Men and women from the U.S. Marine Corps element at U.S. Cyber Command headquarters here celebrated the Corp’s 240th birthday Nov. 10.
The Second Continental Congress raised up two battalions of American Marines to serve in the American Revolutionary War on Nov. 10, 1775. Today, the U.S. Marine Corps continues to serve the nation faithfully.
"This month and this day, specifically, is really about the intestinal fortitude of being a Marine," said Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Matthew G. Glavy, Cybercom’s deputy director for operations. He later spoke of the commitment the Corps makes to ensure every Marine is always “ready to fight and win our nation’s battles.”
Glavy was joined at the Cybercom event by Marine Corps Col. Andrew Moyer, chief of staff for the director of Marine Corps Intelligence.
Always Ready to Fight, Win
Today, Marines are moving beyond the physical battlefield to become an integral part of the cyber mission, he said, ensuring the Defense Department’s information networks are safe and secure.
"Cyber is the most exponential threat that we face in the nation today," said Russ Meade, director of the Marine Cryptologic Office.
A video birthday message from Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller, Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, which paid tribute to the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, also was presented during the ceremony. The feature calls on all Marines to celebrate their history and remember those who came before them.
Neller recalled the words of Gen. John A. Lejeune, the 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, saying, "'Our legacy is the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation. You are the embodiment of these words.’"
The ceremony concluded with the "march on" of the birthday cake, where the eldest Marine shares a piece of cake with the youngest Marine. The cake-cutting ceremony is one of the Marine Corps' most time-honored traditions. It is seemingly simple in execution; however, it is important as an annual renewal of each Marine’s commitment to service.