Stories

6th Communications Battalion Conducts Annual Training - U.S. Marine Corps reservists with 6th Communication Battalion, Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve rapidly conduct cyberspace operations to support Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group defensive cyberspace operations at Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, March 26, 2026. The 36-hour activation and the mission extension that followed demonstrated 6th Communications Battalion's ability to complete their mission at short notice. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Master Sgt. Latasha Esperon)

Civilian Expertise, Military Speed: How Individual Readiness Fuels Force Headquarters Group's Rapid Cyber Deployments

When the Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group needed an immediate surge of capability, they turned to Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve. On March 26, 2026, the response from 6th Communication Battalion was fast: orders were drafted and approved within 36 hours, and a team of Reserve component defensive cyberspace operations Marines arrived on station ready to work. Initial support was extended to provide 60 days of surge capability. The speed of that response came down to preparation. In addition to technical expertise, the Marines who showed up were medically and administratively ready before the opportunity arose, and that readiness enabled their rapid employment.

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Allan McPherson, brother of the late Maj. Everette McPherson, holds a certificate during a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross ceremony honoring the heroic actions of this brother at Marine Support Facility New Orleans, March 18, 2026. The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to those who have displayed single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Maj. McPherson, a fighter jet pilot, posthumously received the award for sacrificing his life during the Vietnam War in an attempt to save the life of his co-pilot. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Claire Cheney) - Allan McPherson, brother of the late Maj. Everette McPherson, holds a certificate during a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross ceremony honoring the heroic actions of this brother at Marine Support Facility New Orleans, March 18, 2026. The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to those who have displayed single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Maj. McPherson, a fighter jet pilot, posthumously received the award for sacrificing his life during the Vietnam War in an attempt to save the life of his co-pilot. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Claire Cheney)

A medal, a memory, a Marine: The last flight of Maj. Everette McPherson

Nearly six decades after his aircraft went down over the South China Sea, Maj. Everett McPherson’s courage in the skies has finally been recognized. In a ceremony filled with solemn reflection and pride, the Marine Corps posthumously awarded McPherson the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the nation’s highest decorations for heroism in aerial

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Gunnery Sgt. Philips Meritorious Promotion - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Juan Vasquez Jr., right, senior enlisted leader of Combat Logistics Battalion 25, reads a meritorious promotion warrant for Gunnery Sgt. Bobby Philips Jr., motor transport chief, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, during a meritorious promotion ceremony in Jacksonville, North Carolina, April 2, 2026. Philips was selected for meritorious promotion spanning across Marine Forces Reserve. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Alexander Lesko)

Continuing Excellence

Gunnery Sgt. Bobby G. Philips Jr., a Marine in the Reserve previously honored for his civilian heroism, was meritoriously promoted to the rank of gunnery sergeant in a ceremony on April 2, 2026. The event was held at the Beirut Memorial, in front of the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor statue. In January 2024, he was awarded the Columbia-Richland Fire Department Medal of Honor for his life-saving actions during a three-alarm apartment fire on May 26, 2023. While serving as a fire captain, Philips and his team at Rescue 1 responded to the major fire. After rescuing a woman and her dog, he was instrumental in saving two fellow firefighters who were trapped when the building collapsed.

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A Reserve Marine Finds Innovative Solutions to Environmental Challenges during Arctic Edge 2026 - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Christopher Duran, an automotive maintenance technician with Combat Logistics Regiment 453, 4th Marine Logistics Group, poses for a portrait photo at Fort Greely, Alaska, March 8, 2025. Duran provided Marine Forces Reserve Communication Strategy and Operations Marines with an interview to participate in a feature story. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Aaron Torreslemus)

A Reserve Marine Finds Innovative Solutions to Environmental Challenges during Arctic Edge 2026

At minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, even fuel begins to freeze. During Arctic Edge 2026, the extreme cold caused the JP-8 fuel inside several Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement vehicles to thicken into a jelly-like consistency, threatening to halt operations in the motor pool. For U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Christopher Duran, an automotive maintenance technician with Combat Logistics Regiment 453, the problem became a test of ingenuity. Drawing on his experience as a heavy-duty diesel mechanic, Duran developed creative solutions that helped keep Marine Corps vehicles running in Alaska’s unforgiving Arctic conditions.

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Individual Ready Reserve Muster in D.C. - The Honorable Hung Cao, undersecretary of the Navy, speaks to a group of Individual Ready Reserve Marines during the IRR muster at Arlington, Virginia, March 7, 2026. Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity conducts administrative screenings of IRR Marines to ensure readiness to augment and reinforce the active component. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Orion Stpierre)

Individual Ready Reserve Marines gather for a Mega-muster in Arlington, Virginia

Marines from across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia moved between medical screening stations, administrative tables and informational briefings as they checked in for an Individual Ready Reserve mega-muster in Arlington, Virginia, March 5 –10, 2026. Staff from the Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity guided Marines through readiness updates and available resources throughout the event. U.S. Marines assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve gathered for the multi-day muster to update records, receive information on benefits and opportunities within the Marine Corps Reserve and ensure they remain ready to serve if called upon during a national emergency. The Marine Corps remains the only branch of the U.S. military that conducts large, multi-regional mega-musters for members of the IRR.

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Marine Forces Reserve Musician Selected as the 2025 Marine Musician of the Year - Marine Forces Reserve Musician Selected as the 2025 Marine Musician of the Year

Marine Forces Reserve Musician Selected as the 2025 Marine Musician of the Year

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Justin A. Napier, a trombone instrumentalist with the Marine Forces Reserve Band, was recognized and awarded as the 2025 Marine Corps Musician of the Year.

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Shoot For The Stars - Shoot For The Stars

Shoot for the Stars

T-minus 3, 2, 1 … We have liftoff! The ground rumbled as the engines roared to life. Smoke and flames erupted out of the bottom as it began to lift into the sky, ascending higher until it was finally out of sight. There are some kids who see a rocket take off and begin to dream of becoming astronauts; there are some kids who make that dream come

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U.S. Marines conduct a communications class during a Cold Weather Field Exercise at Fort Hunter-Liggett, Calif. on Jan. 10th, 2026. The Marines are a part of Combat Logistics Battalion 23, 4th Marine Logistics Group. CLB-23 conducted a hike to transfer from one training area to another, designed to enhance and test readiness and lethality in the Marine Corps Reserve. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Eduardo Delatorre) - U.S. Marines conduct a communications class during a Cold Weather Field Exercise at Fort Hunter-Liggett, Calif. on Jan. 10th, 2026. The Marines are a part of Combat Logistics Battalion 23, 4th Marine Logistics Group. CLB-23 conducted a hike to transfer from one training area to another, designed to enhance and test readiness and lethality in the Marine Corps Reserve. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Eduardo Delatorre)

CLB-23 Winter Field Exercise

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 23, 4th Marine Logistics Group conducted a Winter Field Exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, from Jan. 9 to Jan. 11, focusing on small-unit tactics, fieldcraft and sustainment operations in austere conditions. The exercise began with the insertion of Marines via a U.S. Army CH-47F Chinook helicopter assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), from Stockton, Calif. The air assault insertion allowed Marines to rapidly move personnel and equipment into the training area, replicating expeditionary operations that require mobility and coordination with joint aviation assets.

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CLB-23 Aerial Insert - U.S. Marines conduct a movement during a Cold Weather Field Exercise at Fort Hunter-Liggett, Calif. on Jan. 9th, 2026. Marines assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 23, 4th Marine Logistics Group conducted an aerial insert with support from U.S. Army Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, from Stockton, Calif. during a platoon-level defense training by delivering Marines and crew-served weapons directly into the training ground. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Eduardo Delatorre)

Reserve Fitness

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 23, 4th Marine Logistics Battalion, prepare packs, shoulder them and step off into a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook, with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion) from Stockton, Calif., flew into the cold, and tested their endurance and capabilities. Physical fitness remains a principal constant across the Marine Corps, sustained not only during drills, but also in everyday life.

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U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Patrick Tiernan serves steaks to Marines during a food service competition at Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 472, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Jan. 11, 2026. Tiernan is the commanding general of 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. Marines participated in an inspection for the Maj. Gen. William Pendleton Thompson Hill Awards to demonstrate their quality of food preparation, sanitation, and customer service. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Priscilla Flores) - U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Patrick Tiernan serves steaks to Marines during a food service competition at Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 472, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Jan. 11, 2026. Tiernan is the commanding general of 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. Marines participated in an inspection for the Maj. Gen. William Pendleton Thompson Hill Awards to demonstrate their quality of food preparation, sanitation, and customer service. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Priscilla Flores)

U.S. Marine Corps reservists showcase teamwork while competing for the Major General William Pendleton Thompson Hill Food Service Award

U.S. Marine Corps food service specialists with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 472 conducted field kitchen operations while competing for the Major General William Pendleton Thompson Hill Food Service Award.

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