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Welcome To
Parris Island
Marine Recruit Depot
Marine
Training Family Support Page.
This page will answer most questions that arise.
Graduation Information
Family day and
graduation take place on the last two days of
recruit training. Family Day occurs Thursday and gives
new Marines a chance to see family and friends for the
first time during on-base liberty. Graduation is
conducted Friday in a formal ceremony and parade,
attended by family and friends.
All recruits are issued a
Graduation Packet with the
battalion commander’s graduation invitation letter, and
an entry/parking placard (vehicle pass) sometime around
week 9 of their 12 week training cycle. But please note,
it is the recruits themselves who decide who they mail
their graduation packets.
Parris Island personnel cannot inform you of the
mailing status of a Grad Packet, or re-issue one.
Please be sure to confirm the
graduation date of your recruit.
In order to be authorized access to the Depot, guests
of family day and graduation must have entry/parking
placards (vehicle passes) to properly identify their
vehicles. Additional vehicle passes will be made
available at the front gate. Please review the
Graduation Vehicle Pass policy.
Visitors are requested to stop by the
Douglas Visitor Center upon arrival to check in. In
order to allow time to identify which recruits have
family or visitors waiting to see them, please sign in
before 12:30 p.m. on Family Day. Depot bus tours are
also available for visitors on family day at 9:00 and
10:00 a.m.
Family Day
Please register before noon at the
Douglas Visitor Center.
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6:30 am- Java Café open in Visitor
Center
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8 am- Museum opens
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10 am - 7 pm Marine Corps Exchange
open
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10 am Bus Tours depart
Douglas Visitor Center (limited seating
available)
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11 am Q & A with company staff about
recruit training in the All-Weather Training
Facility
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1 pm - Liberty Brief
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1:30 pm - 6:30 pm Barracks Open
House
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1:30 pm - 4:30 pm Observation of
events at Leatherneck Square
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1:30 pm - 5 pm Combat Water Survival
training at indoor pool and static weapons display
at Weapons and Field Training Battalion ISMT.
(Rifle Range)
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2:30 - 6:30 Buffet dinner available
at Traditions and Brig-n-Brew
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7 pm Family Day ends
Graduation Day
The Morning Colors Ceremony (flag raising) with
musical accompaniment by the Parris Island Marine Band
is held Friday at 7:45 a.m. in front of Barrow Hall.
Graduation is held Friday mornings at 9 a.m. on the
Depot’s Peatross Parade Deck and lasts about an hour. In
the event of inclement weather, graduation ceremonies
will be held in two or three indoor locations, which
will be announced on the morning of graduation at the
Visitors Center.
Please call the
Douglas Visitor’s Center at 843-228-3650 for last
minute information.
Driving from the north
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Take I-95 until you reach South
Carolina Exit 33. This will take you to Route 17.
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Take it until you reach Route 21
South toward Beaufort.
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From Route 21 South, you will make a
right turn onto Route 280 shortly after passing
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
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Continue traveling for approximately
6 miles. Route 280 eventually turns into Route 802.
You will see a sign for Parris Island.
The off-ramp to Parris Island is on the right side of
the road and it will take you to the front gate.
Driving from the
south
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Take Exit 8 from I-95, this is
US-278 E (going toward Bluffton/Beaufort/Hilton Head
Island)
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Turn LEFT onto SC-141. (almost 4
miles)
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Turn LEFT onto SC-170 N/ Okatie Hwy
and continue driving on this road for about 10
miles.
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Turn RIGHT onto Savannah Hwy /
SC-802.
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Continue to follow SC-802, bearing
right. (about 4 miles)
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You will see a sign for Parris
Island.
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The off-ramp to Parris Island is on the
right side of the road and it will take you to the front
gate.
Driving Tips
Pay close attention --Many
of the signs toward Beaufort and/or Parris Island are
small or obstructed.
Getting onto the base on a Family Day
Thursday or Graduation Friday can take up to 45 minutes,
please prepare for delays.
