Corps to hold second Marine Week in Boston - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Corps to hold second Marine Week in Boston

Hundreds of Marines will descend on Boston this spring, as the Corps holds its second-ever “Marine Week” event in one of the nation’s oldest cities.

Marine Week Boston, to be held May 3-9, will include exercises that could range from demonstrations near historic landmarks to an appearance at a Red Sox-Yankees baseball game at Fenway Park.

Many details for the event are still being ironed out, with a major planning conference to be held early in 2010, said Capt. Antony Andrious, a Marine Week organizer at the Pentagon. The Corps intends to build on last year’s Marine Week Chicago, which showcased the Corps in the Windy City last spring.

“The city of Boston was selected due to its extensive history within American culture and deep sense of patriotism,” Andrious said. “The city provides an opportunity to demonstrate the Marine Corps capabilities and enhance relationships between Bostonians and the Corps. In addition, Boston offers a robust academic community and a strong media market that reaches diverse audiences.”

The schedule for Boston has not been finalized, but Andrious said the event will include the exhibition of Marine aircraft and ground vehicles, the demonstration of a Marine air-ground task force operation and performances by Marine bands.

“These events — which are free and open to the public — will take place throughout the city of Boston,” he said. “We are currently in the process of securing venues, which will be announced at a later date, [but] many of [them] are Boston landmarks.”

The Corps has identified 25th Marine Regiment, based at nearby Fort Devens, to serve as the special-purpose MAGTF in charge of the Boston event, Andrious said. The regiment includes 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, which is also based at Devens and includes Marines from across New England.

In Chicago, Maj. Gen. Melvin Spiese, commander of Quantico, Va.-based Training & Education Command, served as a master of ceremonies of sorts, appearing at numerous events and sharing his history as a Chicago-area native and Marine officer. The Corps is still finalizing possible general officer participation in Boston, but there are at least two generals who are Boston natives: Lt. Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Lt. Gen. John Kelly, commander of Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans.

For more information, visit www.marines.mil.