A U.S. Marine Corps recruit from Alpha Company pushes

A U.S. Marine Corps recruit from Alpha Company pushes the feet of a simulated casualty while moving through a training event at The Crucible, Sept. 12, 2014, at Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. The Crucible is the final test in recruit training and represents the culmination of all the skills and knowledge a Marine should possess. Designed in 1996 to emphasize the importance of teamwork in overcoming adversity, the Crucible is a rigorous 54-hour field training exercise demanding the application of everything a recruit has learned until that point in recruit training and includes a total of 48 miles of marching. It simulates typical combat situations with strenuous testing, hardship and the deprivation of food and sleep. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released)