BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Commander of Marine Forces Reserve, Lt. Gen. Richard P. Mills, spoke to the Louisiana state legislature at the State Capitol building here, April 30. Mills spoke about the MARFORRES headquarters in New Orleans, and the major impact it has on the state of Louisiana.
“It’s a magnificent headquarters; it was erected by the state of Louisiana after Katrina, to the tune of $110 million,” said Mills. “We have about 4,000 personnel who work over there, both uniformed Marines, retired Marines, civilians and contractors. And they add considerably to the economic welfare, as you can imagine, to that part of the city.”
Mills went on to speak about the economic impact the Marines have to the state.
“We add $137 million on a yearly basis to the economy in New Orleans and $222 million to the state of Louisiana statewide, to the economy,” he said. “But that’s really just a small part of what we do for Louisianans.”
Marines at the headquarters provide more than just a monetary value to the state. Mills also spoke about the Marines’ community outreach program.
The Marine Corps Band New Orleans performed 281 times last year around the state and nationwide, he said. They marched in 10 Mardi Gras parades last season and performed at five Mardi Gras balls.
Mills said supporting the band is just one of the ways the citizens of Louisiana show their love for the Marines.
“I would like to thank each and every one of you for the support you give on a daily basis to the Marines that are stationed here, right here in the state,” he said. “Welcomed in the schools, welcomed in the community, made to feel at home, this absolutely wonderful reception that they get when they are really just passing through to other duty stations and may not be here for but a short time.”
Mills also spoke about the contributions Marines make to local communities through programs such as Habitat for Humanity and other important roles Marines play.
“You’ll see Marines as football coaches, as sports leaders,” he said. “You’ll see them hopefully as good models both as military individuals and good community members throughout the state.”
Another way the Marines support the Louisiana community is through funeral honors; the Marines of MARFORRES supported 225 of them last year.
“We hope we send them off in a proper fashion, but more importantly, to show our respect and our love for those warriors who have gone on before us,” he said.
Mills closed his remarks with many thanks for the support Marines receive in local community, and he made a promise.
“I promise you in the years ahead, your Marine Corps will do what you expect of it,” he said. “We know the country expects several things during a crisis, the first thing they want to hear is, ‘The Marines have landed.’ The second thing they want to hear is, ‘The situation is well in hand.’ Your Marine Corps promises you that’s what you’ll hear now, and what you’ll hear in the future. Thank you all very much.”