Rct. Laura Cadena, Platoon 4043, Papa Company, 4th

Rct. Laura Cadena, Platoon 4043, Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, pulls herself along a rope obstacle on the Confidence Course on Oct. 16, 2013, on Parris Island, S.C. The course is comprised of 15 obstacles designed to help Marine Corps recruits build confidence by overcoming physical challenges. Cadena, 18, from Stockton, Calif., is scheduled to graduate Dec. 20, 2013. 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)