These Parris Island Marines can thank Hurricane Florence for an early graduation

By Wade Livingston

September 12, 2018 6:18 PM

In this screen-grab taken from a Marine Corps video, newly minted Marines from Charlie Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, graduate Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Charlie Company graduated two days early after depot operations were interrupted by Hurricane Florence, which was targeting portions of the U.S. Southeast Coast. Cpl. Daniel Lobo U.S. Marine Corps

Hurricane Florence, now a Category 3 storm taking aim at the U.S. Southeast Coast, gave dozens of trainees at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island an early graduation.

Parris Island 1st Recruit Training Battalion’s Charlie Company, a unit that first formed about a dozen weeks ago, graduated Wednesday at a closed ceremony at the depot, according to a post on the base’s Facebook page.

The unit was supposed to graduate Friday, but Florence disrupted that plan; the depot had canceled “Family Day” activities earlier in the week and began discouraging families from traveling to the Lowcountry as military, state and county officials watched the storm track to see what it would do.

On Monday, Parris Island commander Brigadier Gen. James F. Glynn ordered an evacuation of the depot, an order he would later rescind after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster lifted a mandatory evacuation order for Beaufort County on Tuesday.

But the depot assured family and friends they’d be able to see their trainees’ big day — on Wednesday afternoon, Marine Corps officials posted a 25-minute video of the ceremony on its Facebook page.

As of Wednesday evening, the video had been viewed almost 20,000 times.

Also Wednesday evening, Marine Corps officials continued to monitor Florence.

“Given the unpredictability of Hurricane Florence and the manner in which its size and course have changed over the past 48 hours,” Glynn wrote in a statement posted on the depot’s Facebook page, “in collaboration with the State and Beaufort County, we are reinforcing their message for those living in low-lying areas, which includes Parris Island, to watch the storm track closely and have a plan to depart the area if the situation continues to change.”

Glynn said there is not a new mandatory evacuation order at the moment.

But Corps officials had identified personnel “who are not directly involved with” the recruit training mission, he said, and are “allowing them, effective tomorrow morning, to be placed in a permissive TAD (temporary additional duty) or administrative leave status.”

“Families around the Depot have asked me, ‘what should I do?’ Glynn wrote. “My advice is go somewhere you’re going to be comfortable until the uncertainty of this storm passes.”

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is also monitoring the storm and will begin to release some personnel Thursday morning.

“Effective (8 a.m.) Thursday September 13th, non-essential government civilian personnel will be placed in an administrative leave status until (7 a.m.) Monday, September 17th, and non-essential active duty will be granted special liberty until (7 a.m.) Monday, September 17th,” read a statement posted on the air station’s Facebook page.

“Active duty members are encouraged to contact their commands for a list of essential personnel,” the statement said.