HISTORY IN THE USMC

SgtMaj Lee D. Bonar Jr. enlisted in the Marine Corps Jan. 15, 1985, afterwards attending and completing recruit training in April of that same year. SgtMaj Bonar has served in varying capacities throughout his long career.

SgtMaj Bonar has served at more than 10 duty stations: Cuba, Okinawa, North Carolina, San Diego and many others. He has served in many different jobs while in the Marine Corps; spending time as a mortarman, brig guard and drill instructor before becoming a first sergeant. He was promoted to sergeant major on Oct. 1, 2005. During these unique assignments, he has been awarded 29 ribbons and medals. These notable accomplishments include the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V.

SgtMaj Bonar deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion in January 2003.

SgtMaj Bonar now serves as the III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group sergeant major at Okinawa. He is married to the former Margaret Ann Silveria of Oakland, Calif. They have a daughter Adrian and a son Zachary.

COMMENDATION

SgtMaj Bonar was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V for exceptional actions under fire while serving as company first-sergeant of Company A, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2, Task Force Tarawa, from January 2003 to May 2003.

SgtMaj Bonar’s exemplary leadership was a critical part of his unit success through his entire deployment. At a compound in Nasiriyah, Iraq, he braved high volumes of enemy fire to alert Marines outside the compound of friendly troop positions, preventing potential fratricide. He coordinated the ground medical evacuation of more than a dozen Marines that were in need of medical attention while keeping flawless accountability. SgtMaj Bonar’s devotion to duty in the face of the hazardous ground-combat conditions reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps.

Deployments