Recruits of Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion,

Recruits of Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, fight using pugil sticks Aug. 29, 2016, on Parris Island, S.C. Pugil sticks, which represent rifles with fixed bayonets, are used to simulate 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. Mike Company is scheduled to graduate Nov. 10, 2016. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 19,000 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 49 percent of male recruits and 100 percent of female recruits in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Cpl. Vanessa Austin)