<em>Photo above:&nbsp;Participants in the Beaufort County Senior Leadership program enjoyed Military Ties and History Day.</em>

Ask any of the 35 class members who spent all day with Marines from both Parris Island and the Marine Corps Air Station and they’ll tell you what an outstanding firsthand experience they had, according to press release. &nbsp;

“I never realized how demanding the training is for recruits and how professional the Marines are at every level,” said Mike Chambers, one of the class members. &nbsp;

Sponsored by Clemson University Extension Service and the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Beaufort County Senior Leadership program, opened to all citizens, spent the morning at Parris Island recently observing phases of recruit training which lasts 13 weeks and graduates some 20,000 new Marines each year. &nbsp;

During a tour of the Parris Island Recruit Depot, class members experienced initial recruit processing beginning with the famous yellow footprints.&nbsp;

The program’s participants observed rifle range qualification, drill movements on the parade deck and learned about the seven graduation requirements. &nbsp;

A concert by the MCRD band was followed by a tour of the museum and lunch with some of the active duty Marines.

The afternoon was spent touring the Marine Corps Air Station where, after receiving a command briefing by the Public Affairs Office, the senior leaders moved to the flight line and were given a demonstration on the aircraft recovery and firefighting capabilities of the air station Marines. &nbsp;

The noise level increased as the class watched several F-18s and F-35s from some of the seven aircraft squadrons take off and land.&nbsp;