U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Michael D. Riggs, a Parris

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Michael D. Riggs, a Parris Island drillmaster, inspects a recruit of Alpha Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, during a final drill evaluation Aug. 2, 2017, on Parris Island, S.C. Drillmasters, like Riggs, 32, from Long Beach, Calif., grade the platoons and unit leaders during evaluations. The strict, particular nature of close-order drill reinforces discipline and fosters unit cohesion. Alpha Company is scheduled to graduate Aug. 11, 2017. 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. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro)