MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Marines and Sailors with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit held a retirement ceremony for Master Gunnery Sgt. Donald Iskerka aboard Camp Lejeune Apr. 19, 2013.
The Marines bid farewell to Iskerka, a career infantryman, after 27 years of honorable service which included two combat deployments to Iraq and another to Afghanistan. Iskerka’s retirement comes after spending over two years as the 24th MEU operations chief where he served during a six-month work-up and subsequent nine-month deployment throughout U.S. Central, Africa and European commands.
Iskerka said the highlight of his career was leading his fellow Marine infantryman to combat during an Iraq deployment with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment from 2005-06.
“I enjoyed performing the skills my Marines and I were trained to perform,” he said.
During the ceremony, Iskerka was awarded his third Meritorious Service Medal, several letters of appreciation, and an American flag which was flown aboard the USS Iwo Jima during the unit’s most recent deployment.
Iskerka is from Wayne, Mich., and joined the Marine Corps in 1986. His daughter, Caroline, is scheduled to attend Officer Candidate School this summer as part of the Marine Corps’ Platoon Leaders Course.