Jesse Abbott

Inver Grove Heights, MN
United States Marine Corps

Active Duty: 1995 – 1999
Inactive Duty: 1999 – 2003

I was recruited out of the West St. Paul recruiting office in the fall of 1994. I left for boot camp on May 15, 1995 in San Diego CA. After graduating boot camp in September I went on to the School Of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, CA. After three months of school I graduated and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, CA in the high Mojave Desert region. I was attached to Alpha Co. 1st Battalion 7th Marines 1st Marine Regiment.

In January of 1996 my unit was deployed to Okinawa, Japan Camp Schwab. We did several months of training In the Northern Training Area (NTA) to get ready for cross training with the Royal Thai Marine Corps in Thailand. Once in Thailand, we spent several months in the dense jungle doing combat patrols, live fire exercises and survival training. In August of 1996 we returned home to 29 Palms, CA…

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In the fall of 1996 we geared up to do a Combined Arms Exercise (CAX) with several agencies. The Navy, Army and Air Force all joined us. It was the largest combined Live Fire exercise in the United States. Over the course of a month we worked together to do live fire combat training out in the desert. In the spring of 1997 the great state of Texas asked my unit to help out in the war against illegal drugs coming into America via Brownsville to Corpus Christi. We spent a month in both towns helping the border patrol and local law enforcement buy drugs, inform and arrest people who sold and were trafficking drugs.
In the fall of 1997 we geared up for another CAX. At that time I was promoted to Corporal E-4 and sent to headquarters platoon. I was the Embarkation non-commissioned Officer of my unit. For the duties I carried out and going above the call of duty, I was awarded the honor of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
In January 1998 we were deployed once again to Camp Schwab Okinawa, Japan. This time we only spent a month there before we boarded the Navy U.S.S. Fort McHenry (LSD43). We spent close to 4 months out at sea traveling to the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. We had Navy Seals aboard the ship that trained with us. We were also put on alert when the riots in Indonesia took place. Their Government asked us to come and help with the chaos taking over their country. In the fall of 1998 we returned to 29 Palms once again. In the spring of 1999 I was released from active duty and went home on terminal leave. After 9/11 I was put on alert at Fort Snelling. I had to report once a week in the event the Marines involuntary extended me and I would be deployed.
Fortunately I was not called back to active duty and was honorably discharged May 1, 2003 by President George W. Bush.