WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Marine Corps Col. Daniel S. Sullivan, the last actively serving Marine in the U.S. Senate, retired from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., Feb. 1, 2024.
Sullivan, with a notable service record spanning from 1993 to 2024, served as an infantry and reconnaissance officer, with a secondary military occupational specialty as an intelligence officer. He served across the globe with the Marine Corps, deploying to the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and Central Asia. In July 2013, Sullivan returned to active duty to serve with a Joint Task Force in Afghanistan that focused on dismantling terrorist networks and criminalizing the Taliban insurgency.
U.S. Marine Col. and Senator Daniel Sullivan retires after 30 years
Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Pysher
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Bellon, commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South, brings attention to the newly pinned Legion of Merit medal on Col. Daniel Sullivan during his retirement ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C, Feb. 1, 2024. During the ceremony, Sullivan was honored for his time in the Marine Corps and congratulated for his 30 years of service. Sullivan is a U.S. Senator from Alaska and pursued a career in the Marine Corps Reserve simultaneously. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Pysher)
“I’m Alaska’s junior U.S. Senator, but with the exception of husband and father, the title ‘Marine’ is my proudest achievement. Always has been. Always will be,” said Sullivan. “This great honor was only possible because of the unwavering support of my wife, Julie, and my three daughters: Meghan, Isabella and Laurel.
“I have often said that, for those serving, the whole family wears the uniform. I also want to thank the Marines with whom I served for three decades. I learned from every one of those brave men and women who are a part of the most lethal fighting force in the world and who represent the best of America,” Sullivan said. “I now join the ranks of another highly esteemed group in our country—America’s veterans. Like so many Marines before me, I will always carry with me the values that are at the core of the Marines: honor, courage, and commitment. Semper Fidelis.”
“We are grateful to Col. Sullivan for his extraordinary legacy of serving with distinction in both the Marine Corps and the United States Senate” Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon, commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South
Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon, commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South, served as the retiring official for the ceremony.
“We are grateful to Col. Sullivan for his extraordinary legacy of serving with distinction in both the Marine Corps and the United States Senate,” Bellon said. “He serves as an example for other Reserve Marines and their families. Excellence and success in multiple careers are absolutely possible.
“Surround yourself with self-motivated people who strive to answer their ‘irrational call to service’ and life unfolds with great options,” Bellon continued. “Understanding dual careers can be extremely complicated for families, the Corps and our country are better for our Marines’ loyal dedication to both.”
U.S. Marine Col. and Senator Daniel Sullivan retires after 30 years
Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Pysher
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, congratulates Col. Daniel Sullivan on his retirement during Sullivan’s retirement ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C, Feb. 1, 2024. During the ceremony, Sullivan was honored for his time in the Marine Corps and congratulated for his 30 years of service. Sullivan, with a notable service record spanning from 1993 to 2024, served across the globe with the U.S. Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Pysher)
Four current U.S. Senators have earned the title of U.S. Marine – Sen. Sullivan is joined by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Todd Young of Indiana, and J.D. Vance of Ohio. Senators Young and Vance honored Senator Sullivan by attending his retirement ceremony. Only 34 Marines have ever served in the U.S. Senate.
The Marine Corps Reserve has more than 90,000 Marines with a vast range of skills and expertise gained from both military and civilian careers. Deploying worldwide and throughout the year as needed, Marine Forces Reserve provides trained units and individual Marines to augment and reinforce active forces for use across the full spectrum of crisis and global engagement.