Recruits of Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion,

Recruits of Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, struggle to scale a wall on an obstacle course Sept. 26, 2016, on Parris Island, S.C. The course is one of many physical training tools used to help Marine recruits improve their strength and stamina. Papa Company is scheduled to graduate Dec. 2, 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 12 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)