Ohio native, U.S. Marine deploys to Australia

Video by Cpl. Sarah Marshall

Marine Rotational Force - Darwin

June 22, 2020 | 0:30

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Sophie Perry, a postal clerk with Marine Rotational Force - Darwin participates in a quarantine working party at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin in NT, Australia, June 19, 2020. Perry, a Dayton, Ohio native, performs a variety of duties including the oversight of distribution of mail, financial services, procurement of supplies, and dispatching. The Marines supply the quarantined MRF-D personnel with essentials. Marines wear personal protective equipment and practice a decontamination process upon exiting quarantined areas.

“Under the circumstances of COVID-19, it has been a challenge for us to do our job as postal Marines because of the lack of flights and their schedules constantly changing. Right now, our mission is to work under the situation at hand and find ways to get mail here and distribute it to the Marines and sailors. Coming out here, there are billets I have not had the chance to do at my parent command, so being in this higher-tempo training environment is exciting because we will be able to learn more from each other as well as the Australians we get to work with.”

MRF-D enables U.S. Marines and the ADF to enhance regional security, strengthen alliances and partnerships, and increase the ability to rapidly respond to crises throughout the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sarah Marshall)