OKINAWA, Japan, July 21, 2017 — The Marine Corps is known as the world’s finest fighting force and for recruiting some of the most motivated individuals in the world. Recruits come from all aspects of life. Some join alone, while others, such as three Marines who met while attending middle school in Los Fresnos, Texas, join up with their friends.

Marine Corps Sgt. Gregorio Palacios, Cpl. David Rodriguez, joined in 2013, and their friend, Cpl. Robert “Bobby” Lozano, followed them in February 2014. The three are stationed in Okinawa, Japan, but said they never imagined they would eventually be stationed in a foreign country together.

Longtime Friends

“We are all currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and it’s great,” said Palacios, the 3rd Marine Division sergeant major’s driver, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “Before Lozano deployed with the [31st Marine Expeditionary Unit], we hung out every weekend. We never get tired of each other.”

The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps’ only continuously deployed Marine expeditionary unit, according to Corps officials.

“I was the one that kind of brought the group together,” Palacios said. “I met both Bobby and David in different ways, and once we all started to hang out we were inseparable.”

According to Palacios, the three went to Los Fresnos High School together until Palacios moved to another district. Nevertheless, they continued to socialize every weekend.

The Marine Corps was never something the three friends envisioned they would be doing together. In fact, it was a last-minute decision for two of them, according to Rodriguez, a field wireman with the 3rd Marine Division.

“I talked to the recruiter first, and David was trying to talk me out of it,” Palacios said. “He told me the Marine Corps was going to brainwash me, and I was like, ‘Nope, I’m going to do it.’”

Rodriguez then made the decision the very next day to join the Marine Corps as well, Palacios said.

“He called me the very next day, and I could hear his mother in the background saying don’t do it and he was like I’m going to join too man,” Palacios said. Lozano soon followed in the footsteps of his two best friends and also signed up.

Staying in Touch

Though they went to recruit training at different times, they all continued to stay in touch with each other and Palacios and Rodriguez both ended up stationed in California for their military occupational specialty schools before coming to Japan.

The III Marine Expeditionary Force is the "Tip of the Spear,” continuously forward deployed maintaining Pacific peace and stability for the United States and its allies, Marine Corps officials said.

“I already love Okinawa because it is a great place to be stationed. And with both of my childhood friends here, it makes it that much better,” Rodriguez said.