Visitation hours
Parris Island is open to all visitors daily from 6
a.m. to 6 p.m Visitors who wish to come on base between
6 p.m. and 6 a.m. must have a military sponsor
on base, i.e. the person you wish to visit must notify
the MPs at the gate of your arrival. If you are coming
to visit a recruit who is planning to graduate, you will
not be allowed on base
after hours unless you have a reservation at the Depot's
temporary lodging facility or BEQ / BOQ.
Air Travel
The nearest major airports to Parris
Island are theSavannah International Airport (SAV)and
the
Hilton Head Airport (HHH). The next closest airport is
theCharleston International Airport (CHS).
Transportation from these airports is not provided; both
airports have rental car agencies.
Vehicle Pass
All recruits are issued a graduation packet with a
vehicle pass week nine of their 12-week training.
It is the recruits who decide who will receive their
graduation packets. If you do not receive a packet from
your recruit, you can obtain a graduation vehicle pass
at the main gate.
If you have any questions regarding the graduation
day vehicle pass, please review the
Vehicle Pass FAQ List. For those traveling by car,
please refer to our Driving Directions.
Vehicle operators must possess:
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a valid driver’s license
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vehicle registration
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proof of automobile insurance
Vehicle operators failing to present these items will
be denied entry to the Depot.
All vehicles coming aboard the Depot are subject to
search by military police.
Persons other than the invited guests of the
graduating Marines who use, or attempt to use, the
battalion commander’s graduation invitation letter, or
unauthorized reproductions of it or the vehicle pass to
gain entry to the Depot will be guilty of trespassing
aboard a military installation.
Local Hotel Accommodations
Due to
the heavy training demands placed on your recruit, please
make your own transportation and
Lodging Arrangements
I need a
room at Parris Island!
Beaufort & Port Royal South Carolina join the main
gate of Parris Island.
Parris Island is a Military Base not a City, and
doesn't have Hotels and Motels.
Due to this fact we have given you this
link to Beuaufort & Port Royal SC area hotels.
Contacting recruits.
Because of the structured nature of recruit
training, your recruit will not be able to contact you
regularly. Your recruit is given a short phone call upon
arrival to let you know that he or she arrived safely. Your
recruit will also be given phone calls from time to time
throughout training as a reward for outstanding performance.
Your recruit's primary means of communicating with family
and friends is via the US mail. We highly encourage you to
write your recruit as often as you like. Recruits will
receive your letters throughout the week but can only
respond to them during "holiday routine," on Sunday mornings
and non-training days.
I need to
contact my recruit because of a family emergency. How do I
do it?
American Red Cross
communication services keep military personnel in touch with
their families following the death or serious illness of a
family member or other important events, such as the birth
of a child. The Red Cross quickly sends these communications
on behalf of the family to members of the U.S. Armed Forces
serving anywhere in the world, including ships at sea,
embassies and isolated military units. The information or
verification in a message assists the service member's
commanding officer with making a decision regarding
emergency leave.
How to
Contact the Red Cross to Send an Emergency Message
Active duty service
members stationed in the United States and their immediate
family members may call the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency
Service Centers for help 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365
days a year. The toll-free telephone number is available
through base or installation operators and from local
on-base Red Cross offices. See the "Contact Your Recruit"
page (link above) for more information.
Other family members who
do not reside in the service members' household, members of
the National Guard and Reserves, retirees and civilians may
access Red Cross services through their local Red Cross
chapter, which is listed in local telephone books and at
http://www.redcross.org/where/where.html
When calling the Red Cross
to send an emergency message to a family member, it is
helpful to have the following information:
Service member’s:
Relevant abbreviations, variants, misspellings: Marine
Corps Recruit Depot Marine Corps Air Station USMC marine
base camp s.c. United States usa us u.s. u.s.a. America
American s.c. southcarolina port royall portroyal bufort
paris island parrisisland parisisland island,sc islandsc
islands near nearby nearest close closest next around
hoteles moteles hotels/motels accomodation accomodations
accomadation accomadations
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Marines Training
Making Marines Since 1775
Semper Fi
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Parris Island Map
Local Hotel Accommodations
Due to
the heavy training demands placed on your recruit, please
make your own transportation and
Lodging Arrangements
I need a
room at Parris Island!
