Northern Strike

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ezequiel Delatorre, a network chief with Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, and a native of Oxnard, California, counts Marines as they board a bus on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, March 11, 2025. The Marines are headed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, as part of Unit Deployment Program 25.1. The activation marks the beginning of an intensive training period for 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines as they provide a total force solution in support of the UDP, aligning Marine Forces Reserve's commitment with Marine Corps strategic objectives. This is the first time since 2020 that an entire Reserve infantry battalion has been activated to support the Unit Deployment Program. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Scott Jenkins)