CLEVELAND -- Marines with Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, participated in a Color Guard ceremony at Progressive Field in support of game one at the 2016 World Series, in conjunction with the Marine Corps Reserve Centennial celebration on Oct. 25, 2016.
With a lasting relationship between the Color Guard and the Cleveland Indians, along with other community events, the Color Guard uses these events to showcase what they can do for the community, said Sgt. Maj. Therester Cox, an Inspector-Instructor sergeant major with 3/25. It also allowed the Reserve Marines the opportunity to share the celebration of 100 years of service with Cleveland.
“Community relations is one of the top priorities of our unit,” Cox said. “In the 2005 deployment to Iraq, 3/25 took a total of 49 casualties. Because of that, this unit, and the community, has a very tight-knit bond.”
Due to the strong bond with the community, the Cleveland Indians invited the 3/25 Color Guard team to participate in the opening ceremony of game one at the 2016 World Series.
While participating in the opening ceremony as the color guard the Marines were also promoting the centennial event, which is year-long commemoration being celebrated across the nation. The celebration brings together Reserve Marines, family, employers and community members, to remember the importance of the Reserve component’s history, heritage, esprit de corps.
To further develop their ties with the community and to continue to pass on the importance of the Marine Corps Reserve, 3/25 has plans to participate in a number of future events, including a flag memorial and a veteran’s job fair.
Mid-November, the color guard team is scheduled to attend these events and showcase their commitment to their community and keeping the names of the fallen, past and present, remembered.
“The first thing people see in these events is the Marines and the Marine Corps coming out into the community,” said Sgt. Steve Aguilar, the career planner for 3/25. “We’re known to be the first to fight, the first to do everything and we set the standards for excellence and professionalism. Being able to do these events not only helps us with the public, but, also, on a national level while we’re at home representing our communities.”
The Marine Corps Reserve began their celebration of 100 years of service on Aug. 29, 2016. During World War II, by September of 1945, Reserve Marines made up 70 percent of total wartime Marine Corps personnel. Since Sep. 11, 2001, more than 86,300 mobilizations from the Marine Corps Reserve have been mobilized in support of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reserve Marines have been fully engaged across the globe over the past 15 years of combat operations, serving as the essential shock absorber and force enabler for our Active Component.
Today, approximately 500 Reserve Marines are providing fully integrated global operational support to the Fleet and Combatant Commanders. For information on the history and heritage of the Marine Corps Reserve as well as current Marines stories and upcoming centennial events please visit www.marines.mil/usmcr100.