 Do you belong here in these ranks of Marines? Marines aren't born into the Corps. Everyone has come out of another different kind of life. A few months ago he was finishing high school. Now he's training as a Marine electronic specialist. Whatever your talent, if you've got the interest, the will, there's a place for you in the Marine Corps. It depends. Are you happy watching the cars go by? How about directing some traffic for yourself? Do you belong in this uniform? It isn't that tough to be a Marine. It depends mostly on what happens during a few weeks out of your life. The testing period of every Marine. Eighty rugged days of recruit training. Lift right there! Here we go! Lift right there! No Marine ever forgets 11 weeks of the most intensive training any soldier of any nation ever received. If anyone on this island who is... The Marine Corps trains thousands of recruits every year. And for each of them the first 80 days begin the same way. Maybe you're harder here. It's miserable right from the beginning. That's so you won't be disappointed later on. Wherever they came from, whoever they were before, these recruits have only one thing in common. They actually volunteered for this experience. With only 80 days to go, changes come fast. One hour later you wouldn't know yourself. At least everybody's off to an even start. To begin with, I have anywhere from 75 to 110 names and a schedule that sums up almost 200 years of experience. That's how long we've been turning recruits into that special breed of soldier we call the Marine. How do you get your eyeballs up here on me? Get up here and look at me. My name is Stassard and weaves. I'm your senior drill instructor. You are platoon 3046. As far as I am concerned, you are going to be the best platoon at Parris Island. You understand? Whether you knew it or not. But don't worry. You're going to be too busy to worry. In the Marine Corps we talk body, mind, and spirit development of the whole man. But physical condition is our starting point. And for most recruits it's a pretty low one. Here's recruit Gable, Charles A. He's in pretty good shape. What kind of Marine will he make? That remains to be seen. A lot of new recruits are like Evans here, underdeveloped. His next 80 days will make a lot of difference. A completely different way of life. And there's no let up in the pressure or the pace. This weapon here is the US rifle 7.62 millimeter and 14. It was adopted by the Marine Corps in 1961. This will be your first class on this weapon. What's your 7th general order, Private? Private Hannell, sir, my 7th general order is to talk to no one except in the line of duty. It happens a little at a time. Even by the 12th day of training, you can see they're not just a bunch of recruits anymore. They're starting to move like a platoon. 18. Hold them over there, Sergeant Johnson. That's still. Private, prepare for instruction. The next movement that we're going to explain and demonstrate is march to the rear. March to the rear. Starting to respond like a platoon. When they meet another platoon, they all pull together. You win together as a team. But always it's the individual who makes the difference. What we look for most, I think, is the individual effort. 20 days of training. Just three weeks can make a lot of difference if you're working at it all the time. Plenty of exercise. Plenty of good food are showing results. We're beginning to know the individual recruit, whether his problem is being overweight or underpowered. Constant attention is what pays off. Gable, look at it. Yes, sir. You ever clean your rifle, Gable? Yes, sir. When's the last time it was clean? Last night, sir. Well, look at that. What do you see? Dirt, sir. Dirt? Yes, sir. Where did it come from? Gable is husky. He does what he's told. But that isn't all it takes. It's a combination of body, mind, and spirit that we're aiming for. And we work on it all the time, right up to the minute before light's out. Every night, it's a ritual in this platoon, the code of conduct every Marine learns by heart. Who he is and what he stands for. A word we hope they'll never forget. 48 days of training. The platoon looks good. Well, almost good. Now they're moving ahead to another important phase. They'll spend three weeks here at the range learning one basic fact. The Marine Corps is still built around your ability as a rifleman. By the time they go to the firing line, they'll know the principles of marksmanship. But nothing quite prepares you for the first time you sight on the target with a live one in the chamber. Very much an individual thing. It's an art. Some people pick it up quickly. Some people don't. Gable isn't. And this is really getting it. The seventh week is over. Only four more left. Time is going quickly. Every DI knows this experience, take any good bunch of recruits, work hard with them, for things to happen. They're physically fit and alert. And they're working together without having to think about it. That magic word teamwork is part of the daily routine. By the ninth week, the guys are even a little cocky. But some of this disappears when they see what is scheduled for today. A little training item called the confidence course. The instructor offers a demonstration. Just to show how easy it really is. These recruits are in good shape. Their bodies have endured intensive conditioning. They're fit. And they know it. Learn how to focus attention in a tight circle on the problem in front of it. Their minds are disciplined alert. And they know it. They're belonging to a top-notch military organization. They're good. And they know it. The first 80 days, there all is graduation day. After this, several weeks of infantry training, then leave. Then they'll go to assignments throughout the Marine Corps. But whatever lies ahead, each one knows that from now on, life won't ever be quite the same. That just three months out of your lifetime could make such a big difference. But there it is. And thousands of Marines know it. From personal experience, teams serving around the world in their different assignments until they wouldn't have it any other way. 80 days that toughened their bodies for the most rugged conditions of service geared their minds to quick-moving adaptability and fired their spirit, the unquenchable will to win that marks the United States Marine.