Four young content creators got the experience of a lifetime, and it was all captured on the Marine Corps’ YouTube channel.
In order to earn the title of United States Marine, recruits have to make it through 13 weeks of training intentionally designed to push them to their physical, emotional, and mental limits. While most people arrive at Marine Corps Recruit Depots Parris Island and San Diego with a general understanding that they’ll be pushed out of their comfort zones, few truly appreciate how these compounding challenges can break you down–and then, as recruits become stronger and more capable–how well they can build you back up again.
In this video released on the U.S. Marine Corps YouTube channel, four young media-influencers were given the opportunity to train alongside Marine Corps recruits and get a three-day view into what it takes to earn the title of Marine. Michele Khare, Caleb City, Lucas Gomes and Jesse LaFlair may not be following the whole road to the Fleet Marine Force, but for 72-pulse pounding hours, they got to see exactly what it takes to earn a spot in Uncle Sam’s Favorite Gun Club. They even got to post videos of their personal experiences to their own YouTube channels, so aspiring recruits can see what it was really like.
“Marine Corps Recruit Training is extremely tough and challenging. What better way to get that experience in the faces of hyper-connected young people is through an equally gritty and immersive sneak-peek of how we make marines – all captured through the personal experience of digital influencers,” said LtCol Christian Devine, director of marketing and communication strategy for Marine Corps Recruiting Command.
For the purposes of the experience, the Marine Corps created an abbreviated version of the boot camp experience, complete with the Confidence Course, the Rappel Tower, the Gas Chamber, and the long hike out to the Crucible.
“We wanted a broad audience to see how people they admired and followed on YouTube faced those challenges. Ultimately, they all gained a deeper appreciation of the cause that makes those battles worth fighting,” Devine said.
And just like the real Marine Corps Recruit Training, not everyone made it through to the end.
What what happens when YouTube stars try Marine Corps boot camp
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Feature image screen captured from included video
