by SSgt T.J. Coleman About one-Mod of all Marines in the Colo, my assigned to CAMP SMITH - The largest FMFPac units. I he command field command in the Marine Corps, structure reaches limn Yuma, Ariz.., both in number of men and area across the Pacific to Japan. covered, observes its 28th Okinawa and Thailand. PACIFIC OCEAN llnm anniversary today. The commanding general of Japan I MAif FMFPac, Lieutenant General Louis sD MAW B. Wilson, controls two divisions, III MAF 1St MAR DIP Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, 1ST ISA two aircraft wings, 151 MAW headquartered atop Halawa Heights one brigade and HO, FMFPAC FOR IRIS FMFPac two 3D MAR DIV to force service regiments. in Aiea, Hawaii, was first 1D tie How,. 'To established in 1944 at Camp Catlin, FMFPac's primary responsibility is , Oahu, T.H., under the command of to provide the ist MAR BM commander Lieutenant General Holland M. in chief. U.S. Pacific Fleet Smith. This camp is named in his (('IN('PACFLT) with amphibious honor. striking forces. Marine Amphibious Form A task organisation supporting the In Fleet which now has these ma/or uniti celebrate 28th lot Marine Division. Camp Pendleton, California Jd Marine Aircraft Wing. El Toro. California III Marine Amphibious Force A Marine command supporting the 7th Fleet that consists of ld Marine Division, Camp Butler. Okinawa Fleet Marine Farce, Pacific 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. lwakuni. Japan neat Marla, Forte, pacific, IFMFPacl esdts . provide balanced, potent air/round ream to the Pacific Fleet for we as landing forces. a large mission befititng the largest field command in the United States Marine Corps. 1st Marine Brigade A mid.Pacific ready force In Hawaii which can field highly mobile air /pound teams from year Marine Cdrus' threeedise divisions and two us three today the of active overall Force units include two of muipawerof wimp, and FMFPac has about onr.thIrd of the the Marine Corps Id Marine Regiment, Kaneohe Bay. Hanes .ended To meet mission requirements. FMFPac is onto three ma/or elements - one for the Western m, Marine Aircraft Group/t1. Kaneohe Bay. Hawaii Pacific one for the Eastern Pacific, and one for the d.Ptjle 'eem,. a agarausk tommand rotor railed the 1/ /.Marine Amphibious Force fill MA Ft supports the U S 7th Fleet throughout the has East MAF Special Landing Forces - ad/ground Form Troops, Pacific An important element of Fleet Marine Force. Pacific that provides specialised which range upwards in sise from a reinforml Menne battalion and appeoprWteaviation elements - combat and combat support units to all of FMFPac from a headquarters at Twentynine Palms, California. teens, aeaaaa aoupana, at sit with that fleet. and additionat are kept ashore ready to reinforce the seaborne forges In any emergency These additional forret are tailored for movement by air or sea to any [dal area see anniversary, page 8 MARIN Vol. I , No. I I keep Hawaii Helping to Marine green Sept. 15, 1972 'Iron Mike' Mervosh assumes highest FMFPac enlisted post later this month at Camp Smith CAMP SMITH - "Iron Mike" Island, S.C., In '53 or '54," chuckled tour of duty is complete." sergeant, he was awarded the Bronze Mervosh - whose record includes the sergeant major. "We are the hest and must live Star Medal and his second Navy combat service as an infantryman in "But. I've become used to it, and up to high standards we have set -- and Commendation. every Marine -- enlisted rank will have even begun to like it." the NCO plays a most important part In 1967, the sergeant major become the sergeant major the of He continued to say that he tries in reassuring this," stated the new served in Vietnam where he was Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, this to live up to the nickname "Iron FMFPac sergeant major. awarded his third Navy month. Mike" by doing a lot of running and The sergeant major participated Commendation and his third Purple Mervosh, who officially is keeping in perfect physical shape. in operations on Saipan as a squad Heart. During his second tour in RVN Sergeant Major Mike D. Mervosh, is was When the sergeant major stationed leader where he received his first in 1971, he was the 1st Marine scheduled to arrive in Hawaii Thursday at Camp Pendleton, he challenged all Purple Heart Medal. On Iwo Jima, he Division sergeant major and later the Marine Colonel L.A. Kirstein, (Sept. 21). He will replace SgtMaj runners run against assistant chief of staff G4, Fleet Marine Force, to "Iron Mike." earned his second Purple Heart and the sergeant major of the 3d Marine Julian H. Myrick who retired on July Pacific, Mite/JCS his son, Chris M., as he enlists in the Marine Corps for six years. In April. the new top enlisted Navy Commendation Medal. Amphibious Brigade prior to its 31. 