DES MOINES, IA -- Navy and Marine Corps leadership held a ceremony to commemorate the groundbreaking of a brand new Reserve Training Center hosting Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and the Navy Operational Support Center in Des Moines, Iowa, May 24, 2018.
“The importance of this ceremony is to show the community that their support and contributions to our mission has greatly impacted our progress as a whole," said 1stSgt. Michael Sodergeren, Inspector- Instructor first sergeant, 24th Marines.
The construction of the new joint Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center will better meet the functional needs of the unit and provides service members the opportunity to increase overall training and unit readiness.
“This new facility will provide us with some unique opportunities," said Steven J. White, the commanding officer of 23rd Marines. As Marines, we like to work on physical fitness, and this facility will provide that. It will also provide us with the capabilities to repair our vehicles that will allow our Marines to maintain combat readiness at all times."
Reserve training centers across the country, such as the Marine Corps Reserve Center/ Navy Operational Support Center Des Moines, enable the Marine Corps to consistently provide highly-trained units and individuals at a moment’s notice to augment, reinforce and support active forces for employment across the full spectrum of crisis and global engagement.
“As our mission continues on in the Marine Corps, we are always in need of more training space to make sure that when we are on those front lines we are ready to fight,” said Cpl. Jacob D. Harberts, section leader, rifle company, 2nd Bn., 24th Marines.
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