Rct. Lilia Ponce De Leon, Platoon 4045, November Company,
Summary
Rct. Lilia Ponce De Leon, Platoon 4045, November Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, throws a right hook Oct. 23, 2014, on Parris Island, S.C. All recruits must pass the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program test and earn a tan belt, the first level of the program, in order to graduate. Ponce De Leon, 19, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is scheduled to graduate Dec. 19, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 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 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Cpl. Caitlin Brink)