11 Weird Things That Happen In Boot Camp (A Veteran Explains)

Step inside Marine Corps boot camp through the eyes of someone who lived it—and later helped shape recruits as a drill instructor. I’m Walt Kessler, and I share 11 strange experiences that only make sense once you understand what happens on the other side of training. I explain the scripted phone call home, speaking in the third person, grown men crying in the dark, losing your voice, staring straight ahead, sand fleas at Parris Island, doing everything by the numbers, and the importance of mail call. I also tell the story of how the outside world disappears, why a recruit’s first name is replaced, what it means to be called a Marine for the first time, and what drill instructors experience during graduation week. ----------------------------------------------- 0:00 - 11 Strange and Meaningful Experiences that Occur During Marine Corps Boot Camp 1:27 - Phone Call Home 3:28 - Third Person 5:29 - Grown Men Cry 7:09 - Hoarse Voice 8:43 - Drill Instructor 10:36 - sand fleas 12:28 - Doing Things by the Numbers 14:22 - Mail Call 16:16 - Outside World 17:56 - Recruit 19:33 - Graduation Week