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David W. Sommers
David W. Sommers (born February 18, 1943) is a retired United States Marine who served as the 11th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991. Military career David Sommers was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 18, 1943, and attended Bishop DuBourg High School. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on March 25, 1960, and underwent recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, then attended infantry training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Upon the completion of training, he was assigned as a Browning Automatic Rifleman with Company E, 2nd Battalion 1st Marines at Camp Pendleton. While with Company E, he was promoted to private first class, lance corporal, and corporal and served as a fireteam and squad leader. Transferring overseas with the 1st Battalion 9th Marines, Sommers served as a squad leader and platoon guide for Company D. Returning from overseas, he reported to The Basic School, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combined arms, implementing its own infantry, artillery, aerial, and special operations forces. The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The Marine Corps has been part of the U.S. Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834 with its sister service, the United States Navy. The USMC operates installations on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world. Additionally, several of the Marines' tactical aviation squadrons, primarily Marine Fighter Attack squadrons, are also embedded in Navy carrier air wings and operate from the aircraft carriers. The history of the Marine Corps began when two battalions of Continental Marines were formed on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Battalion 1st Marines
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed "The Professionals," the battalion consists of approximately 1,200 Marines and Sailors. Normally they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division. Subordinate units * Headquarters and Services Company * Echo Company * Fox Company * Golf Company * Hotel Company * Weapons Company (CAAT RED, CAAT BLUE, 81s ortarsPlatoon, Scout Sniper Platoon) History The battalion was activated August 1, 1922, at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade. The battalion played a role in the occupation of the Dominican Republic, after which it was deactivated on July 20, 1924. World War II The battalion was reactivated March 1, 1941, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and was assigned to the 1st Marine D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of the Cold War after the 1954 division of Vietnam. It first received international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with its capital at Saigon (renamed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1976), before becoming a republic in 1955. South Vietnam was bordered by North Vietnam to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. Its sovereignty was recognized by the United States and 87 other nations, though it failed to gain admission into the United Nations as a result of a Soviet veto in 1957. It was succeeded by the Republic of South Vietnam in 1975. The end of the Second World War saw anti-Japanese Việt Minh guerrilla forces, led by communist fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1st MEB) is a unit in the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) and is the "middleweight" global crisis response force. History The brigade was stationed at Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) from 1956 (when the 1st Provisional Marine Air Ground Task Force was redesignated as the 1st Marine Brigade), until 30 September 1994, when the brigade was deactivated. In 1960 and again in 1964, the brigade participated in large-scale exercises in Taiwan; and in 1990 the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade deployed to Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield. From 1956 to 1985 while at Kaneohe MCAS, (now known as Marine Corps Base Hawaii), the unit was designated as the 1st Marine Brigade. From 1985 until 1988, the brigade was designated as the 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade and was then redesignated as the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.Hoffman, Jon T. ''USMC: A Complete History.'' Marine Corps Association, Quantico, VA. 2002. pp. 512, 527, 541 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3rd Battalion 4th Marines
3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed "Thundering Third". Nicknamed "Darkside," it is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, and consist of approximately 1,000 Marines. The unit currently falls under the command of the 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, but — along with its two sister battalions — is hosted by the 3rd Marine Division, at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, when training in jungle warfare. The 3rd falls under the 4th Marine Regiment at such times. Subordinate units * Headquarters and Service Company * Company I (India Company) * Company K (Kilo Company) * Company L (Lima Company) * Company M (Mike Company) - Currently in use as a Remain Behind Element for combat replacements of forward deployed elements. * Weapons Company History Early Years The battalion was first activated in 1925 at Naval Base San Diego, California. Since its initial inception ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state geographically located within the tropics. Hawaii comprises nearly the entire Hawaiian archipelago, 137 volcanic islands spanning that are physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. The state's ocean coastline is consequently the fourth-longest in the U.S., at about . The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii—the last of these, after which the state is named, is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaii Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands make up most of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the United States' largest protected ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin , 'one who serves', through the French term . The term ''sergeant'' refers to a non-commissioned officer placed above the rank of a corporal, and a police officer immediately below a lieutenant in the US, and below an inspector in the UK. In most armies, the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of a squad (or section). In Commonwealth armies, it is a more senior rank, corresponding roughly to a platoon second-in-command. In the United States Army, sergeant is a more junior rank corresponding to a squad- (12 person) or platoon- (36 person) leader. More senior non-commissioned ranks are often variations on sergeant, for example staff sergeant, gunn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County. Used primarily for training purposes, MCB Quantico is known as the "Crossroads of the Marine Corps". Quantico Station is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William and Stafford counties in the U.S. state of Virginia, used by the Census Bureau to describe base housing. The population was 4,452 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Marine Corps' Combat Development Command, which develops strategies for U.S. Marine combat and makes up most of the community of over 12,000 military and civilian personnel (including families), is based here. It has a budget of around $300 million and is the home of the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School. The Marine Corps Research Center at Quantico pursues equipment research and dev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Basic School
The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett, Quantico, Virginia, in the south-west of the Marine Corps Base Quantico complex. Each year over 1,700 new officers are trained, representing such commissioning sources as the U.S. Naval Academy, Navy ROTC (Marine Option), Officer Candidates School, and Marine Corps Limited Duty Officer (LDO) and Warrant Officer accession programs. Philosophy of instruction at TBS The School's "Five Horizontal Themes" define the expectations of every student officer at TBS. These themes are: *A Leader of Exemplary Character **Has a clear understanding that a Marine commission brings with "special trust and confidence" and the highest expectations of the American people. **Devoted to the Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment **Possesses a moral compass that u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1st Battalion 9th Marines
The 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, it served until the mid-2000s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions. During the Vietnam War, 1/9 sustained the highest casualty rate in Marine Corps history. This earned them the nickname "The Walking Dead". In late 2005, the battalion was reactivated and attached to the 8th Marine Regiment at MCB Camp Lejeune. Although the first full company has deployed, 1/9 was not expected to be ready for deployment as a battalion until May 2008. On 19 April 2007, 1/9 was officially stood up with all of its subordinate units fully manned. As of 29 August 2014 the battalion has been deactivated due to a force shaping initiative and downsizing of the Marine Corps. On the occasion of this deactivation, one of its former officers lauded: "Not a better battalion in the world". Subordinate units The battalion was compose ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army doctrine further defines a squad as a "small military unit typically containing two or more fire teams." In US usage, a squad consists of eight to fourteen soldiers, and may be further subdivided into fireteams. Organization NATO The standard NATO symbol for a ''squad'' consists of one single dot (●) placed above a framed unit icon. United States United States Army Historically, a "squad" in the US Army was a sub-unit of a section, consisting of from as few as two soldiers to as many as 12 and was originally used primarily for drill and administrative purposes (e.g., billeting, messing, working parties, etc.). The smallest tactical sub-unit being the section, which was also known as a half-platoon (the platoon itself being a half com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fireteam
A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize "bounding overwatch" and "fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or fewer members: an automatic rifleman, a grenadier, a rifleman, and a designated team leader. The role of each fireteam leader is to ensure that the fireteam operates as a cohesive unit. Two or three fireteams are organized into a section or squad in co-ordinated operations, which is led by a squad leader. Historically, nations with effective fireteam organization have had a significantly better performance from their infantry units in combat than those limited to operations by traditionally larger units. US Army doctrine recognizes the fire team, or crew, as the smallest military organization while NATO doctrine refers to this level of organization simply as team. Fireteams are the most basic organization upon which modern infantry units are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
