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The Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon is unique among the various drill teams in the American Armed Forces. For one thing, they earn their name through their remarkably quiet maneuvers. For another, there is no drill team in the Marines that have such an elaborate routine. The purpose of the platoon, known as the “Marching Twenty-Four,” is to showcase the precision and professionalism of the United States Marine Corps.

Often regarded as the toughest branch of the military, the Marines learn how to do what they do the hard way. While an Army recruit might learn how to repair a fairly new vehicle with all the right tools, an enlisted Marine gets taught that, in the field, the vehicle is never new and the right tools are never available. They get the broken, old hand-me-downs from the Army and have to get their equipment fixed any way they can.

It’s not just precision and ingenuity that will get you into the Silent Drill Platoon, however. There are quite a few physical qualifications. First of all, the rifle used for twirling is a real, fully operational M1 Garand, weighing in at well over 10 pounds. It takes quite a bit of strength and endurance to twirl these guns around like they were made of plastic. Members of the platoon can’t vary more than one inch from six feet in height and also have to be the median weight for that height. This ensures a uniformity to their stature that increases the remarkable visual effect of their movements.

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H/T: Houston Librarian

Read more: http://www.wimp.com/marine-silent-drill-team-moves/