Recruits of Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion,

Recruits of Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, line up in weight order before pugil stick training Dec. 15, 2014, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits battle other recruits within ten pounds of their own weight. 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. Kilo Company is scheduled to graduate Feb. 27, 2015. 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 of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Sgt. Caitlin Brink)