How This 5-Foot-4 Marine From The Philippines Survived Boot Camp | Boot Camp | Business Insider

Video Description

The United States military offers an expedited path to US citizenship for lawful residents who commit to service. In 2024, while filming the US Marine Corps boot camp in Camp Pendleton, California, chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan followed one recruit taking advantage of this opportunity. Twenty-four-year-old Ralph Dahilig immigrated to the US from the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he holds a bachelor's degree in information systems, Dahilig struggled to find a job in the tech industry, which led him to pursue a career in the Marine Corps. At 5 feet 4 inches tall, Dahilig is not what many might picture as the prototypical US Marine. He had to learn to think outside the box to make it to The Crucible, the 54-hour culminating event of the 13-week boot camp. All recruits must endure it before they receive the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor pendant, symbolizing their official transformation from recruit to US Marine. 00:00 - Meet War Bag 02:05 - War Bag's Height 02:44 - War Bag Struggles On Weaver Obstacle 03:50 - Parents' Skepticism About Joining 04:31 - Pursuing US Citizenship 05:08 - War Bag's Backstory/Trouble Finding Work 06:08 - Overcoming The Tightrope Obstacle 07:25 - Pugil Stick Fighting 08:46 - Climbing The Reaper 09:13 - Emotional Aftermath 09:48 - Eagle, Globe, And Anchor Ceremony 10:47 - Graduation Day 11:20 - War Bag In Japan 11:56 - Credits This video was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2025 Military Reporters & Editors Journalism Contest: https://www.militaryreporters.org/2025/10/mre-announces-the-winners-of-2025-journalism-contest/ ------------------------------------------------------ #marine #bootcamp #businessinsider MORE BUSINESS INSIDER VIDEOS: Axel Springer CEO Talks Trade, Trump, AI, And The Future Of Media | Business Insider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6VoUD_E-r0 Money Lessons From Self-Made Millionaires Who Retired In Their 30s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnBL8QM8BRw Exposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-8TDOFqkQA Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com Business Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Business_Insider/5319643143 Business Insider on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessinsider Meet War Bag — The 5-Foot-4 Marine Who Beat The Odds At Boot Camp | Boot Camp | Business Insider