MCRD Parris Island — Local services in Port Royal

Parris Island is an all-inclusive resort located in Port Royal near Beaufort SC. It includes meals, salon styling, clothing, lodging, toothpaste, and Aqua Velva. During my stay back in 1986 the lodging was very open and airy. You shared a room with at least 50 other guests and it was a 3 month minimum stay with optional additional extensions provided how well you performed during your stay. We had 5 personal concierge members constantly attending to us. The excursions were sort of mandatory and the staff seemed to get quite impatient when we didn't get to each adventure station in a timely manner. Some of the excursions included weapons training, martial arts, backpacking, camping, map reading and obstacle courses. During the 5 to 6 minutes we had to eat the meals seemed to be well prepared. I am not really sure how it tasted as we had to get out of the dining facility so quickly because we were required to stand outside in rows of four for at least 20 minutes everytime we ate. All of the staff must have been very hard of hearing as they yelled at you every time they spoke to you and you in turn had to yell back in a very loud voice to ensure They understood your response. They really took time to engage the guests when something went wrong because all of the concierge staff would gather around one guest and yell at them to ensure there would be no additional problems. Transportation seemed to be an issue on the Island as you had to walk or run every where you went. During these walking or running sessions the staff and guests would sing songs that I had never heard on the radio prior to my arrival on the Island. Apparently yellow birds are considered to be an invasive species to the Island and they are destroyed in quick fashion according to one of the songs. Fashion was also very important to the Island staff. Everyone had to wear matching clothing and there was no room for adding any personal "flair" to your wardrobe. I am not sure where the Island hires it's staff from but wherever they come from they seem to refer to all the guests as "filthy maggots". I am certain that is meant as some endearing term in their culture but it comes off as a bit harsh to those of us not used to it. Overall I would say my stay at Parris Island was great. I have never had an experience in any resort quite like that one. If you decide to go they have special travel agents that will...

First, the signage for this was limited. We tried to get here early and as with life, there were traffic delays due to a closed lane. This wasn't this facility's problem and I don't blame them. Now, we navigated through the campus following cars like lost sheep. There were no signs inside the campus, there were just military men standing at intersections who would NOT give directions when asked, they just yelled "keep moving". When we found the parking lot, this was barricaded off and a military man stood there telling us to go back to the overflow lot. Again, no signs, and no help in finding a parking spot. Get this, we had to go past the guy who directed us in the opposite direction to get to the parking area. Now, we start heading in and ask a tram guy where to go. He informs us that only immediate family were allowed in and that we should head over to the visitor center as they had a tv set up with chairs to view this live. We couldn't even get in in time see my kid graduate. So, we head over to the visitors center and they had the volume muted. It turned into a free-for-all of people streaming the ceremony live on Facebook in order to hear the sound. The only problem is, everyone's sound was off by a few seconds from one another, so it sounded like utter chaos and nothing was comprehendable. Then, most of the way through the ceremony, a woman came over and turned the tv up, but it was still so low, no one stopped the chatter from their phones. For a branch of the military, which is supposed to be number one on readiness, this is a major failure. This...

Arrived at night by bus, and was efficiently welcomed to my 3 month group tour of Parris Island. Double bunked, in an open space floor plan with 30 complete strangers who became my best friends, at the 4th Bn accomodations.

Basic but very clean, seems there isn't a cleaning service so we did most of the upkeep, all linens provided, daily frolicks in the sand, swimming pool, long walks, nature hikes, historical re-enactments, shopping at the main exchange, daily educational classes like first aid, even took my photo in costume ....

The only criticism I have are about the 4 "tour operators" who kept yelling at us for everything we did and didn't do. They were in sour moods all day, every day, but they did ensure we got to see most of the island even though the hiking pace was pretty fast. But they're caring deep down as they wouldn't allow any of us to swat at a single "sand flea."

Overall experience outstanding. After my 3 month tour, they held a parade and ceremony in my honor, and then told me to get the hell off their island. And that I had to report to my duty station in 10 days. Still don't understand what that was all about.

1994-1999 4th Bn, Plt 4010, N...