Rct. Victor M. Florez, Platoon 2088, Hotel Company,

Rct. Victor M. Florez, Platoon 2088, Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, strikes a simulated enemy Sept. 25, 2015, during bayonet training on Parris Island, S.C. The bayonet assault course is comprised of five simulated enemies that the recruits attack with a bayonet attached to the end of their rifles, simulating 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. Florez, 18, from High Point, N.C., is scheduled to graduate Nov. 20, 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 approximately 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Vanessa Austin)