With one year left in her enlistment contract in the U.S. Army, Sgt. Alexis Banks had to decide what to do with the rest of her career. She could change jobs or move to a new duty station. But in the back of her mind was a third option— joining the U.S. Marine Corps.Growing up, Alexis always admired service members and the stories they told, the places they had been, and the uniforms they wore. After researching the branches, she enlisted in the U.S. Army where she served as an intel analyst and paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division on Fort Liberty, N.C.But Alexis felt like she was at a crossroad and needed a new challenge in her life, and she believed she would find it in the Marine Corps.“Whether you know anything about the military
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When one recruit took his place on the parade deck to receive his Eagle Globe and Anchor, it was a moment filled with pride and loss—a hard-won tribute to the mother who inspired him to join the Corps and stood by him in spirit as he became a Marine October 19, 2024.
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Pvt. Zachery Thurber, a Marine with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, stood before the Iwo Jima monument on the Peatross Parade Deck, ready to receive his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor from his senior drill instructor. The last person Zachery expected to see was his father, Sgt. Maj. William Thurber (USMC, Ret.), and was shocked beyond belief when he stepped in front of him.
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For one Marine, boot camp graduation was more than just a ceremony, it was the realization of a lifelong dream.“Seeing my father serve and his graduation pictures from over 30 years ago, that’s what I wanted. That was my dream,” said Lance Cpl. Sean Fang.
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“I was about to show him the gas chamber, I heard him say ‘I’m going to-,’ and I looked back, and he was face down in the grass on the side of the road,” said VanDuyne.
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The chaos and tragedy of the war in Iraq left Audai Naser and his wife Kanat Saad with few options.The war had already forced them to move countless times, relocating from the capital of Baghdad, to the city of Kirkuk, and eventually settling in Karbala.
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Staring out the window, Oluwagbemiga Omotoye saw the skyline of Washington, D.C. as his plane landed at Dulles International Airport. He and his family had traveled nearly 8,000 miles from South Africa and the city was a welcomed sight. The United States represented change and new opportunities for Omotoye, who was 17 years old at the time. His family’s desire for coming to America was simple—to gain prosperity and be able to share that with their family members who remained in South Africa.
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