MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit observed a static display of Marine vehicles at Edson Range here, Aug. 17.
Marines with 1st Marine Logistics Group displayed a Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle and three Humvees on the parade deck to show court judges the changes that have been made to military vehicles in the past few decades.
“The judges ... wanted to reconnect with the Marine Corps,” said Maj. Rory L. Nichols, the operations officer for Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. “I think this will be one of the opportunities for (Marines) to interact and talk to (the judges) about the caliber of Marines we have in the Corps today,” said Nichols.
Many of the judges are prior service members, and the majority of them were Marines.
“Since their Marine Corps day, this is all new,” said Nichols, “I wanted to give them a firsthand look at the equipment we have nowadays.”
Not only did the court judges benefit from the display, the Marines who participated in the event were given the chance to meet with retired Marines who went on to have successful civilian careers. The Marines had a look at the accomplishments they could achieve after their Marine Corps careers. The doors of the Marine Corps opened for them, said Nichols.
Robert S. Brewer Jr., a partner in the law firm Jones Day, said he found the show terrific.
“I’m totally interested in supporting Marines,” said Brewer, 65, from Ithaca, New York. “I enjoy coming out here and seeing all these vehicles.”
The command chose to have the display at Edson Range because it’s a place where raw recruits are transformed into Marines.
“Edson Range is part of the Recruit Depot in San Diego,” said Capt. Daniel Kobyra, the assistant operations officer for Weapons and Field Training Battalion, MCRD San Diego, “And it’s where Marines are made.”
Lance Cpl. Ryan Spaulding, a licensing non-commissioned officer, Headquarters Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st MLG, helped facilitate the M-ATV display. He and his fellow Marines explained to the judges how the engineering in the vehicle’s design increases its ability to withstand improvised explosive devices and improves its performance on the battlefield.
Once the display ended, the judges piled back in their white bus with more knowledge and insight on the life of Marines and the technology they use overseas. As the Marines quickly prepped their vehicles for the drive back to their shops, they may have thought about their futures and the accomplishments they could achieve as retired Marines.