What It's Like To Graduate From Marine Boot Camp ...A Photo Tour

A First-Hand Account of Graduation from Boot Camp

The "formal" procedures involving the top-notch musically-inclined Marine band along with a good deal of ceremonial sword spinning, cannon-blasting, and flag waving...

History & Lyrics for the Marine Hymn

Marine recruits standing at attention -- for hours, in the blazing sun, in a series of lines & groupings -- all part of the process to graduate 566 young men & women on this day...

Hummer, the Marine Corps newest Depot mascot graduated on this day, as well. Hummer is s 7-month old English bulldog who is taking the place of Lance Corporal Mac, a 7-year-old English bulldog who served active duty from 2002 to 2006. Mac is enjoying retirement now while being treated for a spinal condition. He lives with Staff Sgt. Benjamin Becker & his family, and he accompanies Sgt. Becker to work every day.

It is said a cainine mascot helps by "boosting the morale of his fellow troops and recruits, and showing visiting families what a "real" devil dog looks like.

The English bulldog was unofficially adopted as the Marine Corps mascot during World War I, when the German Army had reportedly nicknamed the attacking Marines "Teufelhunden," meaning "Devil Dogs." Source

The precise movements of Marine officers and the recruits. From solid, meaningful salutes of respect to clenched fists of the recruits as they walk... Perfection is what everyone strives for here. And it's evident that it's the ultimate sign of respect...

Awe-inspiring female recruits & officers who stood strong, and touch, and proved that women are just as capable as men at defending this great country of ours...

On February 15, 1949, a separate "command" was activated for the sole purpose of training female Marine recruits. This command has since been designated the 4th Recruit Training Battalion and is the only battalion in the Corps to train female recruits.
Source: globalsecurity.org

Girls with guns...

The crowd, filled with oh-so-proud mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, girlfriends, boyfriends, children and more! The pride was SO evident on this day... a relative's pride for their remarkable Marine, and the Marine recruits' pride for their own mastery of the impossible...

And the drill instructors who, prior to this day, I had thought worked hard to get to where they are, but I figured they were just men & women who were on one big ego trip -- with control issues. You know, the kind of people who thrive on making other people feel small and making themselves feel big. But on this day, I learned what it really means to work hard -- and that INCLUDED all of the drill sargeants and other leaders.

One, in particular impressed Jim & I to no end... He worked as hard or harder than his recruits -- in the hot blazing sun -- moving 90-miles-an-hour at all times -- determined and focused on the task at hand. For nearly an hour (after the graduation ceremony) we watched him interact with his recruits. He never asked his recruits to do something without lending a hand himself -- even menial tasks like picking up trash in the bleachers and out on the sidewalks. We also watched him "lay it on" one recruit (we're talking HARD! Tough! In-your-face! and MEAN!), so we truly saw this guy's gruff & mean side. Yet it was evident that he was so easy to respect and learn from at the same time. Kudos to all of the drill instructors who are fair & balanced like this... truly a class act.

Online video: Parris Island Marine recruits & drill instructors