CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan – Sgt. Aiden Bende has been at the forefront of change within the 3rd Marine Division. As an alum of the 12th Marine Regiment and now an experienced non-commissioned officer with the 12th Littoral Combat Team, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, he has refined his tactical skill set as a fire direction control (FDC) Marine.
Bende arrived at the 12th Marine Regiment in April 2022 as an FDC Marine. He participated in his first Resolute Dragon exercise in Hokkaido, Japan. Since 2022, Bende has supported four evolutions of Resolute Dragon, and his duties and responsibilities in support of the exercise have changed year to year. During the 2022 exercise, Bende directly supported the regiment’s efforts through fire watch and battle tracking.
“I was the most junior guy, and most of the time I was responsible for keeping communications up with the batteries, as well as keeping track of rounds,” said Bende.
In November 2023, the Marine Corps redesignated the 12th Marine Regiment as the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment. M777 howitzers have been the heart of the 12th Marine Regiment for decades, but now they also employ High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. The Marines of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment’s Medium-Range Missile Battery are focused on Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems.
Although Bende remained at the regimental level after the redesignation, he could see the operational difference between being a traditional artillery regiment and a littoral regiment.
“There are a lot more assets at play,” Bende said. “When we were an artillery regiment, we were focused on artillery and infantry. Since becoming an MLR, we interact a lot more with air and other factors.”
In 2024, Bende re-enlisted and chose to extend his time on Okinawa in preparation for the activation of the Littoral Combat Team. As the unit has grown and adapted, so has Bende. Now a sergeant, he currently serves as the battery operations chief.
“I have a lot more operational knowledge,” Bende said. “It’s a lot different watching all the pieces move at the regiment level compared to the battery level. Now, I’m the piece that moves.”
Not only has Bende experienced a new unit, but he is also gaining experience with a new weapon system.
As the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment continues to grow, adapt, and increase its lethality, its Marines have done the same. Many carry their experiences from the 12th Marines into their new units.
Bende has come a long way since fire watch, now serving as the chief in his section, passing down his knowledge and experience to the Marines stepping into his boots. His re-enlistment will see him continue this growth until the middle of 2028, all within a new version of the unit he began with.