Recruits with Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion begin their Crucible with a 2 a.m. wakeup Jan. 14, 2020 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. The recruits had to quickly gather their gear and clean their squad bay before hiking out to the Crucible training area. The Crucible is recruit training’s 54-hour culminating event that involves food and sleep deprivation and the completion of myriad events for recruits to complete in order to claim the title United States Marine.







(U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Tyler Hlavac)