Marine Corps · Marine Corps Recruit Training
How to Address a Letter to MCRD San Diego Recruit Training
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is one of two Marine Corps recruit depots. Its address format is battalion, company, and platoon, and unlike most other branches the recruit's name is written first name first rather than last name first. The builder below handles that convention for you.
The address format
Everything in brackets comes from your recruit. The city, state, and ZIP are the same for everyone training here, and so is the street address.
Build the MCRD San Diego 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 San Diego
Name order is different here
Marine Corps recruit mail is addressed with the first name before the last name, which is the opposite of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard convention. The builder applies the right order automatically.
The platoon number is four digits
Marine Corps platoon numbers are four digits, not one or two. If you were given a short number, it is probably the company or battalion rather than the platoon.
One street for the depot
MCRD San Diego uses a single street address for recruit mail, so it is filled in for you. Your recruit's battalion, company, and platoon are what make the address specific.
Would rather not mail it yourself?
Write your message and we will put it on paper, address it to MCRD San Diego 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 San DiegoCommon questions
Should I write "Recruit" before my recruit's name?
Yes. Marine Corps recruits are addressed as Recruit until they earn the title Marine at the end of training. The builder pre-fills this for you.
How do I know which depot my recruit is at?
Recruits are generally assigned to a depot based on where they enlisted, and your recruit will confirm which one in their first letter home. Do not guess between the two.
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.