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The process has been described by Canadian military historian Gwynne Dyer as a form of conditioning in which inductees are encouraged to partially submerge their individuality for the good of their unit. Dyer argues that this conditioning is essential for military function because combat requires people to endure stress and perform actions which are simply not present in normal life.
The nature and extent of this conditioning varies from one military service to another. Some systems of training seek to totally break down the individual and remold that person to the desired behaviour. Other systems attempt to change the individual to suit the organization, whilst retaining key elements of the recruit's personality. The differences between the two approaches are often subtle.
Standard uniforms are issued and recruits may have their heads shaved in order to make their appearance as uniform as possible. The haircut is one method intended to increase cohesion. Recruits are generally given a service number.
Recruits are instructed in "drill": to stand, march, and respond to orders in an unquestioning manner. Historically, drill derived from 18th-century military tactics in which soldiers in a fire line performed precise and coordinated movements to load and fire weapons. Although these tactics are now obsolete, drill performs a psychological function which is to inculcate the response to commands but also to train the recruit to act unhesitatingly in the face of real combat situations. This includes not only commands to engage in combat in which the soldier is putting his life in danger, but also commands to disengage when military necessity demands. Most military commentators say that this condititioning is essential for military function because without it, a military unit would likely disintegrate under the stress of combat, becoming merely an armed mob.
Recruits are usually subjected to rigorous physical training, both to prepare for the demands of combat and to weed out the less able or motivated. This also builds morale for the remaining recruits who have met the physical requirements.
Army and Marine recruits are trained in basic marksmanship with regularly assigned weapons, field maintenance of weapons, hand-to-hand combat, first aid, protective equipment usage, and basic survival techiques. Navy training focuses on basic seamanship, and skills such as firefighting, basic engineering, and signals. Air Force training might cover subjects such as aircraft recognition.Some services present a badge or other award to denote completion of recruit training. The United States Army typically issues the Army Service Ribbon, and the United States Air Force presents the Air Force Training Ribbon. The Marines do not follow this practice.
U.S. Marine boot camps are at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris IslandMarine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is a United States military installation near Beaufort, South Carolina, tasked with the training of new Marines. Parris Island trains all male recruits from east of the Mississippi River and all female recruits., South Carolina, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San DiegoMarine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States military installation in San Diego, California. It is adjacent to the Naval Training Center in the same city, as well as Lindbergh Field, which serves as an international airport for the city of San, California. All female enlisted Marines go to Parris Island. Men go to either, depending on whether they leave from the eastern or western part of the country.