Branchburg, N.J., native a Marine Corps drill instructor on Parris Island

Sgt. Domenick Distano currently serves as a Marine Corps drill instructor with Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Distano joined the Marine Corps in September 2005 and became a drill instructor in December 2011. “I became a drill instructor because I wanted to share the passion and love that I have for the Marine Corps with new Marines,” said Distano. “When I was out in the fleet, it didn’t seem like the passion and love that I have for the Marine Corps is shared by other Marines, so I wanted to come down here and instill that in recruits before they became Marines. It’s hard to watch yourself grow, but you see [the recruits] every day, and when you finally step back and see that they can work on their own, I know I did my job.” Distano, 27, is from Branchburg, N.J. About 600 Marine Corps drill instructors shape the approximately 20,000 recruits who come to Parris Island annually into basic United States Marines. 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)