Stories

EVANGOLA STATE PARK, N.Y. – Lance Cpl. Edward Doyle, a rifleman with Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, patrols through the woods during exercise Lake Effect at Evangola State Park, New York, Sept. 12, 2015. Each platoon in Charlie. Co. set up their own patrol bases and routes which occasionally lead to confrontation with the other platoons, adding an element of realism to the training. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo By Cpl. J. Gage Karwick/Released) - EVANGOLA STATE PARK, N.Y. – Lance Cpl. Edward Doyle, a rifleman with Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, patrols through the woods during exercise Lake Effect at Evangola State Park, New York, Sept. 12, 2015. Each platoon in Charlie. Co. set up their own patrol bases and routes which occasionally lead to confrontation with the other platoons, adding an element of realism to the training. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo By Cpl. J. Gage Karwick/Released)

Sgt. Andrew Portell, funeral honors noncommissioned officer-in-charge, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, is awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal at their home training center in Bridgeton, Mo., Jan 7. Portell received the award for his role in coordinating more than 1,000 funeral honors ceremonies, 623 of which he personally conducted. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Michael Ito) - Sgt. Andrew Portell, funeral honors noncommissioned officer-in-charge, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, is awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal at their home training center in Bridgeton, Mo., Jan 7. Portell received the award for his role in coordinating more than 1,000 funeral honors ceremonies, 623 of which he personally conducted. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Michael Ito)

Retired Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles C. Krulak greets Marine Sgt. Gary L. Hill before he is presented with the Silver Star Medal at the Tuscaloosa Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center here June 7, 2013. Hill received the nation’s third highest award for combat heroism for actions as a fire team leader while he deployed to Vietnam in 1967. - Retired Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles C. Krulak greets Marine Sgt. Gary L. Hill before he is presented with the Silver Star Medal at the Tuscaloosa Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center here June 7, 2013. Hill received the nation’s third highest award for combat heroism for actions as a fire team leader while he deployed to Vietnam in 1967.

Marines assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion congratulate Staff Sgt. Alec Haralovich, after he was presented the Silver Star Medal, the nation’s third highest award for combat valor. After Haralovich was shot twice in his body armor by an insurgent, he destroyed an enemy stronghold with a rocket and led his Marines on a two-hour assault after their ambushers during an Afghanistan deployment in 2011. Haralovich is a reconnaissance Marine assigned to E Company, 4th Reconnaissance Bn., 4th Marine Division. - Marines assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion congratulate Staff Sgt. Alec Haralovich, after he was presented the Silver Star Medal, the nation’s third highest award for combat valor. After Haralovich was shot twice in his body armor by an insurgent, he destroyed an enemy stronghold with a rocket and led his Marines on a two-hour assault after their ambushers during an Afghanistan deployment in 2011. Haralovich is a reconnaissance Marine assigned to E Company, 4th Reconnaissance Bn., 4th Marine Division.

A machine gunner from Machine Gun Platoon, Support Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, clears the M240B machine gun for a Georgian soldier during training here July 25 for Exercise Agile Spirit 2011. Agile Spirit is designed to increase interoperability between Marines and the Georgian Armed Forces by exchanging and enhancing each other’s capacity in counterinsurgency and peacekeeping operations, including: small unit tactics, convoy operations, and counter-Improvised Explosive Device training. - A machine gunner from Machine Gun Platoon, Support Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, clears the M240B machine gun for a Georgian soldier during training here July 25 for Exercise Agile Spirit 2011. Agile Spirit is designed to increase interoperability between Marines and the Georgian Armed Forces by exchanging and enhancing each other’s capacity in counterinsurgency and peacekeeping operations, including: small unit tactics, convoy operations, and counter-Improvised Explosive Device training.