Recruits of Platoon 3001, India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, perform a close-order drill movement during an initial drill evaluation Nov. 16, 2015, on Parris Island, S.C. The strict, particular nature of close-order drill reinforces discipline and precision and fosters unit cohesion. India Company is scheduled to graduate Jan. 8, 2016. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 19,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for approximately 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Vanessa Austin)
