Five young sled dogs-in-training were recently born at the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, as part of the park's sled dog breeding program.

The Alaskan husky puppies are named Sequoia, Mammoth, Rainier, Teton and Mesa, after famous U.S. national parks, in a special nod to the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. They will soon count a sixth puppy, Acadia, who will be joining the crew from another kennel.

They are taking their first steps to train as working dogs in Denali, where they will rack up miles pulling the sleds and park rangers who patrol trails and conduct winter research in the park.

The freight hauling Alaskan husky is bred for its thick fur, long legs, and compact paws all necessary to stay warm and efficiently navigate deep snow. Denali's breeding program also selects for less obvious traits, like the willingness to navigate winter trails, work as a team, and pull heavy loads hard.

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The new puppies will be raised and trained for six to eight months before they get harnesses and start running. Those dogs who show the most promise after their first winter of training will join a permanent team the next year.

Denali maintains between three and five dog teams in its park, whose dogs generally run for about nine years before they retire.

You can watch a live stream of the new puppies through the Denali Puppy Cam on the park's website.

All men and women enlisted west of the Mississippi River train at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.

Once recruits step off the bus, they are greeted by yellow footprints painted on the ground and instructed to stand on them.

It gets chaotic, but when they do, the heels are together, feet at a Y 45, said Staff Sgt. David Plummer. That is one of the first things for the center position of attention.

Plummer said this is where recruits begin learning the Uniform Code of Military Justice, essentially the law governing the military.

They are then taken to the contraband room, where they receive items for their new life while leaving behind personal belongings and anything considered prohibited.

This is where all the recruits will get their hair chopped off with the exception of females, Plummer said.

With fresh buzz cuts and pieces of their old lives left behind, recruits begin a 13-week boot camp, the longest basic training among U.S. military branches.

We demand the best product because were, were the front line for Americas safety, so having the ability to respond under orders in a very stressful environment is, its, its key to life or death, Plummer said.

That ability is tested on the obstacle course, where recruits learn to respond under pressure.

We make them break that fear because it all starts with themselves, Plummer said. If they believe they can do it, then they can do it. And this is one of the key places it happens.

Recruits sleep in barracks, where they are taught discipline, organization and attention to detail.

The final stop in their journey is the museum.

There, they may encounter Leonard M. Howard, a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps who now serves as a docent, helping teach the next generation.

We bring them here to infuse in them and show them the history of the corps that is so very important, he said.

The visit serves as a reminder of what recruits are expected to live up to, and to take pride in knowing their contributions are part of why America is able to celebrate 250 years.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

The Declaration of Independence was a radical statement for its time, penned two and a half centuries ago, establishing a nation based on freedom. And even amid historic divisions in our country today, those words still serve as a guiding light.

"We're still in that dialog. It's still an ongoing dialog of how we define our freedom," said Franck Cordes, capital campaign project director for the National Archives Foundation.

Cordes helped develop a new exhibit at the National Archives showcasing the people and ideas that led to that historic moment.

Now historic declaration-related documents that have long been buried in the archives are available for all to see, reminding us of our roots as a nation 250 years on.

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Over the years, the Declaration of Independence has featured heavily in everything from presidential speeches to pop culture.

In the film "National Treasure," there was a secret map hidden on the back of the document.

"It is written in pencil, 'Declaration of Independence' on the back, but there is no secret map," Cordes says. "The treasure is on the front."