Contact Information:
Phone: (843) 228-3396
DSN: 312-335-3514
Fax No: 335-3618.
Address: 923 Chosin Reservoir Road. MCRD Parris Island, SC 29905-0000
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is a military installation located in Port Royal, South Carolina, 5 miles approx. south of Beaufort of enlisted Marines.
Mission
The mission of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is to make marines by recruiting men and women to transform them through the foundations of rigorous basic training, shared legacy, and commitment to their core values. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island seeks to prepare them to win their nation’s battles in service to the country.
History
Initially, marines were first assigned to Parris on 26 June 1891 in the form of a small security detachment. It was headed by First Sergeant Richard Donovan, two corporals, and 10 privates. The unit was attached to the forerunner of Parris Island, Naval Station, Port Royal. The unit was recognized for preserving the lives and properties during natural disasters like storms and hurricanes that swept the island in the years 1891 and 1893.
The military buildings and homes that were built between 1891 and the First World War form the center of the Parris Island Historic District. Parris Island was officially designated a Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on November 1, 1915, and the training ensued from then on.
Before 1929, a ferry used to provide all transportation to and from the island from Port Royal docks to the Recruit Depot docks. In the same year, the causeway and the Archer’s Creek overbridge were completed, ending the water transportation era. In April 1984, the causeway was named as the General E. A. Pollock Memorial Causeway. In December 1941, a large number of 5,272 recruits arrived there. Another 9,206 recruits arrived the following month, necessitating the addition of 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Recruit Training Battalions.
Five battalions were sent to New River, North Carolina for training and the depot expanded to 13 battalions. Brigadier General Lori Reynolds became the first female commander of the base on June 17, 2011. On June 20, 2014, Brigadier General Terry Williams became the first African-American commander of the base.
Units
Located in Port Royal with a South Carolina encompassment, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island provides training for the initialization of first level Marine Corps. The yearly population for the training exercise normally reaches over 19 000. Its sister base, classified as Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, provides training for male recruits assigned to the western end of the Mississippi River. At present, the installation is managed by the Brigadier command, General Fredrick M. Padilla.
The tenants hosted on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island facility property may include the Support Battalion, Training Battalion of Weapons and Field, Recruit Training Regiment, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Recruit Training Battalion, the 6th Marine Corps District and the Headquarters and Service Battalion. The eastern recruiting division is located n the southeasterly corner of Lowcountry in the State of South Carolina.
