Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island occupies 8,095 acres of land south of Beaufort, South Carolina. Enlisted Marines receive their training at either MCRD Parris Island or at MCRD San Diego, California.
MCRD Parris Island developed from a Marine Corps security detachment sent to the island in 1891. On November 1, 1915, the Marine Corps officially designated Parris Island a Recruit Depot for enlisted Marines. The construction of a bridge over Archer’s Creek in 1929 alleviated the need for a ferry from the mainland to the island. Between 1941 and 1945, the Marine Corps trained 204,509 recruits at Parris Island. Today, approximately 17,000 recruits train at Parris Island each year.
Stanley Kubrick’s movie, “Full Metal Jacket,” depicts aspects of the training at Parris Island. However, the movie was filmed on a Royal Air Force base in England.
Marine Corps officers receive their training at Marine Corps Base Quantico, south of Washington, D.C., in Virginia. Approximately 12,000 personnel are either in the USMC or work in a civilian capacity on the 100-square mile base. The FBI Academy is among the various U.S. Government agencies also located on the base. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is near the front entrance to MCB Quantico (free admission). Private donations built and maintain the museum.