SPECIAL REPORT: Marine Bootcamp – From civilian to United States Marine Recruit

SAN DIEGO (KYMA, KECY) - The United States Marine Corps hosted its "Educators Workshop" event where community leaders from around the country spent a week learning what it takes to become a United States Marine.

Two of our reporters got to experience firsthand some of what these recruits had to endure before becoming Marines.

At the Marine Corps recruiting depot in San Diego with the Educators Workshop, we learned what it takes to go from a regular civilian to a United States Marine recruit.

Firstly, to become a United States Marine recruit, individuals must meet certain physical, mental, and moral requirements and pass a criminal background check.

Once these requirements are met, these aspiring Marines will be sent to a Marine Corps Recruiting Depot (MCRD), to the infamous yellow footsteps, where they will begin thier processing, BootCamp, and field test, known better as the "Matrix."

Upon arrival at the depot, processing begins promptly and buses are met by a drill instructor who is very direct and demanding.

Staff Sgt. David Thomas, a drill instructor at the MCRD San Diego Receiving Company, says, "It's never something that you can mentally prepare for, so everyone was just shell-shocked from the beginning of getting off the bus, and then being inside of a building and not knowing where you're at, necessarily, so everyone's shocked. That's how we make the environment and that's how it's supposed to be."

During processing, they will call home to let them know they made it before being stripped of most of their belongings, and won't speak with family again until graduation.

Now that they are officially recruited, next comes the fitness testing, which consists of running, lifting, and an obstacle course.

The Marines created a shortened version for the Educator's Workshop participants.

Every Marine, male and female, must complete these physical tasks under a time limit to advance through the "Matrix."

According to the Marine Corps, the percentage of female marines has increased substantially in recent years, including Staff Sergeant Kaylynn Mace, a drill instructor at the Recruiting Depot who gives her advice to young girls and women who are thinking about one day becoming a marine.

Staff Sgt. Mace says, "I would tell them to not be intimidated. I know it is very intimidating to see a female marine sometimes or even just Marines in general…We teach them everything that they need to know, the only thing they need to have is the want to be here, the drive, and the motivation. We'll give them everything else they need."

Another female Marine, Sergeant Kasie Wagner, is a Marine musician and the lead singer in a Marine Band, who says she's in it for the long run.

"I want to plan on staying the whole 20 years, so I'm on 2nd enlistment so I've been for about 4 years now but I want to keep going, I want to keep doing my job, performing, and reaching out to the community," says Sgt. Kasie Wagner.

The last portion of the day was a demonstration from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

This training teaches recruits the skills required in unarmed combat, weapons of opportunity, and rifle and bayonet techniques.

Every recruit must receive a tan belt to advance toward graduation, but some will go as far as becoming a black belt, like an instructor.

This event marks the end of individual testing but marks the beginning of recruits working in teams.

The Marine Corps says after finishing the physical testing, they will enter weapons training, and be that much closer to becoming a United States Marine.