Virginia native, U.S. Marine deploys to Australia

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Isaiah Fraser, a data systems administrator with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, is one of many Marines participating in the planning of MRF-D at Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin, Northern Territory Australia. Fraser, a Norfolk, Va., native, is responsible for the design, installation, connections and operations of communication networks and information systems used throughout the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
“Before joining the Marine Corps, I was working two customer service jobs. I was working over sixty-hours a week and I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere. One day, I decided I didn’t want to live that kind of life just to survive on my own. I’ve always enjoyed helping other people. That’s one thing I like about my job here. I am helping everyone do their job. Without me, the Marines wouldn’t be able to do anything communication wise, like send emails, or make phone calls. That is what drives me, at the end of the day knowing I helped the Marine Corps get a little bit closer to succeeding in our mission.”
The U.S. and Australian governments decided in late March to delay the rotation due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to resume the deployment comes as the government of Australia is granting an exemption to current travel restrictions to allow the 2020 MRF-D rotation to proceed, based on Australia’s record to date in managing impacts from COVID-19 as well as strict adherence by deployed U.S. Marines to the mandatory 14-day quarantine and other requirements.