San Antonio, native a Marine Corps drill instructor on Parris Island

Sgt. Daniel A. Batt currently serves as a Marine Corps drill instructor with Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Batt joined the Marine Corps in March 2006 and became a drill instructor in March 2012. “I became a drill instructor because most recruits have a lot of respect for their DI. I wanted that,” said Batt, a 33-year-old native of San Antonio. “I like teaching them everything they learn. It’s not something you can forget.” 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 of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Pfc. Vanessa Austin)