Marines Will Be Seeing More of These Red Patches on Utility Covers. Here's Why

The bigger picture came from the Post-Gulf drawdown of 1/3 of all US active duty. From 2.1 to approx. 1.4 M Total Force active, aka Peace Dividend by POTUS GHW Bush. Mid-level folks either got a small annuity or lump sum for seps. Force Structure Planning Group handled USMC's final end strength. Caused the FSSGs (now MLGs) to consolidate commodities and LSB got absorbed. All services took cuts, especially Army Divisions. New CMC recently dropped Tank BNs as well. The red of Shore Party and yellow of Beachmasters were for visibility on the beach. Always had LS Det with MEUs (MAUs), and the overall CSS functions of MSSG (CLBs now) were named as LSUs (Landing Support Units) when I came in. LSU Gulf in WestPac I believe.

After I got out there was a period of about 10 years where I did not track what was happening too closely. Was in a 3 year legal fight for custody, just married, a new born on the way and finding my feet as a husband, dad and a full-time provider.

I spent a lot of my time with H&S Co, 4th LSB, 4th FSSG. We trained as if no units had support so we ran everything: Rail Ops, Beach and Port, Docs, Dentists (BAS), A, B & C Companies. We handled the beach, major depots, mobile depots, casualties (WIA/KIA), prisoners, and ran somewhere around 67 comm nets. We had Adv Party scouting the beach, main party coming onto the beach in the fore part of the main waves, etc, etc. We trained to be under fire, nothing setup, and doing our jobs 100%.

We also trained a lot with helicopter crews to lift and set equipment, vehicles, (simulated) wounded, etc. Day and night ops when we had the equipment.

Back in 2000 I was in 2nd LSB when we merged with 8th Motors to form 2nd TSB. Making it the biggest battalion in the French Creek are. Then many year later (2012?) I think it dissolved back to into the two battalions. Not sure why.

We called them targets - and I was one of the ones wearing them. Add to that I was comm, in the command structure I think I figured out my survival estimate to be about 4 seconds.