Unit HomeMediaNews Article Display
13th Marine Expeditionary Unit

 

13th Marine Expeditionary Unit

"The Fighting Thirteenth"

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California
3/1 Marines choose to stay on board

By Lance Cp. T. M.Stewman | | June 25, 2007

SHARE
NEAR KARMAH, Iraq, Iraq (June 25, 2007) – With 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit operations in full swing, a significant number of Marines have once more answered the call of duty by extending their current enlisted contracts.

More than 200 Marines from Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines who have already served more than one combat tour, extended their contracts to deploy with their unit when it joined the 13th MEU in Oct. 2006.

“When I heard that we were going to link up with the MEU, I knew that it was something that I would want to do,” said Cpl. Joe Ervin, assaultman. “Since the deployment will last until after the original date I was supposed to get out; I decided to extend my contract so that I could come back out with the guys one more time.”

Ervin isn’t the only one who has made that decision. Marines throughout the entire battalion made the decision to put that extra experience on their Marine Corps résumé.

“I extended for the different experience. The other times I came to Iraq, we stayed for seven months, did what we had to do and then came home,” said Cpl. Daniel Poulsen, mortarman. “With the MEU it’s something totally different. We still ended up in Iraq, but before that we were out at sea and we went to liberty ports on the way.”

One of the hardest tasks in the Marine Corps lay in the hands of career retention specialists."

Our purpose is to keep Marines informed on different career options whether it is reenlistment, extension or transitioning into the reserves or civilian sector,” said Staff Sgt. Chandrash Malapaka, BLT 3/1 administrative chief and CRS. “For Marines who want to extend, we let them know what options they have and what incentives they can receive from doing so.”

For the majority of BLT Marines, it has nothing to do with incentives and everything to do with the ‘Esprit de Corps’ found in an infantry unit.

“There is no closer bond between Marines than infantry Marines,” said Ervin.

“More so than in any other job in the military, you are with your guys all the time and depend on them during life or death situations. These guys are like my brothers.”

No matter how long our country continues in the Global War On Terrorism, Americans back home can be rest assured there are still - and will always be - brave men and women who are willing to go that extra mile to protect their country.


SHARE