U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Andrew Rodriguez salutes as he jumps out of the back of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter over Hattiesburg, Mississippi in October 2021. Reconnaissance Marines like Rodriguez are required to maintain training qualifications for a myriad of disciplines including skydiving and scuba diving.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Chad Minor poses for a photo during a live-fire training exercise aboard the USS Somerset (LPD-25) in the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands in November 2020. Minor, a diesel mechanic for the Marine Corps, was responsible for maintaining the small boats used by the detachment of elite reconnaissance Marines aboard the ship.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Turner takes a smoke break during a reconnaissance mission off the coast of Somalia in December 2020. Turner, a Flint, Michigan native, served as the leader on his boat, directing the coxswain, navigator, and ensuring mission accomplishment.
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Anikka Garnett sits atop her AAV-P7 during a convoy on Camp Pendleton's Red Beach in July 2020. One of two women in the AAV platoon, she served as the commander of her vehicle, directing the driver and gunner while coordinating with the rest of the platoon over radio.
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Elliot Torres laughs while chatting with another Marine during Operation Octave Quartz in Somalia in January 2021. Serving as the Marines' only experienced radio operator while ashore in Somalia, Torres was responsible for maintaining communication with his headquarters aboard a Navy ship hundreds of miles away.
U.S. Marine Corps K. Salgado blows bubbles with his chewing gum while sitting idly in the troop compartment of an AAV-P7 while waiting for transportation to a training exercise on Camp Pendleton in July 2019. The most junior members of the Marine Corps are often forced to, "hurry up and wait." Salgado waited in the back of this AAV-P7 for over three hours before the crew of the vehicle arrived to take us to our destination.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. John Rooney shows off his favorite pair of underwear while aboard the USS Somerset (LPD-25) in the Persian Gulf in March 2021. After spending the previous six months at sea, boundaries in the living spaces had completely eroded.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Morgan Alger takes a nap in the back of an AAV-P7 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California in July 2020. An important skill learned by all Marines is the ability to catch a few Z's in any clime and place.
A U.S. Marine lays on a mat as he has his blood drawn aboard the USS Somerset (LPD 25) off the coast of Somalia in December 2020. All personnel aboard the ship with an O-negative blood type were ordered to have their blood drawn before the Marines were sent ashore to Somalia.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ariana Guerra, center, lifts the top cover of an M240B machine gun during familiarization training aboard the USS Somerset in December 2020. Guerra was the only female infantry Marine aboard the ship and often found herself with the undesirable tasks, like teaching non-infantry Marines about machine guns.
U.S. Marines and Sailors with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry their comrade's casket inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in August 2020. The remains of seven Marines and a Navy Corpsman were recovered off the coast of San Clemente Island following a July 30 assault amphibious vehicle mishap and were transferred to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, before being released to their families.