Indoctrinating Without Doctrine

摘要

At the beginning of all twelve-week recruit training cycles, every drill instructor raises their right hand and recites the Drill Instructor's Creed in front of their platoon of brand-new recruits. Along with affirming that these recruits are entrusted to their care, they pledge to develop them into "smartly disciplined, physically fit, and basically trained Marines thoroughly indoctrinated in love of Corps and country"1 (emphasis added). Before the drill instructors ever have an opportunity to do that, every student at Drill Instructor School learns recruit training is conducted through a "thorough indoctrination to our history, customs, and traditions"2 (emphasis added). Developing a love and respect for our Corps through its history, customs, and traditions is at the center of the magic that occurs on the depots to make Marines. There is more to an indoctrination process though than loyalty, rituals, and the rote memorization of history. What is critically missing in this indoctrination process is doctrine. In fact, there is almost no doctrine in any portion of the entry-level training pipeline. The Marine Corps prides itself in the hallmarks of a Marine-spirit and discipline. Spirit and discipline are fundamental, ideological changes that recruits undergo as a part of their transformation from a civilian to a Marine. A third ideological shift must occur at recruit training to a Warfighting mentality. Marines must be indoctrinated with our doctrine to learn how we think and decide, starting from MCDP 1.