Marine House – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

During 2000 I was deployed with three Army ODAs to train the Malaysian National Police at a Police Base outside the City of Ipo. One American Soldier (18B) and I were invited to a party at the Marine House in Kuala Lumpur. We all had long hair at that point; this matters. The RSO (Regional Security Officer) told us not to reveal our active duty status to the Embassy Security Marines. There were actually only a few Marines from the embassy there for the party cash loans online .

So, I was sitting at a table talking with John (my SF buddy), the RSO and the Chief of Station when this young Corporal (Cpl) comes over to our table sits down. We were all talking when John wanted to get my attention and mistakenly called my Gunny. The Cpl looked like a crazy dog when they hear a candy wrapper. The Cpl started firing questions at me and I looked at the RSO to have him call off his dog, but he said to me, “tell him who you are; and why John called you Gunny?”

I told this kid I was an active duty Marine and he was like no way. Next couple of hours we drank and the Cpl tried to prove I was not a Marine with a million questions. As we were leaving, we were invited back the next day to swim in their pool and hang out. The next day we arrive and as the Cpl continued his interrogation and then we all I heard, “Hey Gunny, what is going on?” The Cpl was like, “oh my god, you really are a Marine.”

Sgt Matt Diehls was the Marine who called my name. I knew him from 3rd Recon Bn and he would later serve as a Sgt in Animal Company 1/7 when I was the Company 1stSgt, during the invasion of Iraq and then during stabilization operations in An Najaf.

The moral of the story: Small World; and a Smaller Corps.

SF DKD

 

Photos: (1) Urban Hide practical application, (2) shooting through mediums (glass in this case), and (3) my SF buddies and me.

By David Devaney

David K. Devaney SgtMaj USMC Retired 2009 City of Hit Iraq with PTTDavid was born in Geneva New York and graduated from Geneva High School in 1980. He joined the Marine Corps on a guaranteed Infantry contract in April of 1983. After graduating boot camp he was stationed in Hawaii with 3rdBattalion 3rd Marines (3/3). While assigned to 3/3 he held billets as a rifleman, fire team leader, and squad leader. During 1986 Corporal (Cpl) Devaney was selected as a member of Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) Platoon, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marine. Upon graduation of Scout Sniper School he was assigned to the Scout Sniper Section of 3/3 STA Platoon. During his second deployment as a Scout Sniper with 3/3 he was promoted to Sergeant (Sgt). After a tour on the drill field from 1989-1991 Sgt Devaney returned to STA 3/3 were he deployed two more times. During 1994 Sgt Devaney was selected to the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt) and ordered to III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF), Special Operation Training Group (SOTG); while at SOTG SSgt Devaney was assigned as a Reconnaissance and Surveillance (R&S) and Urban Sniper Instructor and Chief Instructor. At the time III MEF SOTG Instructors were members of Joint Task Force 510 (JTF 510 CT); a Counter Terrorism Task Force. In 1998 he deployed to Operation Desert Fox with Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2/4 and was attached to Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 572/594 as a sniper. SSgt Devaney deployed again, during 2000, with ODA 135/136/132 to Malaysia as member of JTF 510, working with the Malaysian National Police. After leaving SOTG Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) Devaney was assigned to Company A 1st Battalion 7th Marine, and spent much of his time training the Scout Snipers of 1/7. Just before the invasion of Iraq, in 2003, he was selected to the rank of First Sergeant (1stSgt) and led 270 Marines, sailors, and soldiers during combat – receiving a Bronze Star Medal for destroying the enemy and their will to fight. During 2004 1st Sgt Devaney was ordered to duty as the Inspector Instructor Staff 1st Sgt for 2nd Beach and Terminal Operations Company, Savannah, Georgia. During 2007 he was selected to the rank of Sergeant Major (SgtMaj) and received orders to Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 (VMAQ-4) stationed at Cherry Point, NC. There he trained a CADRE which in turn trained a massive Quick Reaction Force in combat operations. After two more deployments to Iraq SgtMaj Devaney received orders to Weapons Training Battalion, Quantico, VA. SgtMaj Devaney retired from the Marine Corps on 31 December 20013. He now works as an adjunct combat instructor at the “Crucible’’ in Fredericksburg, VA. David is also on the Board of Directors of the Marine Corps Scout Sniper Association. David’s published work: Books Devaney, D.K. (2007). Surviving combat: Mentally and physically (3rd edition). 29 Palms, CA: USMC. Devaney, D.K. (2015). They Were Heroes: A Sergeant Major’s Tribute to Combat Marines of Iraq and Afghanistan. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. Articles Devaney, D.K. (2011) Enough Talk of Suicide, Already! Proceedings Magazine. Devaney, D.K. (2011) Can PTSD Be Prevented Through Education? Proceedings Magazine. Devaney, D.K. (2012) PTSD Is Not Cancer. The Marine Corps Gazette. Devaney, D.K. (2012) Women in Combat Arms Units. The Marine Corps Gazette.

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