Rct. Donald J. Thomas, Platoon 2064, Echo Company,

Rct. Donald J. Thomas, Platoon 2064, Echo Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, fights during a pugil stick match June 30, 2015, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits fight with pugil sticks, which represent rifles with attached bayonets, to simulate a close encounter with an enemy. Thomas, 18, from Harrogate, Tenn., is scheduled to graduate Sept. 4, 2015. 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 Pfc. Vanessa Austin)