Recruits of Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion,

Recruits of Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, sprint the final distance of the 880-yard sprint portion of their combat fitness test April 15, 2014, on Parris Island, S.C. The Marine Corps is the nation’s No. 1 force in readiness, so the recruits must prove they can meet the high physical standards before they can become Marines. Delta Company is scheduled to graduate May 2, 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 Cpl. Octavia Davis)