MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, SAN DIEGO, April 2, 2001 --  One of our fellow MCL members, John Z. Hernandez received his promotion to Master Sergeant in a small ceremony inside the Duncan Hall mess facility, aboard the San Diego Recruit Depot.  Pinning on his new Master Sergeant rank insignia are Captain Manuel J. Delarosa (left) and Lieutenant Colonel Richard M. Wersel (right).

Maj. Michael Johannes (left), the executive officer of 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, stands with Col. Michael Frazier, the commanding officer of 11th Marine Regiment, after Johannes was awarded the Australian Chief of the Army Gold Commendation Medal during the award ceremony here, May 9. Johannes received the highest level of the commendation for his work while serving as an individual augment in the Marine Corps Foreign Personnel Exchange Program to Australia. Johannes, from Keno, Ore., spent two years assigned to the Australian Army's Experimental and Research Section.