18 area Reserve Marines prepare for deployment

8/25/2007

About 18 Reserve Marines from Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, headquartered in Perrysburg, will join the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment on Sept. 1 as it prepares for a deployment to Iraq in the fall.

The 18 Marines have not deployed previously to Iraq.

The unit that the Marines will augment, the 2nd Battalion, previously deployed to Iraq in 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

All three battalions within the 24th Marine Regiment consistently help one another as a means to best utilize our resources, said Weapons Company s first sergeant, James Betancourt.

The Reserve Marines hold civilian jobs and leave their families and friends to participate in training and deployments like Operation Iraqi Freedom.