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Defense Agency for Public Information Services
September 4th, Above East Sea
You're looking a drill by ROK Marine Force Recon on East Sea
Objective is to infiltrate to place where enemy can't expect
to neutralize enemy
jump!
elite fighting force which fight with enemy first and draw victory against them
marines equal of 100 others
rising as new weapon in Modern Warfare National Strategic Mobile Force, Marine Corps!
amongst them, force recon is considered as the best of the best
there're young men who volunteered to join this elite force
trainees of 49th force recon training
you'll see what they're gonna go through for 63 days
Chanllenge of Youth - Record of 63 Days
September 5th 2359hrs 1st Marine Division Reconnaissance Battalion Training Center
1 minute to midnight
tension arises around training center
get up!
sudden alarm and sound of kkwaenggwari
it's an emergency situation
these fogs are from smoke grenade, not fire
less than a minute, trainees aligned on drill ground without single exception
spray it to back there, too. back there!
insturctors are spraying water to trainees with basket
49th!
ac! (trainees use ac instead of yes or other answers)
won't you guys say 'thanks' to instructers while they're spraying water to you guys?
THANK YOU, SIR!
again!
spraying water in the middle of night
with this, 'the hell week' began
September 6th 0000hrs
trainees endured 8 weeks of force recon training until now
there's only 'the hell week' is left
making a deep bow to the Dragon King, they pray for safe hell week training
[lieutenant major Yeo Seung-Joo] from now on, 49th Marine Corps Force Recon Training the hell week begins!
if it's the pain you can't evade, you'd rather enjoy it!
September 6th 0200hrs - first day of hell week enjoy the pain you can't evade
it seems instructors are going to train them without mercy
in 2 am when everybody else is sleeping, hell week training began from sea
lie down lie down!
lying down in seawater even beginning seems not easy
instructors spraying seawater while lying down
we can believe it's hell week
can't even open eyes because of sands and salts
it continued till dawn
in dawn, there's a trainee being punished
single combat boot above his stomach
it seems to be taken off while suffering from waves through the night
it's an ironclad rule to not to take off your boots during hell week
plus, trainees can't sleep during hell week
there's no time for natural fuction, so trainees have to deal with it by themselves
but the most tough thing is the coldness in water
remember this trainee no.26
July 16th 1400hrs - breakwater in Yak-Jeon actually battle with coldness in water began with force recon training
trainees who volunteered for force recon training 2 months ago must deal with swimming training first
because swimming is essential to force recon since they ilfiltrate from sea
no.5 - A / no.5 - A
among swimming, trainees must learn breaststroke since it's invisible and uses much less energy
however, it surprises me that there're trainees who can't float or afraid of water
except 50 trainees that are marked as class A (top) and B
almost 75% of them couldn't swim
there're 38 trainees who can't even float and they're marked with red ribbons
now fierce training begins on beach in PoHang
holding up your body with sand hill and practicing swimming on land
instructors say it's more effective to trainees to practice basic swimmming
hot and burning sands in the middle of summer
sun is burning and trainees' sweat breaking out
238 trainees devoted themselves swimming training like this
a week passed
let's see how they improved compared to past
still, there's a long way to go
the basic rule of swimming is not to afraid of water
so instructers put trainees head into sea without mercy
so that trainees find out the truth that they won't die even if they drown to almost death and get rid of fear
training was identically merciless to trainees in class B with blue ribbons
punishment for idleness is taking a meal in seawater
as training kept going on, some trainees got hurt
there's also a trainee suffering from hypothermia in the middle of summer
to a trainee like this, instructors color their buoys with yellow
it means this trainee needs observation
no.26 is one of them
it's his 3rd force recon training to no.26
at first time, his weight was 40kg and dropped out from force recon training since pneumonia
second time, he dropped out because he couldn't catch up swimming training because of hypothermia
the reason he volunteered for force recon training for 3rd time is to inherit his father who served in Marine force recon
his father must be proud of him
but on the otherhand, i'm worried about him on account of hypothermia
no.26 5 reps clear! / are you ok, no. 26? / excuse me, sir? / are you ok!? / i'm ok, sir!
