Rct. Terrence Tatum throws a winning blow to the head

Rct. Terrence Tatum throws a winning blow to the head against Rct. Brandon Snow, both from Platoon 2080, Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, during pugil stick training Aug. 11, 2014, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits fight with pugil sticks, which represent rifles with attached bayonets, to simulate a close encounter with an enemy. Bayonet training is part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which combines hand-to-hand combat skills with mental discipline and character development to help transform recruits into physically and morally sound warriors. Tatum, 19, from Marietta, Ga., and Snow, 20, from Laurens, S.C., are scheduled to graduate Oct. 24, 2014. 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 Lance Cpl. Vaniah Temple)