Rct. Heather N. Fulk, Platoon 4022, Papa Company, 4th

Rct. Heather N. Fulk, Platoon 4022, Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, reads a letter during her free time June 2, 2015, on Parris Island, S.C. Daily, recruits receive one hour of free time, which is restricted to inside the barracks, to read and write letters, unwind and prepare for the next day. Fulk, 19, from Lexington, N.C., is scheduled to graduate July 2, 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)