MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga., -- Sgt. Joshua Robles, training noncommissioned officer, Military Operations and Training Branch, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, returned home Feb. 7 after a six-month deployment to Kuwait.
He was welcomed by Marines at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany, Georgia.
Robles served as a Secretary of the Joint Staff administration noncommissioned officer, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve during his tour of duty.
This was Robles’ first deployment.
“Captain (Benjamin) Welch, my (officer-in-charge) called me in for an Individual Augmentation billet to go to Kuwait,” Robles said. “He asked if I wanted to go and of course I volunteered and said yes. Good thing I did because it was a really great experience in general.
“This environment I was in, it was Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Reserve and active-duty,” he said. “We also had coalition forces as well from around the world. It was a great experience talking and learning different perspectives of war.”
Robles described Kuwait as being really hot and windy.
“That was the first time that I have ever experienced sand storms,” he added.
Robles said it was good to be home and see friends and family.
Master Sgt. Roberto Nolasco, operations and training chief, Military Operations and Training Branch, MLCB Albany, was one of many Marines to welcome Robles home.
“Sergeant Robles is a model Marine who junior Marines looked up to and for senior Marines to seek out because he can get the job done,” Nolasco said. “I was excited to see him selected to go on deployment and especially this one being a joint deployment where he would be able to see how all the different services come together to work towards a common goal.
“I know being deployed throughout the holidays is tough, he missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's...but I think that experience is also humbling now knowing how service members handle being deployed during that time,” he added. “This will give him the experience to talk (about) to his own Marines and give them words of encouragement.”
Robles had many accomplishments throughout his deployment, according to information provided by Nolasco.
He successfully submitted and processed more than 300 staff-actions, which encompassed submissions of classified material, funding requests and transportation of general officers and distinguished visitors.
While assisting the CJ-1, he helped implement a new awards tracker for all CJTF-OIR awards and improved the overall submission and return process of Joint and Coalition Service Member awards.
For his actions, Robles was awarded an impact Joint Service Achievement Medal.
He also signed, logged and returned more than 1,100 joint awards and certifications to the CJTF-OIR CJ-1.
In addition, Robles served as the facility maintenance officer for the command group. He coordinated and submitted 13 emergency service requests including repairing air conditioning units in general officers’ offices, replacing AC units in conference rooms and restoring several command group offices.
If that wasn’t enough, Robles accounted for and managed more than $145,000 worth of electronic equipment as the hand receipt holder for the command group. He transferred and upgraded nearly 70 devices in coordination with the CJ-64 and the commanding general's communications team.
Robles was awarded the Joint Commendation Medal for his overall performance while deployed.
After a few days of leave, Robles will return to the Military Operations and Training Branch where he will be back in the role of training and funeral honors noncommissioned officer as well as putting his skills as a marksmanship coach for the Marine’s annual rifle and pistol qualifications.