Marines bound for Okinawa

[thedrifter]

Article ran : 05/15/2003
Marines bound for Okinawa
By ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When reserves from New England arrived at Camp Lejeune in January, they expected to stay for one year. But they probably weren't expecting a six-month detour to Japan. That's where about 1,000 troops from 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, are headed in what military officials say is a historic deployment for the reserves. While in Okinawa, the reservists will likely be assigned to the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. Gunnery Sgt. Daniel McMorrow was finalizing the details this week at Lejeune. "It's not like filling out a change-of-address card and dropping it off at the post office," said McMorrow, 39, a policeman from Boston assigned as operations chief for Weapons Company, 1/25. "The most difficult thing is being away from our families, but we have (experienced) no more than the expected challenges in the Marine Corps." The reserves arrived at Camp Lejeune in January with orders to stay for a year. With war looming in Iraq, most thought they would be heading into a combat zone. To illustrate the point, they got to Lejeune as 20,000 of the 30,000 Lejeune troops were departing for Iraq. But with the war over and troops already returning home, the reserves are set to play a different role. They will take up the slack so that units returning from combat will have time off to spend with their families. "We're going over to Okinawa for operational tempo relief for units over there and so others don't have to go right from the Iraq war over to Japan," said Gunnery Sgt. Forrest Marsh, 35, a maintenance specialist from Weymouth, Mass. He is serving as the 81 mm mortar platoon sergeant with Weapons Company, 1/25. "It may not sound like much, but for the guys we're relieving and those who are coming home it means a lot." During their time at Camp Lejeune, the reservists have rotated duties with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, as the Quick Reaction Force, a short-notice, anti-terrorist fly-away team that was established after Sept. 11, 2001, to respond to threats to the United States. But it has been tough for those who wait and watch the war with the rest of the world. "There are no guarantees, but it's difficult when you're snapping in on the rifle range and the war is starting," said Cpl. Ron O'Brien, 23, a Wall Street Broker from Ridgefield, Conn. He is an infantry fire team leader with 1/25. "You start thinking about your friends who have passed away." O'Brien lost his best friend, Tyler Ugolyn, a mutual fund analyst in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. "I don't complain because of him," O'Brien said. Many of the reserves said it was difficult waiting for a mission and training with no tangible goal. But soon they will be headed overseas and could be called upon to respond to instability in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, as well as any incidents that might arise from the friction between the U.S. and North Korea. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a reserve battalion to get a chance to go to the Far East," said Maj. John Grella, 35, a federal law enforcement officer from Hampton, N.H., working as the operations officer for 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. "The biggest challenge is making sure that we do a good job," said Lance Cpl. Steven Lesage, 25, a health insurance provider relations specialist from Epsom, N.H. currently assigned to the infantry training section of operations for 1/25. "Maybe we do have something to prove, but it won't be hard."

Contact Eric Steinkopff at esteinkopff@jdnews.com or 353-1171, Ext. 236.


Sempers,

Roger