The Crucible: Making Marines for the 21st Century

Whenever there's a nasty job to be done; whenever the military situation seems impossible; whenever everything and everyone else has failed...send in the Marines! Hype? Maybe, but the Marines do have the reputation of being the toughest fighting force in the United States armed services and even today in the post-Cold War period their military might is considerable. How "the few; the proud" get that way is the subject of this video which begins with a brief history of the Marines. Recognizing that the mission of the Marines has changed along with the new global socio-political environment, boot camp training has added a few new twists. Along with the incredible rigorous physical training, new Marines are being taught how to 'fight' on 'non-battlefields.' Experiences in Somalia, Haiti, and Panama have shown that soldiers are more likely to be called on to quell social unrest and maintain a political status quo than to mount a full-scale traditional military operation. Where senior officers once called the shots, today's Marines are required to make on-the-spot decisions regardless of their rank. For these reasons, Marine boot camp has added a section called 'The Crucible', emphasizing decision making under pressure as well as superb physical training. Viewers will be able to see first-hand just what these young men and women face as they enter The Corps on the threshold of a new century. Recommended. Aud: H, P. (J. Carlson)