Retired U.S. Marine Corps Major and now federal employee Vincent T. Sablan was awarded a Length of Service Award for his fifty years of service, both in and out of uniform, alongside nine civilian employees, by Brig. Gen. Nick Brown on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 29, 2025.
Sablan currently works as the fleet manager for the installation’s Southwest Region Fleet Transportation (SWRFT) office at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.
A native of Guam, Sablan enlisted in the Marine Corps in December 1973 and reported to boot camp on 5 January 1974 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. He graduated as a contract lance corporal and attended the Infantry Training School at San Onofre, Camp Pendleton, with a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 0331, infantry machine gunner. His first duty station was with the Weapons Platoon, Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, on Okinawa, Japan. The unit deployed aboard naval ships in support of Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of South Vietnam in 1975.
“It was April 29th,” recalled Sablan. “You could see South Vietnam. Then, all you saw was just these thousands of black dots; they were just heading towards the ship, they were all these [South Vietnamese] boats. They were loaded with refugees. As [the Sailors and Marines] cleared each boat, we dropped down the catwalk on the side of the ship and then had families climb up aboard. We put them in quarters, or they were placed right outside on the flight deck. We had probably over 1000 refugees on our ship.”
As a sergeant, Sablan was transferred to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines as a machine gun squad leader. He reenlisted for a 4-year term and checked in to Naval Magazine, Marine Barracks, Guam, as a security guard from 1975 to 1977. Transferred to Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station, Oahu, Hawaii, assigned to Alpha and Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines as a machinegun squad leader, section leader, and platoon commander.
Sablan returned to MCRD San Diego as a 0369, infantry staff noncommissioned officer, with the intent of becoming a drill instructor. The Corps, however, had different plans, as he was subsequently selected to become a Marine Corps warrant officer in 1980, right before he formally graduated from drill instructor school.
Sablan’s official MOS changed from 0369 to 2120, which is a weapons repair officer. In 1983, he was selected for the Limited Duty Officer Program and commissioned as a 1st Lt. He served as the executive officer and eventually the company commander of the Ordnance Maintenance Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group (FSSG).
In 1985, Sablan was stationed with the 12th Marines, III Marine Amphibious Force, in Okinawa, serving as the regimental Ordnance Officer, and later with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, as the Ordnance Officer.
From 1986 to 1989, he served as an operations officer in the G-4 section of the I Marine Amphibious Force. Recalling his time there, he highlights being present in 1988 when the I Marine Amphibious Force transitioned into what Marines know today as the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
As a Captain MOS 2102, Sablan returned to MCRD San Diego once again in 1989, this time as the Depot ordnance officer. He later transferred to the General Support Maintenance Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st FSSG as the company commander and retired as a major in April 1995.
Just over a month after retirement, Sablan joined the civilian workforce as an operations supervisor with the Motor Transportation Division at MCRD San Diego.
“What made me stay with the Marines,” explained Sablan, “is that I continued to work with Marines, and I just loved that. I truly enjoyed working at the recruit depot.”
Climbing the ranks, Sablan became the transportation director of the motor transportation division in September 1998.
A monumental moment for Sablan during his tenure with the Motor Transportation Division was the transformation into the SWRFT organization on Oct. 1, 2000. This transformation was not an overnight process, as it took well over a year of effort by Sablan and the regionalization team. The change from just the motor transportation division to SWRFT enabled fluent communication with external sections across the southwest sector, including Bridgeport, 29 Palms, Barstow, Camp Pendleton, Miramar, Yuma, Arizona, and MCRD San Diego, resulting in a drastically improved level of efficiency in mission success.
“It was something that I had worked on with the different installations for a year and a half,” said Sablan. “It transitioned each installation from having its own commercial transportation to now making it a regional transportation support. We made it a great transition that now we can reach out to any organization if we need additional support, and they can help, and we can do the same in return.”
After more than 24 years serving with SWRFT, Sablan will retire on Oct. 1, 2025, marking fifty years in total service to the Corps. When asked why he stayed so long after hanging up his uniform, his answer was simple: he loves working with Marines.
“For me, one of the greatest things that I’ve been able to do in the Marine Corps,” recalled Sablan, “is helping with the 'Making of Marines.’ I’ve done that for 30 years as a civil servant, and I truly enjoy it. I am going to miss it, but it’s time for me to go and pass the torch on.”
(U.S. Marine Corps story by Cpl. Jacqueline Akamelu)