Graham Flanagan: On March 30, The Washington Post reported
that, according to anonymous defense officials,
between 20 and 50 positive cases have been confirmed
at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot
in Parris Island, South Carolina,
where about 20,000 Marine recruits graduate
from a 13-week training program every year.
Flanagan: With the number of confirmed cases rising,
the Pentagon ordered individual military bases
to stop providing specific numbers of COVID-19 cases
to the press and public "out of a concern
for operational security with regard to readiness."
McDonnell: Capt. McDonnell.
Flanagan: Hey, Capt. McDonnell, this is Graham Flanagan.
We spoke on the phone with Recruit Depot
spokesperson Capt. Bryan McDonnell
about how the COVID-19 crisis
is impacting recruits during training.
Flanagan: The footage of training in this video
was shot when we visited Parris Island
in October of 2019.
Drill sergeant: Get on the yellow footprints right now!
Recruit: Aye, sir!
Flanagan: When new recruits arrive at Parris Island,
they normally step onto these yellow footprints,
which symbolizes the beginning of their training.
Now, amid the crisis, all incoming recruits
undergo a 14-day staging period
before they set foot on the yellow footprints.
During staging, they are medically screened
multiple times a day.
Flanagan: But new recruits won't be arriving
at Parris Island for at least a week.
As of March 30,
the shipment of new recruits
is temporarily suspended.
According to the Recruit Depot,
new physical-distancing measures
are being implemented,
like in the squad bays, where recruits sleep,
there must now be six feet
in between each rack, or bed.
Recruits also practice physical distancing
in the chow hall,
where more space is being opened up and utilized
for recruits to safely eat their meals.
But training will go on.
And as you can see from these pictures
taken on March 24,
some exercises require close physical contact,
like martial arts.
According to McDonnell, physical distancing
is being implemented in training
at the discretion of the instructors.
Flanagan: Graduations like this one
will continue to occur,
but they're closed to all visitors.
According to McDonnell,
physical distancing will be implemented
into marching formations,
with space between each graduate.
Following graduation, the new Marines will ship out
of Parris Island and head to the training
that subsequently occurs on other bases.