With the Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom) behind us, and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) all but over as we approach the 2014 deadline, Marines today will get more opportunities to do some really cool deployments, whether it’s more MEU’s or more chances to jump on deployments to Australia or what you’ll see in the video above – the Black Sea Rotational Force which features infantry battalions from 8th Marine Regiment. While I never got to do a MEU out of 3d Marine Regiment, I did get a chance to deploy to Afghanistan during the surge, but seriously considered sticking around to be a part of the Corps’ first rotational deployment to Australia. Heading the other direction to the Black Sea to work and train with the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian militaries would also have been cool, and with the Ukraine/Russia conflict getting hotter by the day, the training relevance there is growing exponentially. Whether you’re an active duty Marine, a part-timer, a former Marine like myself, or just a civilian who likes to watch things blow up, this video will surely get you motivated. Enjoy the video of 3/8 kicking ass in Eastern Europe, and as always hit the link below for more!
Moto USMC Video: 3/8 in Summer Shield 2014
Where are my 8th Marines at out there in SQ Nation? I would love to hear your thoughts from those who got a chance to participate in Summer Shield. One of my best friends from high school and college became a Navy Corpsman, and his first orders sent him to 3/8 for Summer Shield; I have also had a ton of friends from Infantry Officer Course that did MEU’s, which I would have loved to experience – at least once.
For those of you out there in SQ Nation who are interested in earning the title Marine, be aware that you really don’t get a choice in where you would like to deploy: each unit has it’s pre-determined deployments already lined up, and although they can always shift, you’re likely going where the battalion/regiment has been going for the last twenty years. When I joined I lucked out and got my shot in Afghanistan, where a bunch of my friends – who I mentioned above – got to do MEUs, but then they didn’t get a chance to go to combat. If you stay in longer you’ll of course get more chances, but I receive that question a lot – hopefully that clears up some of the confusion.
As always please feel free to leave your questions and comments below, and I’d still like to hear from some 3/8’ers what they thought of the Black Sea rotation. Stay classy, SQ!
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