Marine Corps · Marine Corps Recruit Training
How to Address a Letter to Parris Island Recruit Training
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is one of two Marine Corps recruit depots. Its address uses a mail box number in place of a street address, which is the detail families most often leave off. Without it, a letter can sit unrouted even when everything else on the envelope is correct.
The address format
Everything in brackets comes from your recruit. The city, state, and ZIP are the same for everyone training here.
Build the MCRD Parris Island address
Fill in what your recruit told you and copy the finished address. Free, and nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Pre-filled with the usual starting rank for this branch. Change it if theirs is different.
Fill in the fields above to see the finished address.
What families get wrong at MCRD Parris Island
The box number replaces the street
Parris Island mail is addressed to a box number rather than a street address. The box is tied to your recruit's battalion, and your recruit will give it to you in their first letter home.
Name order is first name first
Like MCRD San Diego, Parris Island addresses recruits with the first name before the last name. This is the opposite of every other branch in this guide, and the builder applies it for you.
Four-digit platoon numbers
Marine Corps platoon numbers are four digits. A shorter number you were given is more likely the battalion or company.
Would rather not mail it yourself?
Write your message and we will put it on paper, address it to MCRD Parris Island in the format above, and mail it for you. Pen on paper. Never a printed font. Letters from $5, cards from $9, no account needed.
Send Mail to MCRD Parris IslandCommon questions
What is the mail box number at Parris Island?
It is the box assigned to your recruit's battalion, and it takes the place of a street address on the envelope. Your recruit provides it in their first letter home.
Can I look up the box number instead of waiting?
Box assignments are tied to battalions and can change between cycles, so a number from an older post or another family may be wrong. Use the one your recruit sent you.
Should I put a return address on the envelope?
Always. Unit assignments can change during training, and without a return address a misdirected letter is simply gone instead of coming back to you. This is the single most recommended habit in basic training mail guidance, and it is why a return address is required rather than optional on anything we send.
Can I send a package or put something inside the envelope?
Most basic training installations restrict packages, especially early in the cycle, and many prohibit enclosures like food, electronics, or anything bulky. Letters and flat photos are the safest thing to send. Check your installation's current guidance before mailing anything else.
How long does mail take to arrive?
Transit time depends on where you are mailing from, plus a few days on the installation for the mailroom to sort and distribute to the training unit. Mail is not usually handed out daily, so a letter that seems slow is very often just waiting for the next mail call.
What happens if the unit information changes during training?
It happens regularly. If mail stops getting through, ask for a current address rather than assuming anything was lost. A return address means older letters find their way back to you rather than disappearing.
Other basic training addresses
See the mailing address format for every branch and installationAddress formats here are compiled from published basic training mail guidance and are a strong starting point, not an official directory. Unit assignments change during training. Always check against whatever your recruit has actually sent home. Boot Camp Letters is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the United States Department of Defense or any branch of the armed forces.