August 16th 1400hrs 4 mile swimming test
6 weeks of swimming training is over and trainees are about to be tested
they must swim 4 miles within 3 and half hours
though they sang song of force recon bravely, they have careworn faces
starting point is seagull island, it's an tradition for 43 years of force recon training
1400hrs the test began
no.26 also started
because of hypothermia, instructors gave him swimsuit
water temperature is 25 degree celcious and with some fog far away, it is good day to swim
2km so far. including no.26, it seems every marines are doing well
however after 4 pm, waves started to rise high
however no.26 is still doing well
though he seems to be tired, it seems ok
and finally, after 3 hours no.26 passed
he passed the final test for swimming
you did well, marine / pil-seung! (ROK marine's saluting slogan; certain victory)
one shot / one shot!
makgeolli in swim fin
it's an rite of passage for 4 mile test
September 7th 0400hrs second day of hell week
dawn of the second day of hell week
trainees are carrying IBS with their head for 8 consecutive hours
Inflatable Boat Small, IBS weighs 110kg
performance status *** / performance status ***!
performance status *** / performance status ***!
chief of instructor / master sergeant Choi Byung-Moon as i said before beginning, there's no rest time today. got it? / ac! / got it? / ac!
march forward, now!
because of heavy weight, trainees' stance start to collapse
to carry IBS, trainees should divide their power to head and arm
otherwise, trainees can not advance but suffer from pain in their neck
49th / ac! / 49th / ac!
only 24 hours of hell week has passed. uh? if you want to quit, come forward. / no, sir!
if you can't stand this, come out! / No, sir! It's OK, sir! / are you quitting? / No, sir!
are you quitting? / No, sir! / won't you guys want to rest for 10 minutes? / Yes, sir!
you can seat now
with IBS on their heads, they can't seat comfortably
they must carry IBS throughout hell week. it's like a burden of destiny for force recon
straighten your neck and spine!
July 31st 1800hrs IBS training
when they carried IBS for first time, they couldn't imagine that IBS will cause them so much pain
keep push it! keep push it! / first row on board!
in amphibious operation, IBS become their last bastion
since IBS is their last resort. not submarine or helicopter
thus under any circumstances, trainees ought not to miss their IBS
with sudden huge waves, trainees start to confuse
a wave sweeped away a trainee
to save trainee, IBS must advance but since it's full of water it doesn't advance
though it was training, it was danger enough to cause accidents
of course, there're always proficient instructors
it seems like IBS will be a tough burden for them in future
September 8th 0200hrs third day of hell week
still IBS lying above trainees' head
today, trainees will get to the top of mountain and it'll take approximately 2 hours
with raining, trainees' feet become heavier and heavier as they march
team no.50 is backmarker and they're most inferior in stamina
actually trainee no.50 wasn't it the front at beginning
originally, no.50's position is rear for pushing forward
you guys are not willing to do it, right? / No, sir!
teammates of no.50 saw him suffering from herniated cervical disc gave him the front position
no.50, pull forward! / it's almost done, cheer up!
last hill, trainees concentrate all their strength and even instructors helping them
though they made it to the top but team no.50 is fully exhausted
instructors are merciless
after tough training, packs of cigarettes are distributed to each team leaders.
smoking for the first time in 60 days of training
trainee no.50 run fast to give cigarettes to his teammates who cared about him a lot
in the middle of night, there's singing festival
singing and dancing, they're very lively
49th, they're so young
next morning, the mood seems chilly
you guys don't care about your teammates huh? / Yes, sir!
keep your legs up! keep your legs up!
what kind of NCOs are like this? are't you guys really NCOs? / keep your legs up!
keep your legs up! / so-called NCOs don't care about their teammates, only care about themselves huh? / No, sir!
one / mental status ! / two / totally poor !
it's Marine Corps' tradition for superior ranks to suffer harder training
trainee no.1! no.1 always go through training first and run into danger first so no.1 trainee is always selected as most superior rank among trainees
49th no.1 is not an exception
i can't hear you. did you got it? / ac! / did you got it? / ac!
July 16th 1000hrs - entrance ceremony from now on, entrance ceremony of 49th force recon training may begin
trainees get their number from top ranks to bottom the number means their turn for training, so it shows your level of danger
salute the national flag! 49th no.1 trainee is signal officer with M.S. in computer science
report! on July 16th 2002, no.1 *** and 237 marines hereby ordered to enter 49th force recon basic training! here to report!
no.1 volunteered for physical toughness
he shows stereotype of no.1
instructors inspect everynight, it's full of tension for worrying about punishment
for poor cleanliness, they got punished
it's not an exception even for no.1
but no.1 can't show his weakness he never gave a groan though it should had been painful with floor made of stone
you can see officers leading by example even from battalion commander
Reconnaissance battalion cammander lieutenant major Yeo Seung-Joo battalion commander Yeo participated in force recon operation
in airborne, battalion commander jumps first. you can see force recon's role from here. operate faster than any other and open avenue for attack.
