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April 1, 2016 Grunt.com Admin

Base Brig Camp Pendleton, CA

By: Joseph W. Sullens Corporal USMC

This is for all current and former Marines who served as guards at H&S Company, Corrections Battalion MCB Camp Pendleton, CA. I served there from December 1979 to July 1983. I have a lot of fond memories of that place. Some of which were: January 1980 through June 1980 – Murderers row (8 in cell block), IDIOT forms, gate silencers, signing the 509 forms, Master Control, Victor, Victor!, Section Leader SSgt Arroyo, Sgt. Reyes, Sgt. Lee (both), Sgt. Saia, Corporal Catbagan, Section Leader SSgt Helmel, Bn Commander Maj. G. A. Miller, CWO Jackson and his morning snooping (entering through the dorm rear hatch trying to catch any sleeping guard while on duty), Capt. Collins, Lt Ciamacca (WM), coyotes howling up in the hills, 100 rabbits on the front lawn, rattlesnakes, Minimum Annex, Work Annex, squirrels chewing through newly glued targets at the Work Annex because they liked the wheat paste, having Environmental Services remove a 6 foot rattle snake from the Work Annex, LCpl Bowman, relaxing in the barracks TV room, Sgt. Gade, the weasel that wasn’t afraid of walking through an open door and visiting occupied rooms, annual rifle qualification, Field Day formation, morning PT Formation, Company Formation, going up to ‘The Hill’ for duty, Duty Belts, Uniform of the Day, ‘do we call them confinees or prisoners today?’, Guard Mount, Post 4 duty, turning the flood lights on by climbing the guard towers, finding two owls in Tower 2, (one broke out a window), Rec Call, Reveille, Reveille, Reveille!, Mail Call, Code 6. We were Firm, Fair, and Professional in all our duties. We were the gate keepers to prepare Marines to be returned to duty or to be summarily discharged. You were invaluable to the Corps in which we all served. SEMPER FI!

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Comments

Cpl Antonio Arriaga - May 28, 2023

Reading some of the comments brought me fond memories of the “BRIG” 24 area, Camp Pendleton CA. I too arrived at The Brig late December 1979, Sunday 12/27/1979 with R Matta & Jasicakas, I probably massacred Jasicakas name, lol. Duty driver LCPL White picked us up at receiving barracks in main area & when we arrived to 24 area Gunny Blinky was the Officer of day. Way too many stories of the Brig & Confinees/Sentencees. After 2 weeks of in service training as a Correctional Specialist 5831, to the day I was Honorably Discharged from USMC Friday May 13, 1983 I was assigned to 3rd platoon, great section leaders (SSGT Arroyo aka SSGT Mother Fucker he was a badass, SSGT Aunn, SSGT Luna, and many others). One SSGT for those who were assigned with me “Frizgerald” what a guy, Karma is a MF. Needless to say, No regrets I learned from the best which I used after my time in USMC, returned to my hometown El Paso TX and worked for over 29 years with the Local Sheriff’s office, yes retired as a Detention Sgt, happily married over 43 yrs with my High School Sweetheart who was with me 3 1/2 years in Corps & our Daughter who was born in Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital and a Son who was born 10 years later.
Semper Fi Marines!!!

Rolando R Matta - May 26, 2023

I was there from 1979 to 1981, left there for Embassy Duty, came back in 1983 (a little bit early before I was suppose to but that is different story). Only true LEADER there was Gysgt Carl Wilson. For some reason I kept getting assigned Dorm 8 (crazy 8, as the confinees used to call it). Major Miller tore up my Sgt warrant and took my corporal stripe and all because I wanted to dance with his wife for my last Marine Corp Ball. Go figure. Good memories there. Semper Fi!

Alex Garcia - April 30, 2023

I was there from 1973- October of 1976 as a Sergeant. We were under Security Battalion at first. I remember Top P.B.Wells, Lt. Whitehead, WO Brown, and Gunny Garrett. I ended up preparing the hard cores to Ft Leavenworth from selection to transportation and traveling with them. Col Bresleaur was the commander.

