By Laurie Pearson Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
BARSTOW, Calif., Aug. 29, 2017 — The United States Marine
Corps’ last remaining mounted color guard celebrates their 50th year in service
this year -- attending rodeos, parades and other events across the country, but
it’s the day-to-day life that keeps these horse-borne Marines grounded.
Members of the mounted color guard proudly represent the
Marine Corps and serve their community and country with honor. They travel
extensively to participate in as many events as possible, and the invitations
keep rolling in with event organizers requesting their presence. As the only
remaining mounted color guard, they are spread thin, their schedules packed
with events from shore to shore, to include retirement ceremonies and
high-profile events such as the Tournament of Roses Parade.
“I feel a great sense of pride every time I put on that
uniform and get on a horse,” said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Nicholas Beberniss,
the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the mounted color guard.
For events on the other side of the country, such as the
Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., it can take up to five days to get to
the site, explained Marine Corps Cpl. Alicia Frost, a stableman. The horses are
transported via truck and trailer along with the stablemen.
“For me, the best aspect is all the traveling we get to do,
and being in the rodeos and parades,” Frost said. “I love meeting all the new
people everywhere we go. It’s awesome! The crowds are always cheering for us
and thanking us for our service.”
Representing All Marines
Children and adults alike see the mounted color guard
riders, in their perfectly pressed and polished uniforms sitting tall in their
saddles and request to have photos taken with them. As a recruiting tool, the
goal is to inspire others to join the Corps.
“It’s a very serious responsibility,” said Marine Corps Sgt.
Jedidiah Birnie, a stableman. “People don’t look at you as just a person; they
see you as representing the whole Marine Corps. So, you have to be on your toes
at all times and make sure you’re presenting a good face for the people.”
As the only woman on the team of riders, Frost embraces the
heavy responsibility of being a role model for young women.
“I’m the face for all female Marines,” Frost said. “So, when
other girls and women see me doing it, I hope it gives them the courage to
think that they can do it, as well. They can be a Marine and make it onto a
competitive team full of male[s].”
When the A-Team -- the first line of riders -- is on the
road, some of the other stablemen attend the events to assist with
transportation and care of the horses. At least one stableman remains at the
stables to care for the remaining horses, the facilities and the administrative
work.
While at home, the Marines all participate in the daily
maintenance of the facilities, horses, administrative duties and self-care. As
a team, they muck out and clean the stalls. They groom and clean the horses and
engage in ground-work training. They share the administrative load and help one
another with tasks such as fence maintenance or stall repairs.
Long Days
The horses are fed by the stablemen twice a day, morning and
night, with each person taking flakes of hay and ensuring each horse has
adequate food. They clean out the water devices and refill them often because
desert conditions can cause the water to evaporate quickly.
At the end of each day at the stables, the team is often
covered in dust and dirt as they take pride in a job well done.
“It’s great getting to see the reward of your hard work with
the horses,” Birnie said, “and having a sense of pride knowing that the work
you do here will be seen by thousands of people all across the country.”
Beberniss, who was seriously injured in combat, takes pride
in representing wounded warriors as part of the mounted color guard. He leads
by example, ensuring that the team represents the Marine Corps with honor and
integrity.
“I like being with the Marines and mentoring them,”
Beberniss said. “It’s great watching those who don’t have horse experience grow
and progress with the horses. It’s really beneficial to everyone. Working with
the mustangs is rewarding and the riders learn to control them in rodeos,
parades, as well as noisy and busy city environments.”
The horses, which come from the Bureau of Land Management,
are “green broke” before coming to the mounted color guard. Green broke means
that the horses are not yet fully trained and only recently learned to be under
a saddle.
“Once we get them, we start ground working them and putting
a saddle on them and getting them show-ready,” Beberniss explained.
The training routine includes bonding with the horses, so
that the riders earn their trust and cooperation. They work in arenas as well
as open areas, with unexpected noises and movements around them, so that the
horses learn to relax and trust their riders to have their best interests in
mind at all times.
“It can be a very tedious job at times,” Frost said. “We
work very long hours, most weekends and we usually don’t get holidays off. It’s
a big responsibility and we devote our lives to the Marine Corps and the
horses.”
“We always want the public to have a good impression of us,
the horses, the facilities we use and the Marine Corps as a whole,” Beberniss
said.
“We currently have nine riders: Lance Cpl. Jeremy Gauna,
from Monroe, Louisiana; Cpl. Javier Castellon, from Norwalk, California; Cpl.
Alicia Frost, of Warner Robins, Georgia; Sgt. Jedidiah Birnie, from Minden,
Nebraska; Cpl. Nicholas Davis, from Lynchburg, Virginia; Sgt. Fernando Blancas,
of Apple Valley, California; Sgt. Jacob Cummins, from Phoenix, Arizona; Sgt.
Terry Barker, from Sunbury, Ohio; and me, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Beberniss of
Westminster, Colorado. Things constantly change, though. People get stationed
at other locations, or get out of the Marine Corps, or what have you. So we are
always looking for good Marines to fill more slots,” he said.
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