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The beautiful view of southeast Georgia's sparkling intercoastal waterway is one that many people pay big bucks to see and even more to live near. But the beauty was largely lost on the 20-year-old U.S. Marine on this sultry Southern summer day as he peered across the sun-sparkled waters from his machinegun bunker.
As he spoke, he kept his eyes glued to a mid-sized fishing boat about a quarter mile away in the main channel; the boat was barely visible to the casual observer.
"My mission here is to make sure nobody enters this area, accidentally or on purpose," said Lance Corporal Paul Shupert, nodding his head backward to indicate the general direction of "this area." His eyes never left the boat and he zoomed a high-powered video camera on it for a closer look.
The channel upon which the Jefferson City, Tenn., native was so focused leads from open water into a narrowing strait that suddenly is impeded by obstacles that block further access to "this area" for good reason.
This area is at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., the East Coast home to Trident nuclear-powered submarines and their strategic and conventional weapons when the subs aren't patrolling the world.
Shupert is one of more than 900 Marines and sailors who comprise the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion (MCSF Bn) at Kings Bay. An identical battalion at Bangor, Wash., guards the West Coast subs. They both fall under the Marine Corps Security Force Regiment in Norfolk, Va. Their mission provides direct support to Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic and Pacific for security of strategic assets.
Put simply, these Marines guard nuclear submarines and their weapons. The locations arguably are two of the most challenging posts of the Corps.
"This is a unique billet for enlisted Marines and one that is unlike any other billet in the Corps," explained MCSF Bn Kings Bay commander Lieutenant Colonel Wendy Goyette.
It is not easy duty at Kings Bay. Summers are hot - the humidity might suck the life out of lesser beings, and winters can be cold and rainy, but these young, all-weather Marines can take it. Most of them are corporals or below and younger than 25 years old. For them, the journey began at...