The future of the East Coast Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island is in jeopardy. The South Carolina base is thinking about closing along with a San Diego base in order to open a new training station where both male and female recruits could train. Parris Island has become a Lowcountry staple, especially in the Beaufort County economy, since Marines have been coming to the base for over a century.
South Carolina House Representative, Shannon Erickson, argues that Parris Island should just renovate to become the new hub that will train both male and female Marines. Rep. Erickson stated: “It seems to me, if you are going to relocate anywhere, this is your hub. This is your place that’s having things happen in the right way,” “So, to pull something like that that has that deep of roots, would be devastating morally and emotionally but also it’s around $700 million of economic impact."
The president of the Beaufort Chamber stated that Parris Island directly provides 6,000 jobs and that they are the customers for local businesses across Beaufort, Port Royal, and the sea islands of the Lowcountry. The Marine Corps has said that building a new location would be cheaper than trying to renovate the two existing boot camps in Beaufort and San Diego, but Rep. Erickson and other local South Carolina state representatives will be meeting with Gov. McMaster on Thursday, October 1, 2020 to discuss ways to preserve Parris Island.