September 9th 0700hrs fourth day of hell week
fourth day of hell week
they're carrying IBS for 4 consecutive days
these are trainees that are wounded. But if they give up, immediately they'll be dropped out.
ac! i'm suffering from cellulitis, sir!
ac! i get a pain in my throat, sir!
so, can't you go through training?
after i woke up today, it's so painful in few days, sir!
i'm asking you, can't you go through training? / No, sir!
can't you go through training? / No, sir!
endure, got it? / ac!
endure you pain, got it? / ac!
they're Marine force recon, if it's the pain you can't endure, you should enjoy it
without carrying IBS, trainees feeling light on their feet
name of this training in official training schedule is 'mud training'
but it is the place that they're going in is gutter
though they covered their face with mud from gutter, trainees are still valorous
this time, they gotta dive into gutter
though they wet themselves and even drink water from gutter, it can happen in battlefield
they do it without hesitation
they look so delightful
if there's a problem, take the bull by the horns, it's force recon's spirit
there's a thing they shouldn't miss, it's their teammate's hand
even in most tired and exhausted condition, they help each other
without such help, they couldn't make it this far
after rolling over gutter for all day, meal time
although they smell like ***, none of them refuse to eat
they don't care if rain fall into rice and soup
after gutter, dirts on their hand is probably nothing to them
brotherhood of sharing precious bread that trainee have kept
the communication of heart with heart, they wouldn't have found it without this training
brief rest
it's a tournament, the last team wins. ok? / ac!
it's a war, got it? / ac!
it's not a rest, yet
it's a war. war to win 30 minutes of sleep for last team
only the strongest survives, it's force recon's way of surviving
August 18th 0800hrs Mountain run
ability to survive behind enemy lines
it's most critic ability among the things that trainees have learnt in past 2 months
day of mountain running with full sand bag on their bag, though they began with energy, dropout occured
after 30 minutes, while they're entering entrance of mountain, a trainee get left behind
running up to the top of mountain with sand bag is not easy as it seems
chief of instructor / master sergeant Choi Byung-Moon keep running, why are you stopping?
are you walking? keep running
no.90! why are you stopping? keep running!
another dropout occured, this time, it seems because of wound
surgeon judged they can't go on with wound on their feet
you can have another chance next time. remind today and try harder
though instructors comfort them saying another chance, what if it's actual combat?
getting left behind enemy lines means death
39 trainees' names were removed from list
those who couldn't keep up till the end of training
it's almost same dropout rate with average
August 31st 1000hrs Casting training
casting training is essential to be a force recon
casting is to dive from helicopter for sea infiltration
because, approaching with helicopter to enemy area is easy to get caught
Also, they need highly skilled technique to dive into specific point
next is pick-up training, it's essential skill for escape
because when they must use this skill to be rescued accurately in return from enemy area
accordingly, mistake is unacceptable
if trainee miss a hand, they will be a straggler
for last, survival swimming training
with their hands and feet tied, can they swim?
in worst case, even though they become hostage, they must escape and return safely
they can swim with only torso
with such trainings, trainees raised their ability to survive in most tough situation
September 10th 1800hrs fifth day of hell week
fifth day of hell week, trainees are climing Keum-O mountain
most strong desire for human is to sleep, let's see what happens when they don't sleep for 5 days
well, about now they may suffer auditory or visual hallucination
they're just marching with following other trainees' foot steps
suddenly, one of trainees suffer fierce pain
the reason was combat boots that they haven't took off for 5 days
after taking off a combat boot, trainee takes off a sock
the heel and whole sole are swollen with salt water
you can blame no one since you volunteered for this
after checking out that his feet is not critical, he went back to formation
no one will blame him for quitting but his mental strength is outstanding
night of fifth day of hell week, a trainee go to somewhere with nobody for a reason
it's cemetery in mountain
it's courage training course
walking in cemetery without a light, instructors surprise him
[saluting] Pil-Seung
on fifth day of hell week, trainees are becoming numb to fear
after finishing courage training, instructors are spraying water
this instructor is staff sergeant Kim Tae-Hoon, who finished force recon training last year and directly became instructor
still, trainees are sleepy
from wenchy instructors and assistants ***~ / ***?
we were beaten a lot~ / this time, instructors keep trainees awake with singing
like the lyrics, it's plausible for them to resent insturctors
[they're singing 'hell week song'] hunger and freezing hand and feet, i can't stand with this~
i even endured this devilish hell week~
i'm just a force recon warrior, counting my days for discharge~
what's this, what number you are? huh? / ac! no.274, sir!
why are you tearing? / cause i missed my mother, sir!
continuing song is, 'missing mother'
eventually, trainees start to tear
even in such moment that trainees must endure longing for their mother, there's 'something' about it that can't be described
'something' that trainees endured again and again, overwhelms their mood
staff sergeant Kim wipes out trainees' tears
September 11th 0700hrs sixth day of hell week
last day of hell week, though trainees' strength bottomed out, training gets even harder
instructors standing on IBS and pushing it down, they are badgering trainees to breaking point
all of you can do this, right? / ac! / you can do this! / ac! unforgiving training that trainees must accomplish even with crawling
there's only advance for them
stand up / ac! / stand up!
