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Resocialization in the Marine Corps

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The United States Marine Corps is one of the largest and most challenging military branches. Before anyone has a chance to be a part of this elite group, you need to undergo basic training, or boot camp, and successfully finish to the standard. Boot camp is known to be a form of total institution in which it takes a group of volunteers and takes them out of their normal environment. By isolating them, it allows USMC drill instructors to efficiently re-socialize and teach the skills necessary to be part of the Marine Crops. This re-socialization process challenges each volunteer to question and change their ideologies and morals to those suited for the Marines. Although it is a type of brainwashing, it allows for the change of loyalty and behavior to a more disciplined manner known in the military. The drill instructor’s use tools such as physical and mental pressure, motivation, and teamwork to make every volunteer into a marine. (Conley, 2013) The first strategy used by drill instructors is the use of both physical and mental challenges. First newcomers are introduced into a new and enclosed environment away from outside, known as Parris Island. The goal is put recruits in an isolated environment where recruits are forced to learn military skills and values in order to make it through successfully. Recruits are stripped of their identity, hair, and civilian clothes. The purpose of this is for newcomers to question themselves and deprive them of things like, “whatever confidence in their own identity they may previously have had.” (Dyer, 1985, p. 4) Drill instructors apply mental pressure, with consist yelling and harassment, to test and build each newcomers mental capacity. Recruits are also presented with the challenge of consistent physical activity and lack of sleep. All these things come together as one strategy to implement loyalty in each volunteer towards the Marine Corps. Although the drill instructors consistently put

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