Recruits of Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion,

Recruits of Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, rinse their gas masks after chemical warfare defense training in a gas chamber June 25, 2013, on Parris Island, S.C. The training ensures recruits become confident in their abilities to use a gas mask while exposed to a chemical agent. The nonlethal tear gas used during Marine Corps recruit training causes watery eyes, respiratory system irritation and a burning sensation of the skin. Kilo Company is scheduled to graduate Aug. 16, 2013. 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 for females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Cpl. Caitlin Brink)