Sergeant John Brilhart, a musician with Marine Band San Diego, performs a solo at the Illinois State University Center for the Performing Arts during a tour of the Midwest. The band performs at more than 350 appearances per year. The band performs every Friday at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California when they are not on tour. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt Calvin Hilt) - Sergeant John Brilhart, a musician with Marine Band San Diego, performs a solo at the Illinois State University Center for the Performing Arts during a tour of the Midwest. The band performs at more than 350 appearances per year. The band performs every Friday at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California when they are not on tour. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt Calvin Hilt)

Marines with Marine Corps Recruiting Command G3 Team develop user stories for the Marine Corps Recruiting Information Support System II Feb. 8, in Stafford, Virginia. Marine Corps Systems Command has partnered with Marine Corps Recruiting Command to develop MCRISS II with the goal of making the job of recruiters a little easier. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Joseph Neigh) - Marines with Marine Corps Recruiting Command G3 Team develop user stories for the Marine Corps Recruiting Information Support System II Feb. 8, in Stafford, Virginia. Marine Corps Systems Command has partnered with Marine Corps Recruiting Command to develop MCRISS II with the goal of making the job of recruiters a little easier. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Joseph Neigh)

High school educator Briana Allen performs the combat fitness test aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego during the Educators Workshop this past February. The workshop is a week-long program designed to better inform high school teachers, coaches and administrators about the benefits and opportunities available in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Sgt. Michelle Reif) - High school educator Briana Allen performs the combat fitness test aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego during the Educators Workshop this past February. The workshop is a week-long program designed to better inform high school teachers, coaches and administrators about the benefits and opportunities available in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Sgt. Michelle Reif)

Nearly 200 young men and women from the upper Midwest attended Recruiting Station Des Moines’ All-Hands Future Marine function, June 6-7, at Camp Dodge, Iowa, to prepare for recruit training.The future Marines, commonly known as poolees, traveled from Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin and across Iowa to take part in team building and physical training events they will experience at either Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., or MCRD San Diego, Calif.During the all-hands function, each of the 10 recruiting substations, or RSS, competed against one another in events such as log runs, where Marines and their poolees donned flak jackets and Kevlar helmets and raced against other teams while holding a log. Other events were more individual-based such as the initial strength test, or IST, which is a shortened version of the Marine Corps physical fitness test. - Nearly 200 young men and women from the upper Midwest attended Recruiting Station Des Moines’ All-Hands Future Marine function, June 6-7, at Camp Dodge, Iowa, to prepare for recruit training. The future Marines, commonly known as poolees, traveled from Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin and across Iowa to take part in team building and physical training events they will experience at either Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., or MCRD San Diego, Calif. During the all-hands function, each of the 10 recruiting substations, or RSS, competed against one another in events such as log runs, where Marines and their poolees donned flak jackets and Kevlar helmets and raced against other teams while holding a log. Other events were more individual-based such as the initial strength test, or IST, which is a shortened version of the Marine Corps physical fitness test.

Sergeant Spencer Day plays the saxophone at Valley Park High School, Dec. 14, in Valley Park, Missouri. Marines with the Marine Corps New Orleans Band entertained students and teachers at various high schools in and around the St. Louis area Dec. 12-14 during its winter recruiting tour. Aside from playing music, the New Orleans, Louisiana-based Marines also educated and informed students and teachers about what life is like being a band Marine. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by GySgt. Bryan A. Peterson/Released) - Sergeant Spencer Day plays the saxophone at Valley Park High School, Dec. 14, in Valley Park, Missouri. Marines with the Marine Corps New Orleans Band entertained students and teachers at various high schools in and around the St. Louis area Dec. 12-14 during its winter recruiting tour. Aside from playing music, the New Orleans, Louisiana-based Marines also educated and informed students and teachers about what life is like being a band Marine. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by GySgt. Bryan A. Peterson/Released)

Colonel David Fallon, the 9th Marine Corps District commanding officer, speaks with wrestling coaches during the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Leadership Academy at Shawnee High School, Oct. 19. Fallon spoke to coaches about traits Marines and wrestlers share that make them stand out in society. (Official U.S. Marine photo by Sgt. Marcela Diazdeleon) - Colonel David Fallon, the 9th Marine Corps District commanding officer, speaks with wrestling coaches during the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Leadership Academy at Shawnee High School, Oct. 19. Fallon spoke to coaches about traits Marines and wrestlers share that make them stand out in society. (Official U.S. Marine photo by Sgt. Marcela Diazdeleon)

Two Marines with the 9th Marine Corps District, based out of Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, were on hand to honor four Montford Point Marines, May 27, at the Colp Area Veterans Celebration, Dedication and Remembrance Ceremony, in Colp, Illinois. Nearly 20,000 African-Americans joined the Marine Corps in 1942, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a “presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited in the Marine Corps,” according to the Montford Point Marines Association website. They didn’t receive recruit training at San Diego or Parris Island, however, but Camp Montford Point, N.C., a segregated training site for African American Marine recruits. For the next seven years, the camp remained opened until it became desegregated. The four Marines are Sol Griffin, Jr.; James L. Kirby, Early Taylor, Jr. and Archibald Mosley. These Marines, among many other Montford Point Marines across the country, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award that can be given to a civilian by Congress, in 2012. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson) - Two Marines with the 9th Marine Corps District, based out of Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, were on hand to honor four Montford Point Marines, May 27, at the Colp Area Veterans Celebration, Dedication and Remembrance Ceremony, in Colp, Illinois. Nearly 20,000 African-Americans joined the Marine Corps in 1942, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a “presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited in the Marine Corps,” according to the Montford Point Marines Association website. They didn’t receive recruit training at San Diego or Parris Island, however, but Camp Montford Point, N.C., a segregated training site for African American Marine recruits. For the next seven years, the camp remained opened until it became desegregated. The four Marines are Sol Griffin, Jr.; James L. Kirby, Early Taylor, Jr. and Archibald Mosley. These Marines, among many other Montford Point Marines across the country, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award that can be given to a civilian by Congress, in 2012. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson)

Capt. John Devroy, the executive officer of Recruiting Station Milwaukee, speaks with members of the Silent Drill Platoon prior to their performance at the Milwaukee Bucks game in downtown Milwaukee, Nov. 10, 2016. The platoon came to Milwaukee to demonstrate the precision and discipline that the Marine Corps is known across the world for having. This helps the efforts of the local recruiting station such as the one in Milwaukee, which is responsible for Marine Corps recruiting throughout Wisconsin. - Capt. John Devroy, the executive officer of Recruiting Station Milwaukee, speaks with members of the Silent Drill Platoon prior to their performance at the Milwaukee Bucks game in downtown Milwaukee, Nov. 10, 2016. The platoon came to Milwaukee to demonstrate the precision and discipline that the Marine Corps is known across the world for having. This helps the efforts of the local recruiting station such as the one in Milwaukee, which is responsible for Marine Corps recruiting throughout Wisconsin.