First Recruit Training Battalion is led by Lieutenant Colonel D. Clint Benfield and Sergeant Major Jimmy S. Sanchez. Within 1st Battalion, there are four companies: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Each company contains an average of six, 60 to 80 recruit platoons.

First RTBn was established on August 6, 1940, 25 years after Parris Island was first designated as a Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Since its origin, 1st RTBn remains the only battalion on Parris Island which has been in continuous service as a male recruit training battalion.

The location selected for the battalion was previously known as “East Wing,” but was redesignated as the “ Training Center” in January 1940. During World War I, the area initially served as the primary training site for first and third phases of recruit training. The battalion’s actual activation began with the building of H-style barracks. One of these barracks, Building 620, remained for many years as the battalion headquarters.

By the outbreak of the Korean War, 1st Battalion was the only remaining recruit training battalion actively training male recruits. On June 1, 1952, 1st Battalion was temporarily re-designated as a “Special Training Battalion” in order to train more than 1000 college students assigned to officer candidate training with the Platoon Leaders Class program.

During that time, 1st Battalion hit the silver screen. Corporal J. Brown, a 1st Battalion drill instructor, so impressed actor Jack Webb, that he cast Corporal Brown to act as one of the assistant drill instructors in his movie“The DI.” Lieutenant Colonel W. B. Carneal Jr., the commanding officer of 1st Battalion from March 1956 until January 1957, served as a technical advisor for the film.

From the 1960’s to the present, 1st RTBn has continued in the pursuit of training our nation's sons into the finest United States Marines. Celebrating many years of developing smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trainedMarines, the battalion holds special pride in maintaining the professionalism and Esprit de Corps which has distinguished 1st Battalion Marines during service to both Corps and Country from World War II to present.