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Boot Camp Training Schedules |
| MAJOR SUBJECTS |
HOURS |
| Indoctrination and Military Courtesy |
7 |
| Bayonet Training |
5 |
| Close Order Drill |
41 |
| Field Training, including: First Aid, Hygiene, Combat Exercises, Tenting, Scouting, Patrolling, etc. |
34 |
| Interior Guard |
6 |
| Marches |
16 |
| Rifle Range |
70 |
| Note: This time accounting is not all-inclusive. Administration, clothing issue, physical training, etc., are not included. |
Six-week Training Schedule Parris Island-January 1940
As the Marine Corps continued to grow in numbers, Headquarters, Marine Corps, recognized the need to produce basically trained Marines. The four week training plan of late-1939 did not address this need, and was expanded in January 1940 to six weeks of training.
| MAJOR SUBJECTS FOR 1ST, 2ND, AND 6TH WEEKS |
HOURS |
| Indoctrination and Military Courtesy |
8 |
| Bayonet Training |
6.5 |
| Close Order Drill |
45 |
| Field Training, including: First Aid, Hygiene, Combat Exercises, Tenting, Scouting, Patrolling, etc. |
36 |
| Interior Guard |
7 |
| Inspections |
3 |
| Review of Instruction |
4 |
| Rifle Range conducted from Day 13 to Day 30. This included instruction, demonstration and firing with grenades, rifle grenades, the .30-cal. rifle, .45-cal pistol, BAR, and machine guns. |
No hourly breakdown available |
| Note: This time accounting is not all-inclusive. Administration, clothing issue, physical training, etc., are not included. |
Seven-week Training Schedule San Diego-May 1940
In practice, the six week schedule of recruit training adopted in January 1940 did not allow enough time for combat-oriented subjects. In May 1940, the Commandant therefore directed that the length of boot camp be increased to seven weeks with a major focus on infantry-related skills.
| MAJOR SUBJECTS |
HOURS |
| Military Courtesy |
3 |
| Musketry |
2 |
| Rifle Instruction |
3 |
| Physical Training |
10.5 |
| Bayonet Training |
8 |
| Close Order Drill |
44 |
| Field Instruction, including: First Aid, Hygiene, Hikes, Signals, Tenting, Scouting, Patrolling, Combat Principles, Chemical Warfare, etc. |
72 |
| Interior Guard |
9 |
| Inspections |
3 |
| Rifle Range conducted from Day 13 to Day 30. This included instruction, demonstration and firing with grenades, rifle grenades, the .30-cal. rifle, .45-cal pistol, BAR, and machine guns. |
No hourly breakdown available |
Note 1: This time accounting is not all-inclusive. Administration, clothing issue, physical training, etc., are not included.
Note 2: Training days 1-18 were conducted at the recruit depot, training days 19-36 at the Camp Mathews rifle range, and days 37-42 back at the depot. No hourly breakdown is available for the rifle range days. |
Five-week Training Schedule San Diego-January 1942
This was the schedule of training ordered by Headquarters, Marine Corps, on 1 January 1942. It was only a stopgap measure to process the maximum number of recruits in the initial period of the war. It was increased to six weeks in February 1942, and replaced in March 1942 by a seven-week course of recruit training.
| MAJOR SUBJECTS |
HOURS |
| Garrison-oriented subjects |
56 |
| Weapons training |
96 |
| Field subjects |
32 |
| Physical conditioning |
4 |
Note 1: This time accounting is not all-inclusive. Administration, clothing issue, physical training, etc., are not included.
Note 2: Physical conditioning hours were supplemented by extensive marching and other activities not included in the training schedule. |
Seven-week Training Schedule San Diego -1943
From March 1942 through early-1944, the Marine Corps used a seven-week course of instruction in recruit training.
MAJOR SUBJECT |
HOURS |
Weapons training |
138 |
Physical fitness training |
14 |
Garrison instruction |
62 |
Field training |
57 |
| Total |
271 |
Note 1: Through more efficient scheduling and lengthening of the duty day, the hours actually devoted to instruction increased more than 25 percent by the end of 1943. Most of this additional time was devoted to physical conditioning. These numbers are not shown on this table.
Note 2: Physical conditioning hours were supplemented by extensive marching and other activities not included in the training schedule.
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Eight-week Training Schedule Headquarters, Marine Corps-1944 to 1945
The eight-week course of recruit training was the first time that HQMC directed both recruit depots to use identical training plans.
MAJOR SUBJECT |
HOURS |
Weapons training |
195 |
Physical fitness training |
39 |
Garrison instruction |
89 |
Field training |
98 |
| Total |
421 |
Note 1: In July 1944, HQMC directed that 36 additional hours of weapons training be added to the training schedule. This increase is not shown on the table.
Note 2: Physical conditioning hours were supplemented by extensive marching and other activities not included in the training schedule.
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A young recruit undergoes training in close order drill at the Recruit Depot, Parris Island, during World War II. Every addition, deletion, revision, and change in length to recruit training was intended to produce a basically-trained Marine with the correct skill set for entry into the Marine Corps operating forces. Photo courtesy of the MacMillan Company |
Source of material used on this page:
Kenneth Condit, Gerald Diamond and Edwin Turnbladh, Marine Corps Ground Training in World War II, Government Printing Office, 1947
RECRUIT TRAINING IN WORLD WAR II
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