Beaufort & Port Royal South Carolina
are the closest towns to the main
gate of Parris Island.
Parris Island is a Military Base not a City, and
doesn't have Hotels and Motels.
Due to this fact we have given you this
link to Beaufort & Port Royal SC area hotels.
Visitor's - Frequently Asked Questions Every effort has been
made to answer the questions asked most often by the family members
of recruits. Please carefully read each answer.
For those traveling by car, please refer to our Driving Directions.
1. WHEN WILL I RECEIVE THE VEHICLE PASS FOR GRADUATION?
All recruits are issued a graduation packet with a vehicle pass week
nine of their 12-week training.
It is the recruits themselves who decide who will receive their
packets.
The staff of the MCRD Parris Island does not mail vehicle passes.
2. CAN WE GET A VEHICLE PASS AT THE GATE?
Yes. Vehicle passes to the Visitor's Center are issued at the gate.
However, you must have a valid driver’s license, vehicle
registration and insurance documentation.
Also, vehicles are subject to inspection.
3. CAN WE RECEIVE A VEHICLE PASS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL?
Vehicle passes are mailed to immediate family members attending
recruit graduation by the recruits only. The staff of the MCRD
Parris Island does not mail vehicle passes.
Please Remember!
All recruits are issued a graduation packet with a vehicle pass week
nine of their 12-week training.
But, it is the recruits themselves who decide who will receive their
packets.
The offices of the MCRD Parris Island do not mail vehicle passes.
4. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A VEHICLE PASS?
A visitor’s pass may be issued to visitors attending any special
event to which the public is invited.
This pass will be valid from the place of entry to the location of
the special event and the return trip.
5. WE HAVE MULTIPLE FAMILY MEMBERS COMING TO GRADUATION,
BUT WE RECEIVED ONLY ONE PASS FROM OUR RECRUIT. CAN WE OBTAIN MORE
PASSES?
Yes. Friends and family members may be admitted. Each vehicle
operator can enter the base after presenting a driver's license, car
registration, and proof of insurance. Also, your vehicles are
subject to inspection.
6. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A GRADUATION PACKET WITH A
VEHICLE PASS FOR THE FAMILY DAY/GRADUATION CEREMONY; CAN WE STILL
GET A VEHICLE PASS?
Yes. If you are a family member of a graduating recruit, you can
receive a replacement pass. Also, your vehicles are subject to
inspection.
7. WE HAVE LOST OUR VEHICLE PASS. CAN WE GET ANOTHER?
Yes. You may enter the base after presenting your driver's license,
car registration, and proof of insurance. Also, your vehicles are
subject to inspection
8. WHAT IS THE POLICY REGARDING RENTAL VEHICLES?
Upon entry you must present a valid operator’s license, valid proof
of liability insurance and a copy of the rental agreement.
9. WE ARE JUST VISITING THE AREA. CAN WE TAKE A TOUR OF
THE BASE?
Yes. Vehicle passes to the Visitor's Center are issued at the
gate. However, you must have a valid driver’s license, vehicle
registration and insurance documentation. Also, your vehicles are
subject to inspection
10. IS VISITOR PARKING AVAILABLE?
On and off street parking spaces will be used on a first come, first
served basis. The parking lot adjacent to Peatross Parade Deck is
the main visitor parking area.
No person shall stop, stand, or park a motor vehicle, except when
necessary to avoid interference with other traffic, in compliance
with law or the direction of a military policeman or traffic control
device or when otherwise authorized, in any of the following places:
- No person shall park a vehicle or permit
it to stand, attended or unattended, upon a roadway in front of
a private driveway or within 15 feet in either direction of a
fire hydrant or the entrance to a fire station, nor within 25
feet from the intersection of curb lines or if none, within 25
feet of the intersection of property lines at an intersection of
highways.
