What Does It Take To Become A Marine?

Parris Island, SC (WDEF) — What does it take to join the United States Marine Corps?

Parris Island, South Carolina is where recruits are asked to keep fighting when others quit.

They are called on to dig even deeper when there’s nothing left to give.

Those who are victorious earn the right to be a U.S. Marine.

Parris Island, South Carolina describes itself with 3 simple words – “We Make Marines.”

Every year, nearly 16,000 recruits take on the challenge to endure 13 weeks of boot camp in Parris Island to earn the title of Marine.

The first step every recruit takes when they arrive are onto the “Yellow Foot Prints,” the same spaces where hundreds of thousands of Marines have stood before them.

This is the beginning of the receiving process, and the first step from recruit to Marine.

Earning the right to call yourself a Marine is a tough process, but for many recruits, stepping into boot camp is a dream come true.

“When I was about 8 years old, I watched this series called Pacific, and I read about John Absalom and Adrian Sledge and that’s when I was like, that is what I want to do,” one recruit said.

Parris Island opened its doors for News 12’s camera, and allowed a group of civilians and I to get a taste of what boot camp is really like.