When a recruit from Micronesia earned his title of U.S. Marine last year, he never dreamed his first deployment would be to his tiny tropical homeland in the western Pacific.
Alexiander Sigrah is not only back in his native country, but his family surrounded him as he stood on the familiar hot and humid beach of Kosrae Island and was promoted in rank to private first class.
“It was the greatest day of my life,” Sigrah, 20, said. “Everybody was so proud of me.”
Most of his large family still lives on the 42-square-mile tropical island – it is the easternmost island of the Federated States of Micronesia, not far from the Philippines, China and Indonesia. The only one missing from his promotion ceremony was his mother, who was away at work on another island.
But it wasn’t her fault she missed out; Sigrah’s return was a surprise, and so was his promotion.
“I went away from there to join the Marine Corps, and now the Marine Corps is bringing me back,” said Sigrah, a motor transport technician who deployed with the Combat Logistics Battalion 11 from Camp Pendleton in July.
Sigrah is among 200 Marines and sailors who are helping the local community and security forces with engineering, medical services and training, such as how to enforce maritime law and how to dispose of explosives. As part of Task Force Koa Moana, their mission is to build stronger relationships with the Pacific Island nation and support a newly signed defense agreement.
While the promotion was a huge highlight for Sigrah and his family, he said he is much more excited about another quest he’s on: Becoming an American citizen.
Most immigrants who serve with the U.S. military must first secure a legal permanent resident card, but Micronesians can serve without that requirement because the country is considered a trusted territory, said Master Sgt. Rebekkah Heit with the Marine Corps Recruiting Command.
That means its residents can work in the U.S. indefinitely without…
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