Col. Michael Nakonieczny, commanding officer of the

Col. Michael Nakonieczny, commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), talks to the newly promoted non-commissioned officers (NCO’s) of the unit at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 6, 2020. “You are the direct link between the junior Marines and the staff and officers,” said Nakonieczny; “Be the corporal you wish you would’ve had.” Marines become NCO’s when they get promoted to the E-4 and E-5 rank (Cpl./ Sgt.), with the task of being small unit leaders. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brandon Salas)