Professional Photos and Videos Taken of Recruits During Bootcamp

During boot camp, recruits will have their photos taken with their platoon as well as individually in the "dress blues" uniform. A video of graduation will also be produced, and that video will include footage from each battalion. Both Parris Island and San Diego offer these services. Your recruit will be given an opportunity to purchase the photos as well as the video. They will also be given the opportunity to order a yearbook, and at Parris Island, that will be the only time the yearbooks are available for order. Individual photos will be given to the recruit prior to Family day, but will not be mailed home. Recruits who miss photo day for any reason or recruits who must have retakes will have those photos mailed to them. When a recruit has his/her photo taken and then has to change companies because he/she was set back in the graduation cycle, the photos are sent to his/her new platoon.

Parris Island Photos
NEW! Parris Island Photos in a slide show from WVEC TV 13, The Spirit of Hampton Roads. Photography from Pete McElveen, WVEC.com. Click here to open slide show...

Parris Island recruits should order the individual photos and yearbooks during boot camp. The individual photos can be ordered later by calling the Recruit Photo office at (843) 228-1555 – they should be available for a period of four years.

Parris Island Yearbooks

Only recruits can order yearbooks. Family members cannot call and order one even if their recruit is in boot camp. Recruits will be able to order a yearbook on TD (training day) 26. That is the one and only time that they will be able to order a yearbook. No orders will be taken after that date. If you would like to have a yearbook please send your recruit a reminder in a letter (prior to TD 26) to order one.

Parris Island Graduation and Marine Corps Videos ~ (click here to order)

www.goodtogovideo.com

The Parris Island graduation video, "Making Marines: the Change is Forever", can be ordered by the recruit during training and will also be available on Family Day and Graduation day at the Douglas Visitor's Center. To order online, click here. The producers of this film, "Good-To-Go Video", have archived copies of Parris Island Graduation VHS tapes dating back to November 1999. Parris Island Marines that graduated on or after May 23, 2003 can purchase DVD copies of their graduation.

Good-To-Go Video
P.O. Box 996
Beaufort, SC 29901
800-889-6734

"Good-To-Go Video" is proud to bring to you high quality, entertaining video products that focus exclusively on the United States Marine Corps. Powerful, fast-paced, and fully charged with a ferocious patriotic spirit, our videos will show you what it takes to become a Marine, then what it's like to BE a Marine. We'll also provide some insight as to why all Marines are so fiercely proud of their history and traditions and why they possess such a unique love of Country and Corps.

San Diego Photos

Recruits, when ordering the individual "dress blues" photo, may also order a yearbook/graduation book as well as a slideshow DVD. This DVD is different than the graduation video. It is a slideshow of candid still shots taken of the recruits throughout all phases of training. These should be ordered by the recruit during training, but you may order copies of them afterward through the Marine Corps Community Service website or by calling the yearbook office at (619) 296-3840. The yearbook office keeps records for two years. For books older than 4 years, you can contact the MCRD Historical Society (619) 524-4426.

San Diego Graduation Videos ~ (view graduation clips)

In San Diego, the producers of the video also put the platoon footage online for the parents, family and friends back home to review. Generally, this video is filmed on the Friday two weeks prior to graduation, but there is no set timetable for when the footage is taken or available. There are also times when some platoons are not filmed due to scheduling conflicts. The video shows a close-up of each recruit as they stand on a platform. At this time, there is no similar service for photos or videos to be previewed prior to graduation for recruits at Parris Island.

Links to MCRD San Diego Recruit Platoon Videos: