What is Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click.?

Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. is Marine Corps Drill Instructor terminology that is used when Drill Instructors want to interact with the recruits. Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. is actually two separate commands. When a Drill Instructor wants the recruits to listen to something about to be said, the Drill Instructor will say “Ears." Once the recruits hear this command, they will respond by saying “Open” to confirm they are listening. Therefore, Ears, Open. is one command in Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. When a Drill Instructor wants the recruits to look at them, the Drill Instructor will say “Eyeballs." Once the recruits hear this command, they will turn their eyes towards the Drill Instructor and respond “Click” at the same time. Eyeballs, Click. is the second commnd in Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click.

How did Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. come about?

It was a Friday night and Charlie Company was at the Marine Corps Ball. Normally, platoons are picked up on Fridays around 1pm (1300). But on this Friday, the annual Marine Corps Birthday Celebration was scheduled. SSgt. Nichols was sitting at his designated table when all of a sudden, someone mentioned that a camera crew was going to be filming boot camp.

Most people's initial reaction was “I don’t want cameras following my platoon,” because that makes what we do vulnerable. SSgt. Nichols was a new Senior Drill Instructor starting his 7th platoon and would be on the first floor of the barracks. So, SSgt. Nichols got the call. Being very open minded, SSgt. Nichols decided to embrace the challenge rather than drawing away. That was the beginning of what we now know as Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click.

SSgt. Nichols was the Senior Drill Instructor in the award winning Marine Corps Boot Camp documentary Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. featuring Platoon 1141. For 95 minutes, Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. lets you see SSgt. Nichols and his team lead recruits through all 12 weeks of Boot Camp, on a journey to become Marines.

Released in 2005, Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. shows SSgt. Nichols and the other Drill Instructors at their finest. During Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click., you see Marine Corps Drill Instructors placing the required pressure needed to develop recruits into smartly disciplined, physical fit, basically trained Marines. Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click., allows for people to get an inside look at what it really takes to become a Marine.

The passion that SSgt. Nichols showed throughout his military career and while training Marine recruits in Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click. has carried over to SSgt. Nichols' present day activities. He continues to help young men and women become successful members of the military through his continuing efforts in videos, books, fitness, public service, guest speaking and appearances on television. All this began from what we now know as Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click.