Rct. Shabella Rideout, Platoon 4037, strikes a blow against Rct. Julia Valentine, Platoon 4036, during a pugil stick match Aug. 21, 2013, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits fight with pugil sticks, which represent rifles with attached bayonets, to simulate a close encounter with an enemy. Rideout, 18, from Philadelphia, and Valentine, 18, from New Milford, Conn., are scheduled to graduate with Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, on Nov. 1, 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 of females in the Marine Corps. (Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Caitlin Brink)