PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Recruits of Alpha Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, honed their bayonet techniques as they battled each other during pugil stick training July 29, 2013, on Parris Island, S.C.
Recruits train with pugil sticks, which represent rifles with attached bayonets, to simulate a close encounter with an enemy. Bayonet training is part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which combines hand-to-hand combat skills with mental discipline and character development to help transform recruits into physically and morally sound warriors. Alpha Company is scheduled to graduate Oct. 11, 2013.