What is a Day in The Life of a Us Marine Like?

The US Marines were established as the Continental Marines on November 10th, 1775, to conduct ship-to-ship fighting and provide security aboard the fledgling United States' ships of war. Since that time, they have fought in battlefields all over the world, as famously depicted in the official song of the United States Marine Corp., the 'Marine's Hymn': from the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli. Today we’ll take a closer look at what it’s like being in this branch of the armed forces, in this special episode of The Infographics Show, A Day in the Life of a US Marine. A Marine's daily routine can differ depending on whether he or she is deployed or 'in garrison' at their home station. While in garrison though, a typical schedule looks like this: 5:30 am: Wake up call, with a half hour to get dressed, make your bunk, sweep and mop the floor of the entire barracks. Like many religious people, Marines believe that cleanliness is next to godliness. 6 am: PT, or physical training. Soldiers fall into formations of squad, platoon or company sizes for morning PT. Exercises vary, but typically start with the side-straddle-hop, or jumping jacks for civilians, and like most physical exercises, are done in 3-counts, so the number done is actually 3 times higher than what you count aloud. Push ups, sit-ups, and exercises you might remember from P.E. Class like the Mountain Climber follow, with repetitions of 15, though they can go up to as many as 50. Next up for PT is the formation run, as typically seen in movies with soldiers in formation running and singing cadences to keep pace and motivation up. These runs can go anywhere from 3 miles to 7 miles, and are never slow. Back at the company area, the unit engages in cool-down stretches to help their bodies adjust from the sudden stop of so much physical exertion. For those who couldn't keep pace with the formation while running, they can expect a stiff word from their 1st Sergeant and remedial PT at night and on weekends. At about 9 am, Marines break for about an hour of personal time during which they shower, clean up, re-clean their barracks, and get dressed in their uniforms. The US Marines like to keep sharp minds, so at 10am there is typically classroom training of some kind- from weapons to tactics or remedial technical training on various pieces of equipment. At 11:30 am, Marines form up for chow; while in formation, they are briefed on what will be coming in the afternoon. From 11:30 am to 1 pm, you are on personal 'chow time'; you eat, run any errands, or even take naps if you have the time (though you probably won't). At 1 pm, all Marines fall back into formation. Typically this is followed by afternoon weapons training either on the firing range, or running tactical/immediate action drills. Marines focus on marksmanship and can expect to spend a lot of time on the range, but it's important to know how to fight on different battlefields, so you can also expect to spend even more time in mock-up villages or city blocks to learn important urban combat techniques. Between 4 pm and 6 pm - or possibly later, the company returns weapons to the armory and returns back to the company area to fall into formation and be briefed on the day's progress, plus receive any news. The CO, or Commanding Officer, leads the debrief and will eventually hand it off to the 1st Sergeant, and so on down the chain until all pertinent information has been shared. At this time, you will be dismissed, typically heading straight to evening chow. Your evening time is your own, unless you have been restricted to quarters for disciplinary reasons or ordered to do remedial PT. A Marine's life is one built around constant training and readiness for combat, anywhere at any time. Their daily routine reflects this, and a strict adherence to discipline makes them one of the most formidable fighting forces on the planet. So, what do you think? Could you handle a day in the life of a US Marine? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to check out our other video called MOAB, Mother of All Bombs! Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!