When the Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group needed an immediate surge of capability, they turned to Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve. On March 26, 2026, the response from 6th Communication Battalion was fast: orders were drafted and approved within 36 hours, and a team of Reserve component defensive cyberspace operations Marines arrived on station ready to work. Initial support was extended to provide 60 days of surge capability. The speed of that response came down to preparation. In addition to technical expertise, the Marines who showed up were medically and administratively ready before the opportunity arose, and that readiness enabled their rapid employment.

Nearly six decades after his aircraft went down over the South China Sea, Maj. Everett McPherson’s

Gunnery Sgt. Bobby G. Philips Jr., a Marine in the Reserve previously honored for his civilian heroism, was meritoriously promoted to the rank of gunnery sergeant in a ceremony on April 2, 2026. The event was held at the Beirut Memorial, in front of the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor statue. In January 2024, he was awarded the Columbia-Richland Fire Department Medal of Honor for his life-saving actions during a three-alarm apartment fire on May 26, 2023. While serving as a fire captain, Philips and his team at Rescue 1 responded to the major fire. After rescuing a woman and her dog, he was instrumental in saving two fellow firefighters who were trapped when the building collapsed.