Recruits of Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion,

Recruits of Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, wait their turn to train with pugil sticks June 24, 2013, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits train with pugil sticks, which represent rifles with attached bayonets, to simulate a close-range encounter with an enemy. Bayonet training, along with other hand-to-hand fighting skills, is encompassed in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which contributes to the mental, character and physical development of Marines. Lima Company is scheduled to graduate Sept. 6, 2013. 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 for females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Brink)