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     Marines are expected to be in top physical shape, and in order to get to that level - drill instructors take marines through physical training drills three times a week.

     Physical training sessions known as ‘PT’ start early in the morning and last for one hour. Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery Sgt. Michael Bonner says it’s required for all recruits regardless of their level of strength.  “We have to build them up cardiovascularly and we need to strengthen them so they can deal with the vigorous trainings of recruit training as well as their carry on as basically trained marines” says Bonner.

     The morning we visited recruits were going through a series of stations as part of PT.  They had to run around a field, do sit ups, perform cobras, lunges, pull ups, pushups, and more.  Recruits are required to run from station to station, and trainers say that practice isn’t done to punish them.  “In combat it might require you to move around the combat zone very quickly so a lot of the basically trained marines or young marines have to build up the cardiovascular to build up that vigor of combat “says Bonner.

     Recruits have times during PT where they’re allowed to take a rest and rehydrate, but they’re typically walking as they do that.  Bonner says by the time a marine recruit has transformed into a marine they have seen a physical change.  “It’s a proven fact that a recruit becomes stronger and becomes more confident of himself. He holds up his posture he walks a lot taller and it builds him better as an all around man pretty much” says Bonner.

     All marines, regardless of gender or age are expected to maintain a certain level of fitness, so what they learn in boot camp, often becomes part of their regular workout routine.