Photo By Cpl. Desiree Ruiz | U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jr Sigrah, a Kosrae native and motor transport...... read more read more
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KOSRAE, Federated States of Micronesia — U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jr Sigrah, a Kosrae native and motor transport operations chief with Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, returned home for the first time in more than 20 years during Exercise Koa Moana 25’s scheduled stop in Kosrae. Sigrah’s presence adds a unique dimension to this mission, blending operational objectives with a deeply personal story of return, resilience and cultural connection.
Born in Kosrae and raised in Hawaii from the age of 6, Sigrah carried the spirit of his island heritage into a life of service. In 2009, he enlisted in the Marine Corps while his father, an Army noncommissioned officer, was deployed to Iraq. As a second-generation service member, the values of duty and sacrifice were instilled in him from an early age, guiding his decision to wear the uniform. In 2011, during his first deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Sigrah served as a motor vehicle operator. He was wounded in action on two separate occasions, earning two Purple Hearts and exemplifying the courage, resilience and dedication that define the very best of the Marine Corps.
In 2012, just before his second deployment to Afghanistan, Sigrah earned his U.S. citizenship, further strengthening the bond between his sacrifice and the nation he had chosen to defend. Now, with 16 years of honorable service, he has come full circle — returning to Kosrae, the island of his birth. In doing so, he bridges the two worlds that shaped him: the deep-rooted heritage of his island home and the proud legacy of the Marine Corps.
“Being a Marine is an honor, but representing the Federated States of Micronesia as a Kosraean Marine is greater,” said Sigrah. “After 20 years away, to return home in uniform — to be welcomed by family, to embrace my grandmother who lived the history I was taught, and to paddle canoes like those of my ancestors who once crossed vast oceans — alongside my people and my fellow Marines on Liberation Day — these moments came together as one story.”
During the visit, Sigrah reconnected with family and joined in the island’s Liberation Day celebration, which commemorates the end of Japanese occupation and the restoration of Kosrae’s sovereignty after World War II. His grandmother, a Kosrae resident, lived through that era and remains part of the island’s elder generation who carry direct memories of wartime and the subsequent liberation. Her experiences tie Kosrae’s history to the U.S. role in the Pacific as a long-standing partner and advocate for regional peace and stability.
“It is a story of legacy and resilience, of a people who endure, and of the enduring strength of a nation that stands with us in our sovereignty,” Sigrah said. “I am humbled and deeply grateful to be a vessel for that story — as a Marine, as a Kosraean and as a son of the Pacific.”
For Sigrah, Liberation Day was both a family milestone and a professional one — an opportunity to honor his heritage while representing the enduring U.S.-Kosrae partnership. Sigrah’s addition to the KM 25 detachment during the Kosrae portion of the deployment underscores the United States’ commitment to maintaining enduring regional ties — both strategically and personally.
As a Marine from a Compact of Free Association nation, Sigrah is part of a unique community of service members who choose the uniform not only as a profession but also as a bridge between cultural identity and military service. Their contributions reinforce the U.S. commitment to Pacific Island nations and lend new meaning to the Marine Corps’ motto: The Few. The Proud.
Koa Moana 25 is an annual partnership in the Indo-Pacific region that strengthens established relationships, bolsters theater security cooperation, and enhances the resilience of our allies and partners through community outreach, medical and civic assistance, infrastructure improvement projects, and key leader exchanges.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2025 20:30 |
| Story ID: | 547709 |
| Location: | KOSRAE, FM |
| Web Views: | 209 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bridging Two Worlds: Gunnery Sgt. Sigrah Returns Home to Kosrae with Koa Moana 25, by 1LT Emily Zito, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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