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Reservists in Long Island Activated

USMC News

Story by Sgt John Neal
Story Identification Number: 200321111543

AMITYVILLE, N.Y.(Feb. 8, 2003) -- The stark reality of current events touched this sleepy Long Island hamlet Saturday when Marine Reservists of A Company, 6th Communications Battalion here received orders to activate. They join the thousands of citizen-Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., who have been called to service and are awaiting further orders.

For many of the junior Marines here this will be their first deployment. Others, like the senior sergeants and staff noncommissioned and commissioned officers, are prior active duty and have experienced deployments before or have been around the Reserves long enough to deploy during the Persian Gulf War. As one sergeant put it, the whole process of getting Marines ready for activation has been a series of growing pains and lessons learned that will likely continue throughout the call-up but are remedied through constant training.

Sgt. Robert Scarpelli, platoon sergeant of the data communication platoon and a Dix Hills, N.Y., native, has been with the battalion for two years, but like many seasoned Marines spent time on active duty, during which he prepared for a Persian Gulf deployment. For him, this activation has stirred up familiar mixed feelings of uncertainty and unwavering confidence.

"We're prepared," he said. "A little nervous, but prepared."

But right now, he's too preoccupied with ensuring his Marines are ready to go to worry about what waits for his unit. As he talked about the measures he's taken to get his Marines up-to-speed with administrative, medical and personal necessities, he kept a sharp eye on his platoon and interrupted every now and then to issue orders and correct mini-problems seemingly typical of getting Marines and equipment ready for loading onto buses and trucks.

Earlier in the evening the company first sergeant ran through a quick checklist to ensure all Marines were ready for moving out. Items included the standard ID and weapons card check, sea bags and carry-on luggage, 782 gear. Other items, though normal issue and considered routine on any other exercise suddenly held a greater significance: gas masks, MOPP gear, and the not-so-ordinary Anthrax shot.

According to Scarpelli, the modified checklist hit home with a lot of his Marines and was something they were all taking seriously.

"It did make things seem all the more real, especially for the younger Marines," said Scarpelli. "But it's something I've gone through before and it's just one of those growing pains you have to deal with."