and toughening them up through intense physical training. By the end of Part 1, a recruit should be able to march, respond to orders and be in reasonable physical condition. In Part 2, also for four weeks, the recruits receive field training, including the basic use of firearms. Part 3 involves finishing the recruit, including the field exercise called Basic Warrior Training. The training is concluded with the intensive three days of testing called The Crucible.
  
  

Considerations

• Boot camp is never the end of a Marine's training. Nearly all Marines go on for additional training at the School of Infantry--even those not destined to become dedicated infantry. This is in keeping with the Marine Corps credo that all Marines are riflemen. Additionally, there are the MOS schools and various other forms of specialized training. Being a career Marine, just like any career member of the U.S. military, is a career based on continuing education.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Given the intensity and duration of Marine Boot Camp, it is advisable to be in reasonably good condition before arriving. A recruit must be able to do three pull-ups, 40 sit-ups in two minutes and run three miles in 28:00 minutes before being allowed to graduate. Overweight recruits will be put on a diet in boot camp.