Key supporters of the Sgt. Opha May Johnson Marine Corps Reserve Center dedication included (from left) Sheila Corcoran, Veterans of Foreign Wars senior vice commander, Department of Indiana; Laura McKee, women veterans coordinator, Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs; Kay Ross, president, Indiana Chapter of Women Marines Association; and Lourdes Tiglao, director of Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Women Veterans. The ceremony honoring Sgt. Johnson, who was the first woman to enlist in the Marine Corps on Aug. 18, 1918, was held on Nov. 10 aboard Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana. (Image by GySgt Brian Knowles, USMCR)

Dual-use commercial small craft await inspection during the Marine Forces Reserve and Defense Innovation Unit Small Boat Evaluation and Demonstration event on Nov. 2, 2022, at the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion headquarters in Tampa, Florida. This second phase of the DIU Commercial Solutions Opening process is used to determine which vessel(s) will be used by the Marine Corps Reserve in support of Service-level experimentation for Force Design 2030. MFR plans to use Congressionally-approved National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation (NGREA) funds to purchase the initial order of expeditionary craft. Use of this funding will not impact MFR’s annual budget, nor will it hinder or delay any other areas of operations or innovation across the force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration by Cpl. Trystan Taft)

U.S. Marines assigned to 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve pose for a photo aboard a C-130 transport aircraft with VMGR-234, Marine Aircraft Group 41, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve prior to “Operation Santa Drop” at Camp Shelby Joint Training Center, Mississippi, November 10, 2022. In celebration of Toys for Tots 75th anniversary, the Marines of 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company assisted Staff Sergeant Clause by conducting toy deliveries to military children via parachute. Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps Reserve charitable program that collects, organizes, and distributes toys to less fortunate children across the nation in hopes of bringing happiness to children, and relief to families, during the Christmas season. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Jeremy Wheeler)

Dick Brandt, with the Marine Corps League, Choctaw detachment 778, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, observes the marching of the colors during the wreath laying ceremony honoring the 247th Marine Corps birthday at Grace Episcopal Church in Saint Francisville, Louisiana, Nov. 10, 2022. The ceremony is an annual event that takes place on the Marine Corps birthday at Gen. Robert H. Barrow's gravesite, who served as the 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jestin Costa)

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon, Commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces, South, speaks to Marines celebrating the Marine Corps’ 247th Marine Corps Birthday at Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans, Nov. 10, 2022. Marines celebrate the birthday of their Corps every year with ceremonies like the Marine Corps Birthday Ball and other events such as motivational runs. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Trystan Taft)

November is National American Indian Heritage Month. The Department of Defense (DoD) joins the Nation in recognizing the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. This year’s theme is, Celebrating Respect, Culture, and Education.

In 1947, Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks was preparing for the holidays with his family in Los Angeles, CA. His wife, Diane, was an altruistic mother with nimble fingers and a knack for handcrafting. She handmade a few dolls during the holidays that year and asked her husband to donate them to an agency that supported children in need. The agency he sought didn’t exist - not yet.

Mission: To attract, identify, mentor, educate and develop (AIMED) high-performing Marines from historically underrepresented populations in order to provide them an opportunity to visualize and pursue an officer career path, infusing the officer corps with different life perspectives and enhancing the Marine Corps' warfighting advantage.

As Force Design continues; Marine Forces Reserve has a new campaign plan to build a more capable, lethal, and relevant Reserve Force.