Sgt. Dakota Meyer, the one Medal of Honor recipient presently serving within the Marine Corps, graduated from the Fundamental Reconnaissance Course at Camp Pendleton, California, on Friday, incomes the 0321 Navy Occupational Specialty as a reconnaissance Marine.
The Sergeant Main of the Marine Corps, Carlos A. Ruiz attended the commencement ceremony for BRC Class 2-26 and posted about Meyer’s accomplishment in a social media publish that day.
Meyer, 37, shared the announcement in a publish on his Instagram account with the caption, “No stop. No shortcuts. No trying again.”
From Infantryman to Recon Marine
The commencement caps a exceptional return to the Corps for Meyer, who left lively obligation in 2010 after two fight deployments. He spent 15 years as a civilian earlier than reenlisting within the Marine Corps Reserve on April 17, 2025, on the Pentagon’s Corridor of Heroes.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth administered Meyer’s oath of enlistment, with Ruiz and Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard additionally current. Meyer got here again on the rank of sergeant and initially returned as an infantryman.
His completion of the reconnaissance course now modifications that. The 12-week program trains Marines within the core expertise of amphibious reconnaissance and is extensively thought-about one of the bodily punishing programs within the Corps.
College students face a mean coaching day exceeding 15 hours throughout 69 days whole. Necessities embody a 12-mile compelled march beneath a 50-pound load accomplished inside three hours and a timed 1.25-mile open-water swim with fins.
Meyer instructed reporters at his reenlistment ceremony that his choice got here right down to integrity. He recalled encouraging a younger Marine at an NCO course to remain within the service, then turning the query on himself.
“How might I ask them to proceed to serve and sacrifice with out doing it myself?” Meyer stated.
The Medal of Honor and the Highway Again
Meyer grew up in Columbia, Kentucky, and enlisted in 2006 after graduating from Inexperienced County Excessive College. He deployed to Iraq in 2007 as a scout sniper with third Battalion, third Marines earlier than a second deployment to Afghanistan’s Kunar Province.
On Sept. 8, 2009, Meyer drove right into a kill zone exterior the village of Ganjgal 5 instances over the course of six hours, pulling wounded troops to security and recovering the our bodies of fallen service members. President Barack Obama introduced him with the Medal of Honor on the White Home on Sept. 15, 2011, making him the primary residing Marine to obtain the ornament for the reason that Vietnam Battle.
Meyer left lively obligation in 2010 and later co-authored “Into the Fireplace,” a New York Occasions bestselling account of the battle. He spent the following 15 years as a firefighter, a veterans’ advocate and was an everyday presence at army installations, the place he spoke to active-duty troops about management and resilience
“Nonetheless right now, at my age, becoming a member of the Marine Corps is the one best factor that I’ve ever completed,” Meyer stated.
