This Change to Boot Camp Training Could Cut Recruit Injury Rates
Recruits with Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, conduct a 5K Hike Aug. 25, 2018 on Parris Island, S.C. (Dana Beesle/U.S. Marine Corps)
3 May 2021
MCRD SAN DIEGO When the first-ever platoon of female Marine recruits landed here at the Corps West Coast recruit depot earlier this year, their training was just as difficult as that of their male counterparts but differed in one small, important way.
Lima Company, the platoon s parent unit, was one of two recruit companies selected to participate in a study assessing a progressive approach to hiking under a combat load, a key component of training. The two companies each swapped out one high-impact running event, such as a track-style workout, for a hike. The length of the hike and the weight of the load progressed stepwise: As the weight increased, the length would decrease temporarily to allow recruits bodies time to adapt.