go forward! / I can't hear you, go forward / go forward! / go forward / go forward!
fellows / fellows! / fellows / fellows!
bear up / bear up! / fellows / fellows! / you can do this / you can do this!
fellows / fellows! / bear up / bear up! / fellows / fellows!
the time they arrived with carrying IBS at Division HQ in Hwang-shin is 1800hrs
there's only one training remaining
they must not relax yet
even their stamina bottomed out
instructors know that now is the most dangerous time
no one gets left behind in this training, got it? / ac!
if your teammate get left behind, put him on your boat, got it? / ac!
i told you, got it? / ac!
what if our teammate get left behind? / we should put him on the boat, sir!
put him on the boat and let him stay with us till the end, got it? / ac!
force recon training never gets easy till the end, no less
last training is to recover 12 un-manned post in Division
suddenly, authorized to something by instructor, trainees are running
they came back with a box
what they were waiting was snacks from PX
a box full of snacks
the reason they bought as many to fill a box, viewers who were in service would know
last previllage that allowing going to PX
it's a huge consideration compared to when they're in training
when trainees were in swimming training, there was a test to eat meals
it's a horizontal bar
normal pull up is hard enough, doing it with instructor's command is even harder
and the number increased one by one as everyday passed
after they finish this, they can eat / team 4 stand up / team 4 stand up! / hurry!
however, those who couldn't accomplish objective, can't come down to the ground
they must eat on horizontal bar
in hard times like this, they couldn't even imagine about PX
it's 4th post among 12 un-manned posts
there are some people waiting for trainees
they're families of Marine force recon NCOs
they prepared hot noodles for trainees
with eggs and dried laver, it looks good
even senior marines serve them a meal, there's only 4 hours left to the end of hell week
a glass of makgeolli before eating
it may be taste of heaven to them
having a big meal after a long time, it seems hell week is about to end
after finishing training, on their way back to training center
suddenly a problem occured
a trainee collapsed
there's a convulsion, it's solid / let's send him to hospital
if he gets out of here, he'll be dropped out
a trainee with convulsion moved by ambulence
however, he decide to endure with first aid instead of going to hospital
another wounded trainee is on IBS
trainee feel sorry for them but teammates volunteered for carrying no.138
in initial parts of hell week, no.138 comforted his fellows a lot [singing famous song 'Letter of a Private'] [after making a deep bow to parents when I stepping out of door~]
they probably wouldn't have expected that 63 days of experience could bond them together with brotherhood [somewhere in my heart, there're longing feelings~]
[even a grass and friend's face, everything feels like new~]
in a challenge, there were fellows who experienced a battle with themselves thus shared same pain
[it's time to start again, dreams of youth~]
with such passion, hell week is about to end
pushing and pulling, it's not a success of each of them, it's a success of all of them
63 days ago, from lonely challenge that began with entering that gate
September 12th 0600hrs hell week is over
49th passed hell week without single dropout
[Training Center Commander Captain Kim Jong-Je] 49th hell week! hereby declaring the end!
with sending my celebration to you guys who became a true winner of battle with yourselves
i pray for your health and fortune of war in future! over!
Pil-Seung!
49th! fighting! / fighting! fighting! fighting!
i can't describe this feeling
every things i've been through feels like dream, i just can't describe, just happy
all i want is just sleep
so happy, just so happy
i just want to sleep
i'm happy with the fact that i won the battle with myself
i just go back in hurry and sleep
there's nothing to covet right now
it feels like i'm king of the world
right now, i just want to sleep, rest. that's all. missing my parents, also. that's all
i thought i'd be dropped out but i survived because i tried hard. i'll sincerely serve my duty . Pil-Seung!
taking off dirty training suit, trainees came out wearing green-berets
they're not trainees anymore but legitimate member of force recon.
families are surprised of their changed looks
with thinking about toughness they went through, a mother tears
September 15th 1000hrs 49th Force Recon training completion ceremony
Division Commander himself award them a force recon insignia
it's a insignia carved with their 63 days of challenge
during past 63 days, practiced swimming as if carving breakwaves and IBS was on their head with pain in head and legs
finally, after hell week that taught marine spirit and become a force recon marine
the ones who were our neighbor and family, carved into elite force who wins strategic victory in modern warfare
they won the lengthy battle with themselves
but at last, they just finished basic force recon training
even tougher courses are awaiting
challenge of youth is still going on
Special thanks to insturctors, assistants, trainees of Republic of Korea Marine Corps 1st Marine Division Reconnaissance Battalion
produced by Defense Agency for Public Information Services www.dapis.go.kr