Parris Island Marines Will Now Stay Put In The Face Of Hurricane Florence

The Marines will follow the lead of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who on Tuesday rescinded a mandatory evacuation order previously issued for Beaufort County ahead of Hurricane Florence.

Accordingly, staff and trainees at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island will remain at the base instead of evacuating to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany (Ga.) as earlier planned, according to a statement from depot commander Brigadier Gen. James F. Glynn.

• “Safety is still our principle focus,” Glynn wrote Tuesday in the statement, posted on the depot’s Facebook page. “With any decision there is a degree of risk, and we believe the logistical efforts of moving all personnel to MCLB Albany now exceed the risk of remaining at MCRD Parris Island.”
• Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort posted a similar statement on its Facebook page Tuesday, and both installations said any already-evacuated personnel were expected to be back at work Thursday to resume normal operations.
• Both installations also provided information for travel reimbursements for Marines and their families.
• Parris Island 1st Recruit Training Battalion’s Charlie Company, originally slated to graduate Friday, will graduate Wednesday instead, according to Glynn’s statement.
• “(A)s promised, the ceremony will be recorded and distributed to the families via the MCRD Parris Island command website and social media platforms,” Glynn said.
• “MCRD Parris Island remains closed to the public while we continue preparing the Base for any weather impacts we may encounter.”
• Had the evacuation taken place, some 7,000 recruits would have been shipped to Albany, according to Marine Corps officials.

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©2018 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.