Rct. Ryan McWilliams, a recruit with Echo Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, looks at his compass as he conducts the land navigation course on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 8, 2025. Land navigation is part of Basic Warrior Training and is designed to teach recruits how to use a lensatic compass and topographic map. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ayden Cassano)
U.S. Marine Corps GySgt. Justin Kelley, the Marine Corps’ first applicant for the Marine Corps Talent Acquisition Pilot (MCTAP), graduated recruit training on Dec. 20,2024 from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. The MCTAP program is designed to address the Corps' need for a rapid process to identify, train, and employ personnel who possess essential skills and relevant experience to meet warfighting requirements. MCTAP enables the service to access eligible candidates, including those with prior Marine Corps service, other military service, or no prior service, to enlist and serve in specific military occupational specialties at ranks equivalent to their experience and expertise. Kelly, who previously served in the U.S. Air...
