>>> THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE MA
MARINE MARINES.
MARINES. OVER THE SUMMER, I GOT A RARE
LOOK INSIDE MARINE COMBAT
TRAINING AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA.AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH
CAROLINA.
AS WE APPROACH VETERANS DAY, LET ME TELL YOU, THEY HAVE TRUE, LET
ME TELL YOU, THEY HAVE TRUE GRIT.
GRIT.
THEYRE BRAVE, STRONG AND AMONG THE MOST ELITE FIGHTING FORCES
IN THE WORLD.
THEYRE THE U.S. MARINE CORPS,
180,000 ACTIVE DUTY.
HOW WOULD YOU COMPLETE THIS
SENTENCE?
BEING A MARINE IS?
>> REWARDING.
>> A PRIVILEGE.
>> WE HAVE EACH OTHERS BACK.
THATS THE GREATEST PART ABOUT
BEING A MARINE.
>> IVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED
WITH THE MARINES, AND I HAVE
WONDERED WHAT MOTIVATES SOMEONE
TO BECOME ONE.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A MARINE?DE YOU WANT TO BECOME A
MARINE?
>> IT IS REALLY, REALLY HARD. I LIKE A CHALLENGE.ALLY HARD.
I LIKE A CHALLENGE. >> JUST HOW THEY CARRY
THEMSELVES.
>> I SAW THE BROTHERHOOD AND THE
COMRADEAMARADERIE THEY HAVE TOGE
AND I WANTED TO BE A PART OF
THAT.
>> GETTING SO MANY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND FROM
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND DIFFERENT PLACES TO BECOME A
SINGLE UNIT.
SINGLE UNIT.
>> THESE RECRUITS HAD JUST FINISHED 13 WEEKS OF BOOT CAMP.
WAS IT THE HARDEST THING YOUVE
DONE IN YOUR LIFE?
>> DEFINITELY.
IT IS THE HEART YOU PUT INTO IT.
YOU PUT AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF
WORK INTO IT.
THE COMMITMENT, SELFLESSNESS. THEN YOU COME TOGETHER AND IT IS
A GOOD FEELING.
>> THE ONE TIME I DID CRY DURING
RECRUIT TRAINING WAS WE HAD TO
FINISH ONE HIKE AND ALL MY
BUDDIES IN MY PLATOON WERE -- WE
WERE LOOKING AT THE RUNSUNRISE.
IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
MORNING ILL EVER REMEMBER.
I REMEMBER SITTING THERE CRYING,
THINKING THAT IM ABOUT TO BE A
PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN
MYSELF.
HONESTLY, IM GETTING GOOSE
BUMPS THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN.
>> NOW THEYRE OFF TO THE NEXT
PHASE, MARINE COMBAT TRAINING.
A GRUELING FOUR-WEEK PROCESS
EVERY MARINE, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR EVENTUAL SPECIALTY, HAS TO
GO THROUGH.
GO THROUGH.
>> FOLLOW ME. >> IT WAS HUMBLING TO SPEND ONE
DAY GETTING A SMALL TASTE OF
WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR THESE
MARINES.
MARINES.
I WAS ABLE TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW CHALLENGING THIS TRAINING IS.OW
CHALLENGING THIS TRAINING IS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> GREAT.
>> GREAT. >> HERE WE GO.
>> AT 2100 HOURS, I SETTLE INTO
MY BARRACKS TO GET A GOOD
NIGHTS REST, READY FOR THE NEXT
MORNING.
MORNING.
THIS IS IT. NIGHT NIGHT.
NIGHT NIGHT. THEN THE WAKEUP CALL AT 0300
HOURS.
HOURS. FIRST TASK, HOW TO PREPARE AND
CARRY MY PACK.
45 POUNDS OF GEAR.
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL.
YOU GIVE THIS TO AN ACTUAL
MARINE.
MARINE.
>> TRY THEIRS IF YOU DONT
BELIEVE ME.
TRY IT OUT.
>> OKAY.
LIKE THAT?
>> YUP. AND RIGHT OVER YOUR HEAD.
>> TAKE TWO.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT.
>> NOW YOURE ALL SET.
>> OH, WOW.
YOU KNOW, THEY MEAN BUSINESS. WE SET OUT TOGETHER BEFORE THE
SUN COMES UP FOR A 5K HIKE.
THE NEXT TRAINING, A 10K, THEN A
15K HIKE.
15K HIKE. WHAT IS THE WORST PART OF THE
15A15
15A15 15K?
15K?
>> FROM CAMP DEVIL DOG, THERE IS A PORTION OF SWAMP.DOG, THERE IS
A PORTION OF SWAMP. YOU CAN HEAR THE SWARM OFTER DAK
PTERODACTYL SIZE MOSQUITOS.
WE MADE IT?
>> YES.
>> HOW HARD WAS THAT FOR YOU? >> NOT HARD AT ALL, MAAM.YOU?
>> NOT HARD AT ALL, MAAM. >> NOT HARD AT ALL?
>> NO, MAAM.
>> I WAS THE ONLY ONE?
0600 HOURS, TIME FOR BREAKFAST.
YOU COME FROM A MILITARY FAMILY?
>> IM THE FIRST MARINE IN MY
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
>> NEXT UP, THE OBSTACLE COURSE. >> THERE YOU GO.OBSTACLE COURSE.
>> THERE YOU GO. >> PUT YOUR KNEE UP TO YOUR
CHEST.
CHEST. THERE YOU GO.
>> OH.
>> OH. >> THERE YOU GO.
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. NOW GO LIKE THIS.
>> UNLIKE OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE
MILITARY, EVERY SINGLE MARINE IS
TRAINED AS A RIFLEMAN.
IS IT OVERWHELMING TO YOU?
>> OVERWHELMING AT TIMES.
TRAINING AND SENIOR LEADERSHIP,
THEY TRAIN YOU UP TO THESE
EVENTS.
EVENTS.
IT BECOMES SECOND NATURE TO YOU.
>> THIS IS REAL.
THIS IS IMPORTANT.
THIS IS WHAT YOU MAY FIND
YOURSELF IN, IN A YEAR, YEAR AND
A HALF, TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
WHILE HERE, THEY MUST LEARN
COMBAT SCHOOL.
>> THEY COULD REALLY NEED THEM VERY SOON.ULD REALLY NEED THEM
VERY SOON.
>> CORRECT.
>> WOMEN SERVED IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN BUT WERE BARRED FROM COMBAT JOBS.BUT WERE BARRED FROM
COMBAT JOBS. IN 2013, THE PENTAGON OVERTURNED
THE RULE, AND ORDERED ALL JOBS
BE OPEN TO WOMEN, INCLUDING
COMBAT.
WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU ABOUT
YOUR SISTERS IN ARMS HERE? >> THEYRE REALLY TOUGH.RE?
>> THEYRE REALLY TOUGH. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO LITTLE
GIRLS SITTING AT HOME?
>> YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING ELSE THEY CAN DO.O EVERYTHING ELSE
THEY CAN DO. AND YOU CAN DO IT BETTER.
IF YOU JUST KEEP YOUR HEAD UP
AND KEEP GOING, YOULL GO -- YOU
CAN DO AMAZING THINGS.
>> AFTER 29 DAYS, THESE MARINES
ARE CONSIDERED READY.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR
ACCOMPLISHMENT?
ACCOMPLISHMENT?
>> THIS IS WHAT I TRAINED FOR. I AM READY.WHAT I TRAINED FOR.
I AM READY. >> PROUD.
>> PROUD. HAVING ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING
THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT MANY PEOPLE
CAN DO.
CAN DO.
>> AND GETTING THERE TAKES TRUE GRIT AND TREMENDOUS HARD WORK.E
GRIT AND TREMENDOUS HARD WORK. >> YOU CANT JOIN THE MARINE
CORPS THINKING, WHAT CAN I DO
FOR MYSELF?
FOR MYSELF?
YOU HAVE TO THINK, WHAT CAN I DO
FOR OTHER PEOPLE?
WHAT CAN I DO FOR THE MARINE
CORPS?
WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY COUNTRY? >> YES.N I DO FOR MY COUNTRY?
>> YES.
LOVE OUR MARINES.
RIGHT?
[ APPLAUSE ]
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