- At any curb which is painted yellow.
- On the hard surface of any paved road or
area except where marked parking lanes or parking signs indicate
that parking is permitted. The driver shall not drive to the
left side of the roadway and park unless the road is designated
for one-way traffic.
- Within an intersection or on a
crosswalk.
- On the roadway side of any vehicle
stopped or parked at the edge of the curb of a road.
- Within fire lanes.
- Upon a landing field or site except on
official business.
- Within 50 feet of the rear loading ramp
of any dining facility.
- Upon any bridge or in any moving lane of
traffic.
- Except for emergency stops, parking is
prohibited on either side of the causeway from the main gate to
Depot Maintenance, building 450.
- Parking on the grass or seeded area is
prohibited and no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle,
whether attended or unattended, except when directed by military
police.
11. IS HANDICAP PARKING AVAILABLE?
Yes. Parking designated for vehicles bearing handicap decals,
plates, or placards is available.
12. WHAT IS THE POLICY FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES,
TRAILERS, AND MOTORCYCLES?
The Peatross Parade Deck parking lot does have parking designated
for recreational vehicles; however, there are no hook ups or
accommodations available for designated over night parking on the
Depot.
MOTORCYCLES
- No person shall operate a motorcycle
upon any road on the Depot not equipped to meet the mechanical
and safety requirements of the state of South Carolina.
- Motorcycle operators and passengers will
wear the following personal protective equipment and clothing:
Snell Institute (SNELL) approved motorcycle helmet is required
to be properly worn for all motorcycle operators and passengers
on the Depot, and all military personnel off the Depot.
- Eye Protection. Eye protection will
consist of goggles or a face shield attached to the helmet.
- Footwear. Boots or shoes are required
and should be constructed of leather or other sturdy material
with non-skid soles. Athletic, recreational, sandals, and
open-toe shoes are not considered adequate footwear.
- Clothing. Clothing must cover the upper
torso and legs and conform with Depot clothing regulations.
- High visibility vests (international
orange; reflective silver; bright green or yellow) that cover
the upper torso shall be worn by all motorcycle operators and
passengers on the Depot, and all military personnel off the
Depot while in uniform. When civilian attire is worn, and
approved, high visibility jacket or other approved upper torso
garment may be worn in lieu of the vest.
13. WHAT IS THE POLICY FOR DOGS?
Pets will not be permitted to run free. When not penned, pets will
be leashed or under the positive control of their owner or a
responsible representative of the owner. Positive control means that
the pet must be under the immediate physical control or voice
command of its owner or the owner’s representative and that the
owner or their representative is in the vicinity of the animal.
Except for guide dogs or other handicapped assistance animals,
pets are not permitted at any military ceremony, in the medical or
dental clinic, barracks, BOQ, temporary lodging facility, officer’s
guest house, club facilities, exchange activities, other public
facilities or any place where food is sold, stored, prepared or
served.
14. ARE THE TRAFFIC LAWS ON THE BASE DIFFERENT FROM THE
S.C. STATE LAWS?
Not substantially. However, vehicle drivers aboard the Depot must
observe posted speed limits and parking restrictions. The use of a
cell phone while driving is strictly prohibited. Also, all vehicles
aboard the Depot are subject to search.
15. MY VEHICLE ALREADY HAS A MILITARY INSTALLATION DECAL,
DO I STILL NEED A VEHICLE PASS?
All motor vehicles bearing a valid DOD decal with an installation
tab from other military posts or stations shall be granted access
without restriction.
16. WHAT IS THE VEHICLE PASS POLICY FOR RETIRED OR FORMER
MARINES
AND OTHER SERVICE MEMBERS?
Active duty military personnel, depot civilian employees, retired
and former military personnel, survivors of deceased active duty and
retired military members, and bona fide dependents whose military
sponsors are assigned elsewhere may be issued a temporary pass valid
for up to 30 days.
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Marine Corps Depot San Diego
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