Rct. Micah P. McMillen II, Platoon 2016, Hotel Company,

Rct. Micah P. McMillen II, Platoon 2016, Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, strikes an opponent during pugil stick training Jan. 26, 2016, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits fight using pugil sticks, which represent rifles with fixed bayonets, to simulate a close encounter with an enemy. This training is part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which combines hand-to-hand combat skills with mental discipline and character development to transform recruits into physically and morally sound warriors. McMillen, 24, from Indiana, Pa., is scheduled to graduate April 1, 2016. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 19,000 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 approximately 50 percent of male recruits and 100 percent of female recruits in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Bolser)