Photo By Staff Sgt. Dana Beesley | U.S. Marine Corps Col. Kevin R. Root (Ret.), former commanding officer of I Marine...... read more read more
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Three war campaigns. Ten Marine Corps commandants. Six United States presidents.
Over the last three decades, Col. Kevin R. Root has witnessed the world change in countless ways as he served in the United States Marine Corps. With unwavering dedication and commitment, he completed a remarkable 30-year career in the military.
Root, a native of Binghamton, New York, enlisted into the Marine Corps in October 1989 as an infantryman.
“My dad was a Marine for four years and served in Vietnam,” said Root. “It was always something he looked at as a major defining point in his life, and it was something I wanted to do since a fairly young age.”
During his enlistment, Root served with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Following his time with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, he reported to 2nd Marines Regimental Scout Platoon and was a Scout Sniper and Reconnaissance Marine until he was honorably discharged in 1993.
“When I left the Marine Corps for the first time in 1993, I moved to Atlanta and went to Georgia Tech,” said Root. “I enjoyed my time, but found myself bored. I ended up joining the Army Reserves and became a counter-intelligence agent.”
Utilizing the Montgomery G.I. Bill, Root graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs. Upon graduation, he worked with an officer selection officer to come back into the Marine Corps as an officer.
“My number one choice out of The Basic School was 0203 and I got my top pick. Ground Intelligence Officer," said Root.
Root commissioned in April 1998 and upon completing Infantry Officer Course and Military Intelligence Officer Basic Courses, he was assigned to serve as the Battalion Intelligence Officer and Headquarters Battery Commander for 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment. He later reported to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in June 2000 where he served as a Platoon Commander and deployed to Okinawa with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment as the Battalion Landing Team Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“I was with the 31st MEU when the terrorist attacks on September 11th happened,” said Root. “We were in Okinawa and there was a typhoon and I just happened to be watching the guy across the halls TV and he was like ‘hey, there is something going on.’”
Throughout his career, Root deployed to various parts of the world, serving in different capacities and fighting in numerous conflicts from the deserts of the Middle East to the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. In 2004, he deployed in support of 1st Marine Division to Ramadi, Iraq. From 2006 to 2007, he was deployed with Alpha Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion to Fallujah, Iraq, and then in 2012, he deployed to Helmand, Afghanistan with 7th Marine Regiment.
As Root climbed the ranks, he not only excelled in combat, but also demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and motivation. In 2011, Root attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College where he graduated with distinction. Additionally, he was selected as the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to Johns Hopkins University. While attending the School of Advanced International Studies, he earned a Master of International Public Policy.
According to Root, the Marine Corps provided enough challenges to keep him serving for well over three decades.
“The Marine Corps has found a way after 247 years to always offer the next rank or the next billet as an incentive to stay in,” said Root. “For people who want to continue to serve, but also to move up, those incentives are a challenge and over the years you’re just so used to going after the next challenge.”
The Marine Corps provides a multitude of opportunities for personal and professional growth, offering a wide variety of career paths, educational benefits, and specialized training in various fields.
“The Marine Corps is going to get what it needs out of each of us,” said Root. “There are so many things offered that the Marines need to take advantage of every opportunity. I have been to 32 countries, 17 different schools and earned three degrees and I have had a number of different ranks from Private to Colonel. Joining the Marine Corps is not only an opportunity to do some very interesting things, but also meet interesting people. It gives you opportunities that you probably won’t have anywhere else.”
According to Root, the thing he will miss most about the Marine Corps is the people.
“When I got out in 1993, I wanted to get out and go to college and do other things. What I found was that the people I was working with and going to school with were not the same kind of people I left in the Marine Corps,” said Root. “I came back in searching for the commitment and service, but also just the kind of people that are dedicated and driven and want to succeed for something bigger than themselves.”
Root’s career led him across the Corps and concluded with him serving as the I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group commanding officer.
“His greatest strength is how much he cares about the Marines and Sailors and their families. He has shown that every day,” Sgt. Maj. Reginald Daniels, the I MIG sergeant major. “He loves to have fun. We work hard every day, and were going to give our time to the institution, but you can still have fun while doing it. He is a great example of you can still enjoy life while you have a serious job to do.”
According to Daniels, it takes a special type of Marine to stay in for 30 years.
“You have to know that it’s not going to be all milk and honey,” said Daniels. “You are going to have some rough days. You have to have the patience and understanding of what you are putting yourself and your family through.”
While Root has four more years of eligibility as an officer before reaching the 30-year service limitations, retirement offered him the opportunity to spend more time with his family, to reflect on his experiences, and to find new ways to serve.
“It is a good time for my wife and I to look at something else and look for more balance in our lives,” said Root. “I look forward to the opportunity to choose a path that isn’t necessarily dictated for me. I still want to serve and work with people. Those two things will keep me satisfied moving forward.”
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.02.2023 10:50 |
| Story ID: | 448568 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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