The Marine Corps continued to make its impact on history in 2011.
The Corps extended its reach to the Pacific with humanitarian missions and news of future deployments to Australia; conducted Fleet Weeks in New York and California; supported the community with Marine Week St. Louis; and made its way into the Hollywood buzz with several celebrities attending Marine Corps birthday balls across the nation.
The Corps welcomed in a new sergeant major of the Marine Corps and shed tears for the 25 Marines from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, the ‘Dark Horse Battalion’, who paid the ultimate sacrifice and lost more men than any other Marine unit in Afghanistan in support of operations there.
Sgt. Dakota Meyer made his mark in history when he became the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for heroic actions during the Global War on Terror. The Corps made a significant step in removing all deployed units in Iraq while continuing to support the Afghan security forces in Afghanistan.
Although the year has come to a close, we take a moment to look back on the moments that capture the significance of 2011 and the Marine Corps.
Visit the Year in Photos to relive 2011 through its best imagery:
http://marines.dodlive.mil/2012/01/10/2011-yip/