"The Few and the Proud"

Whoever came up with the marketing slogan, "The Few.  The Proud.  The Marines." was brilliant!  The slogan has been used by the United States Marine Corps since the late 1970's.  Major General Richard T. Tryon was the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command when he said, "This slogan reflects the unique character of the Marine Corps and underscores the high caliber of those who join and serve their country as Marines."  I could not agree more.  I was proud to help our Marines during my brief stint as a pediatrician at the Naval Hospital in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (now called Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune).

The United States Marine Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States (see if you can name all of them!) and has been part of the Department of the Navy since June 30, 1834.  The Marine Corps was first established on November 10, 1775 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War.  The Marine Corps was originally founded to serve as an infantry unit aboard naval vessels and was responsible for the security of the ship and its crew during boarding actions and raiding parties.  

Today, the Marines play a critical role as both an expeditionary and amphibious warfare force.  Former Marine Corp Commandant General Alfred M. Gray, Jr established the doctrine of "Every Marine is a rifleman", emphasizing the fighting spirit and combat abilities of the Marines.  As I have posted in the past, the Marines in my mind uniquely qualify as a High Reliability Organization with their doctrine of "commander's intent" which is the ultimate example of the High Reliability principle of "Deference to Expertise".  "Commander's intent" is designed to provide frontline leaders with the flexibility of execution and deviate from a specific plan of attack as the conditions dictate, yet still meet the overall goals and objectives of the commanding officer.  The guiding principle of "commander's intent" is that operational orders should specify the end state but leave open the method of execution.

As you can imagine, the process by which a man or woman becomes a Marine is not an easy one.  As the Marine Corps Boot Camp website states clearly, "There are few reputations more storied and none more deserving than that of Marine Corps Recruit Training. The difficulties this process presents to every recruit are as deliberate as they are legendary, as physical, mental and moral toughness are prerequisites to fight among our ranks. During these 13 weeks of intense battles, it is not enough to simply endure, you must prevail. Pushing through surrender’s pull. Pulling together to prevent all from falling apart. Tapping into the purpose that brought you here, to win for the Nation you fight for."

The final challenge of Marine Corps Boot Camp training is known as "The Crucible", a 54-hour test of the recruits' physical stamina, mental toughness, and ability to think critically under the most challenging of circumstances (check out the documentary produced by the Marine Corps here).  The name comes from the word "crucible" which is defined as "a severe test, or, a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development."  First introduced in 1996 by then Commandant General Charles Krulak, "The Crucible" is what separates recruits from Marines.  It is both a test and an indoctrination, and it is the defining moment of recruit training.  

For many recruits, "The Crucible" will be the first time that they push themselves to the limits of their mental, physical, and emotional endurance.  If they do not quit, they will know what they are capable of in the future, which is usually much more than they ever could have imagined.  During their 54-hour test, recruits will encounter unique obstacles and challenges, all of which bear the name of a heroic Marine from the long, proud history of the Marine Corps.  After they complete each obstacle, one of their Drill Instructors will provide feedback and retell the story of the Marine for whom the obstacle is named.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."  I think that Theodore Roosevelt would have loved the concept of "The Crucible".

While most, if not all of us, will likely never go through an onboarding process quite like "The Crucible", we can certainly appreciate the great lengths to which the Marine Corps goes to make sure their recruits are properly onboarded and indoctrinated in their organization's culture.  Perhaps there is something here that other organizations can learn from in their own onboarding process.