First-ever Marine Ball organized in Hyd to celebrate 246th b'day of US Marine Corps

Hyderabad: Members of the US Marine Corps at the US Consulate General in Hyderabad joined with other consulate employees and Rear Admiral Tarun Sobti of India's Eastern Fleet to celebrate the 246th birthday of the United States Marine Corps on 13 November.

"We're proud to host the first-ever Marine Ball to be held in Hyderabad," said Joel Reifman, Consul General at the US Consulate in Hyderabad. "Each November, Marines celebrate the birth of their Corps. This birthday includes celebrations overseas. In fact, it's become a State Department tradition to work with our Marine colleagues to organize an annual Marine Ball in our embassies and consulates around the world," he added.

In June 2020, eight US Marine Corps Security Guards joined the US Consulate community in Hyderabad. The United States Marine Corps has participated in the security and protection of US Embassies and consulates since 1948. Security Guards are primarily responsible for protecting mission personnel and preventing the compromise of national security information and equipment. US Marine Corps Security Guards serve at 181 locations in more than 150 countries around the world.

"We are honored that Rear Admiral Sobti of India's Eastern Fleet was able to join us for this celebration," added Consul General Reifman. "The US-India partnership covers so much ground, from business and education to cultural exchange and security cooperation. Just last month, the US Chief of Naval Operations visited Indian Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam and later hosted Indian Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the Bay of Bengal. Clearly, the security partnership between the United States and India is growing," he said.