771e colonel administered the oath of enlistment after Chris decided to participate Marine in FMFPac spoke to a During the Korean War, and departure from the combat zone. in the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class (PLC). He will be commissioned a During the interim, SgtMaj Jolts combined group of high-ranking while serving as company first second The new FMFPac sergeant major lieutenant after he earns his bachelors Saxton of Camp H.M. Smith was enlisted personnel - possibly, the degree from Leeward Community College. joined the Marine Corps in 1942 after The ceremony took place Wednesday wearing two hats. Besides Isis duty future first sergeants and sergeants at the Marine recruiting sub-station in graduating from South Side High Honolulu. (photo by Cpl R.C. with Camp, he was the acting Force the Marine Corps. Brown) major in School, Pittsburgh, Pa. He attended sergeant major. If we (NCO's) could square-away Small Anns, Infantry Weapons School SgtMaj Mervosh, a veteran of one Marine per day, we would have a in 1942. weekit tat Vta4 ode three wars, will report from Camp better Corps," said Iron Mike, hinting After World War II ended, the Pendleton, Calif. where he served as at ways for NCO's to improve both sergeant major returned to civilian life. the Base Sergeant Major since March themselves and their men. In 1953, he attended Drill Instructor 1972. "Human relations -- this is the School and served twice on the drill Two command changes Prior to arriving at Camp he area we must good in." field. In 1956, he attended Recruiters' Pendleton, he served with the 30. SgtMaj Mervosh explained that School at Parris Island. K-BAY - Lieutenant Colonels for MAG-24. LtCol Gasparine joins Marine Division in Okinawa. Ile joined by taking inventory of themselves and SgtMaj Mervosh's decorations Peter C. Scaglione, Jr., and Dwight R. Headquarters and Maintenance the 3d Division when the last elements grading themselves honestly, they include: Bronze Star Medal, Navy Timmons, Jr., assumed command of Squadron-24, MAG-24, as special of Marines departed Vietnam in 1971. could become better NCO's. Commendation Medal with two stars, Marine Air Base Squadron-24 and 2nd projects officer. "I don't know where the can they improve their Not only Purple Heart Medal with two stars, Battalion, Third Marines, respectively, LtCol Scaglione, a native of nickname `Iron Mike' really came habits while in the Marine Corps, but a Presidential Unit Citation with three here recently. Gainesville, Fla., joined the Marine from. The first time I heard it was should plan in advance good Marine stars, Navy Unit Commendation with LtCol Scaglione succeeds LtCol Corps in February 1953, and after when I was on the drill field at Parris the things that will help after his "for one star, Good Conduct Medal with Louis Gasparine, Jr., while LtCol completing the Naval Aviation Cadet one silver star and two bronze stars, Timmons assumed command from Maj Program in December 1954, he was National Defense Medal and the Robert J. Modrzejewski. commissioned a second lieutenant and Vietnamese Service and Campaign Before assuming his present designated a Naval aviator. Requirement for on-base housing to relax Medals. duties, LtCol Scaglione was S.4 officer see New COs, page 8 Sgs pamaat HOTLINE HQMC The occupancy on a fair rental basis. not be misinterpreted as an indication Commandant of the Marine Corps' However, in what appears to be the that any change will be made in goal has been, and will continue to he, first step toward eliminating the authorizing dependent travel, to provide housing within the means restrictions for those now considered movement of household effects or of those Marines presently classified as ineligible for adequate housing, the eligibility for adequate quarters. It Camp Smith gets new career planner ineligibles by maintaining inadequate Office of the Secretary of Defense will broaden the family housing new public quarters for voluntary (OSD) has modified its policy on construction program base and is CAMP SMITH - GySgt Paul direction and that the career planner is The Career Planning Office is programming of new housing for considered the first step in a Sanford, the Battalion Career Planner, the one to do that." located in the main building, Room ineligible personnel. Previously, long-range goal of making all corporals will be leaving here in January for a SSgt Jamison arrived here in 3A-I00 and is open from 7:30 a.m. corporals and below with less than eligible for adequate quarters. change of duty station to MCB, Camp Hawaii on Aug. 15, but he doesn't until 4:30 p.m. Monday through four years of service or on the over two years Pendleton. His replacement, SSgt Irvin officially take GySgt Sanfoicl's place Friday.