Marine Reserves called for duty

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

Locally based Marine reservists have been called up to provide homeland security.

About 100 members of the Weapons Platoon, Fox Co., 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines -- the majority of whom are Nevadans -- were called to active duty Tuesday under the partial mobilization authorized by President Bush.

"That's just about everybody here -- we'll be leaving behind a skeleton crew," Sgt. Joe Alvaredo, spokesman for the Marine Reserves, said.

"The consensus among those who have been called up is that they are very well trained and ready to support homeland security."

The local troops will be deployed later this week to the Marine base at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The battalion will serve as a reactionary force for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the region that includes Nevada, California, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam.

Alvaredo declined to comment on the potential of the unit being sent to the war in Afghanistan. Nor would he speculate on the eventual destination of the local Marines.

Other 2nd Battalion units involved in the activation include troops from four California sites -- Encino, Los Alamitos, Port Hueneme and San Bruno -- and from Salt Lake City.

The units are part of the 4th Marine Division, which includes 20,000 Marines at 106 locations nationwide. It is the largest of the Marine's four divisions.

To date more than 4,000 Marine reservists have been activated.

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