I finally came in 10 days before Christmas, after my recruiter called and said that there was a space available.  The wait had been long enough, so I decided to enter early, even though Christmas was right around the corner.  

    I graduated Boot Camp on March 14, 1997 from MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) San Diego.  After finishing up MCT (Marine Combat Training) in Camp Pendleton, I then advanced to my (MOS) Military Occupation Specialty  School in MCB (Marine Corps Base) Quantico, Va., where I was to be trained as a 4066, (Small Computer System Specialist)..  

    Upon graduation from MOS School in June of 97, I then took my family and moved back to San Diego and became part of the team in which helped build me as a Marine on MCRD. I was stationed at CISD, part of Headquarters Company on the Depot.  Our mission there was primarily to provide computer support RTR (Recruit Training Regiment), and all of the other Commands on the Depot. While stationed there, I was promoted to Lance Corporal in September of 1997, then promoted to Corporal in June of 1998.

    After just short of two years on the Depot, I volunteered to move down the road in San Diego to Naval Station San Diego.  Here at Naval Station San Diego, I am part of a Command that not too many Marines have the opportunity to go to.  CPG3 (Commander Amphibious Group Three) is a Naval Command that uses Marines to go out as Detachments to Phibrons and act as a liaison between the Ships Company and the Marine MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) stationed aboard Amphibious Ship for deployments.  Upon arriving at CPG3, I was then detached to Phibron One (Amphibious Squadron One), aboard the USS Peleliu.  The Phibron is the Staff Command in charge of the ARG (Amphibious Ready Group), which consists of three ships.  It is similar to a Battle Group in which the Aircraft Carrier would have the Staff Command in charge of all of the ships within the Battle Group.  I was part of the Communications Detachment, which provided computer support for the Staff ranging from computer repair to Network Administration. 

    As part of the Phibron One, we had the opportunity to see various parts of the world.  Upon leaving San Diego on June 21, 1999, we had our first stop in Po Hang, Korea.  We then headed to Singapore and Phuket, Thailand.  After Thailand, we then headed to the Persian Gulf where we were to spend three months.  We hit ports in UAE (United Arab Emirates), and Bahrain.  One and a half months into our visit in the Gulf, we were then called out of that area, and ordered to East Timor, in a Humanitarian Mission.  We then spent about two months off of the coast of Timor, while the Helo's flew in food supplies to the local community, after being run out of their homes by a local group.  After being relieved in Timor, we then headed back home with one more stop in Hawaii.  We then returned home from Hawaii on December 21, 1999.

    After returning back to San Diego, I was then Re-attached back to CPG3, and then was promoted to Sergeant in January of 2000.  Along with supporting the Amphibious Ships out of San Diego, CPG3 also runs exercises and supports operations in Disaster Relief.  In the month of May, 2000,  I had yet another opportunity to see more of the world, as I went to Mombasa, Kenya, in Africa.  There I provided Network and Internet access for an operation off of the coast there.

   I am now back with CPG3 in San Diego, while I now look at what is going to be next in my future in the Marine Corps.

Sgt. Deleplancque