Pasadena’s Warriors: Inside the 2/23 Marines’ Dual World of Civilian Life and Combat Readiness

As Pasadena prepares to honor its veterans this Monday, the city faces a poignant intersection of civilian and military life, with its adopted Marine battalion preparing for overseas deployment amid Veterans Day celebrations.

The 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Corps Regiment, comprising approximately 1,000 marines and sailors, stands ready for a six-month Indo-Pacific deployment while maintaining its deep community ties. The unit exemplifies the delicate balance between civilian careers and military service that defines America’s reserve forces.

“The battalion will deploy into the Indo-Pacific region to work alongside our fellow Marines sister services, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and Army, as well as our allies and partners in the region to enhance collective readiness and operational capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Ben Phillips, USMC, the Inspector-Instructor assigned to the unit.

“A vast majority of the members of our battalion are citizen soldiers,” Phillips said. “So many of them serve in a public service capacity in their civilian jobs.”

This dual identity shapes not only the battalion’s character but its relationship with Pasadena, which formally adopted the unit in 2013.

The Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Department and Pasadena Veterans Committee will host Monday’s celebration at City Hall from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring Col. Juan M. Mora of the U.S. Army 40th Infantry Division and Army Veteran James Zenner. Though deployment preparations will limit Marine attendance to 10-20 service members, the event will include a Yellow Ribbon Ceremony and Condor Squadron flyover precisely at 11:11 a.m.

“We have men and women Marines and sailors that are activating and will deploy, but we also have folks like me as an Inspector-Instructor, which remain in the community, and call Pasadena home,” Phillips explained.

Monday’s event will showcase the broader military community, with booths from the California National Guard, Military Museum, Martin Severance Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and various veteran and military affairs organizations.

For Phillips, the timing carries special significance.

“This specific event that Pasadena is holding is really an excellent reminder of that legacy of service that has come before us,” he said. That legacy runs deep — the battalion’s history spans from World War II battles in Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima through modern deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and NATO missions.

“Experience matters and we’re continuously learning from those that have gone before us,” Phillips noted. “For 2/23 specifically, this Yellow Ribbon symbolizes a city that is keeping our service and their families and their thoughts and prayers.”