CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Marines from 6th Marine Corps District

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Marines from 6th Marine Corps District conduct a Marine Corps Pull-up Challenge during the National Education Association Career Day at the Charlotte Convention Center. The NEA Career Day was one of the many events benefiting the community during the week of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s Basketball Tournament. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was founded in 1912 as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the Nation. The CIAA is touted as being the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions, and consists of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) spanning the East Coast from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. The 2013 CIAA Tournament is expected to bring about 190,000 fans to Charlotte, N.C., during the course of the week with an economic impact exceeding $40 million. Marines from across the Nation were brought to Charlotte during the 2013 CIAA tournament to raise awareness of the Marine Corps' Officer programs to the participants and attendees of the tournament as a viable option for college graduates after they transition from college to professional life. (Official USMC photo by Staff Sgt. Tracie G. Kessler)