Recruit Hunter L. Blackston, Lima Company, 3rd Recruit

Recruit Hunter L. Blackston, Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, provides security during the Crucible at Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Oct. 6. Blackston is a Pflugerville, Texas, native and was recruited out of Recruiting Station Austin North, Texas. Blackston lost 105 pounds in three months to be able to enter Marine Corps recruit training. He motivated his friends and family to also lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. Today, all males recruited from west of the Mississippi are trained at MCRD San Diego. The depot is responsible for training more than 16,000 recruits annually. Lima Company graduates Oct. 16.