MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Within the last four months, 19 Depot Marines have been tasked as individual augments and have shipped out for a six-month deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Out of the 19, most of the Marines are filling billets in the Battalion Advance Team as advisors for the new Iraqi Army NCO Academy, according to Master Gunnery Sgt. Joel Warwick, chief of Manpower and Human Resources.
When the call for individual augments came several months ago, numerous Depot Marines stepped up to volunteer.
In all, five officers, nine staff NCOs and five sergeants, from Recruit Training Regiment, WFTBn. and H&SBn., were chosen to deploy, said Warwick.
The decision to send Marines from Parris Island, an otherwise "non-deployable" unit, was spurred on by the increased need to fill billets of Marines who had already been deployed.
"The operational tempo of the operating forces right now is so high that in order to give those Marines who have been deployed a break, they have to pull from the other forces," said Warwick. "It's just above the capabilities of operating forces of everything that needs to be done, so they have to augment those forces with Marines from other bases and stations throughout the United States."
Warwick believes this to be the first time this many Marines have been deployed at any one time from Parris Island.
"As far as I know, this is the first time," he said. "Of course, our operational tempo hasn't been this high at least since Desert Storm."
The first Marines deployed in October, and the next groups left in December and January. Eleven Marines left in February, and the last two, Staff Sgt. Allen Lindsay, curriculum development and schooling staff NCO for Eastern Recruiting Region, and Maj. Steven Pitingolo, regional assistant of officer procurement for ERR, left Monday, with less than a week's notice to prepare.
"I found out I was leaving Wednesday," said Lindsay, who only had five days to get up-to-date on his shots, ship his personal items, check out weapons and gear and take care of the necessary legal paperwork. "It doesn't bother me at all. The only negative thing is being so short-fused."
One of the disadvantages of being given such short notice is the Marines "don't really have time to take the regular deployment leave like most Marines who go on a regular scheduled deployment do," said Warwick.
"If I would've volunteered, I would've taken leave to visit my two kids in Florida," said Lindsay, who has already been on five deployments. "I was on the road [Saturday] to Atlanta and back, and my former father-in-law brought my daughters up to Atlanta, so I got to see them for a couple of hours."
However, even with such short notice, Lindsay said he is "ready to go [to Iraq] and get everything squared away."
According to Warwick, there will not be a need to deploy large numbers of Depot Marines for at least another six months.
"We probably won't deploy anymore Marines for a while, at least until these deployments are up," he said. "Then we'll be tasked again, but we don't know how many we'll be tasked with. We do know that we are going to end up being tasked again within six months."
The Marines who deployed for six months may not actually return for up to 210 days, or seven months, said Warwick.
"Most of them are going to be gone 179 days, and those who left in February will be back in the September time frame," he said. "However, their orders have been cut for 210 days just in case they have to be held over longer. So, they'll be back somewhere in between 180 and 210 days."
Having Marines deploy from Parris Island is a rare opportunity that will be a good experience for all involved, said Warwick.
"I think this is what Marines do, and this is what they want to do," he said. "I think it's good that the Marines aboard Parris Island have the opportunity to be involved in this. Otherwise, if we weren't tasked to augment, they wouldn't have had the chance to participate in the operations."
"This'll be some good experience for the Marines stationed at Parris Island when they return," he added. "They can give other Marines their views of the war and what went on, and they can help them if they have to deploy sometime."