Sgt. Frank Homenick - March 11, 2023

Arrived at Corrections Battalion June 1976 24 area. I’ve been reading the comments and the only name I recognize is Major George Miller. I was the Major’s driver. Major Miller recommended me to the Officer of the Commanding General to be the CG’s driver. After interviews by the CG’s staff, I was selected. CG at the time was Major General Stephan G. Olmstead. I left the Marines in April 1980 after 4 years and 4 months of service.

JAMES FLORES - March 10, 2022

I got to the brig in 1991, 30 days after returning from Desert Storm with 3/7 Task Force Grizzly. We were Corrections Battalion at the time under Major Torrez as the commanding officer. When we transitioned to Brig Company Security Battalion, it took a while to adjust. We had Capt. Freeman as our Commanding Officer and there were SNCO’s like GySgt Savage, GySgt Marlow, SSgt Hitchens, GySgt Nieves, GySgt Downs, SSgt Latter, SSgt Waugh, SSgt Lutz, GySgt Allen, SSgt Bradford, CWO Adams, CWO Corneliusen, CWO Santos, GySgt Velez, WO Cruz, GySgt Treanor, MSgt Mathews, MSgt Hunter, MGySgt Wright, SSgt Gillespie, SSgt Barnes, GySgt Burke, Mr. Thompson and many others. I worked security and then was placed in charge of Key Control and the name changed to Contraband Control. I became a counselor as a Sergeant and went off to recruiting duty in 1994 and returned as security section leader as a Staff Sergeant from 1997-2000. I served as a counselor, ACA Accreditation Team, Counselor at CCU, Served as the Company Training Chief and then SNCOIC of CCU before being discharged in 2002 with CWO Medina as the commanding officer and MSgt Gillespie as the OIC.

Sgt. Donald A. Snowden - July 13, 2020

WHEN I RETURNED FROM VIET NAM IN 1967 I WAS ASSIGNED TO CAMP PENDLETON CORRECTIONAL CUSTODY BN.. ALSO KNOWN AS BRIG DUTY. I WAS THERE FROM APRIL 1967 THROUGH TO MY DISCHARGE IN LATE MARCH OF 1969. MAJ BROOKS WAS THE C.O. . I WAS ASSIGNED TO SECTION 2, AS A COMPOUND NCO IN BOTH THE “Q” MAX COMPOUND AND THE SENTENCED MEDIUM COMPOUND. AFTER BEING THERE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, I PUT IN FOR DUTY IN THE CONTROL OFFICE AS A CONTROL NCO. I WAS A CONTROL NCO UNITL MY DISCHARGE. I SERVED WITH SOME GREAT MEN WHILE THERE. TO NAME A FEW, CPL. BUCKNER, CPL. PETERSON SGT. NOLL, CPL STEINER, CPL. KYLE, CPL. JONES. I SERVED WITH SOME OF THE BEST STAFF NCO’S, GY/SGT, GRAY, GY/SGT., SWANSON, GY/SGT., LANKFORD, I ONLY WISH I COULD HAVE NAME THEM ALL BUT I CAN’T. SEMPER FI TO ALL WHO SERVED IN THE CORPS.

JOHN WHITEHEAD - July 13, 2020

I SERVED IN 22nd pack howetsear unit. LEFT IN JUNE 1942, BOARDED SHIP AT SAN DIEGO, 32 DAYS LATER, LANDED IN SAMOA, FOR ONE WEEK, THEN TO THE [CANAL], SPENT THE NEXT THIRTY MONTHS, BOUGANVILLE,AND OTHER ISLANDS IN THE JUNGLE!!!1 NOV. 1943 SENT TO PERTH, AUSTRALIA [MOB 3] MY MALARIA HAD TAKEN OVER. WISHED I WAS BACK AT PENDELTON!!!!!! G SGT. JOHN WHITEHEAD

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