Since his wife, Linda, passed away in 2010, Lt. Col. Laurence K. Burgess has returned each year the Saturday before the Marine Corps' birthday to place Marine Corps flags in Arlington National Cemetery. (Mark Fayloga/U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit fire their M4 carbines during a live-fire close-quarters tactics exercise as part of sustainment training at D?Arta Plage, Djibouti, on Nov. 8, 2014. (Rome Lazarus/U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit fire on the move during a live-fire close-quarters tactics exercise as part of sustainment training at D?Arta Plage, Djibouti, on Nov. 8, 2014. (Rome Lazarus/U.S. Marine Corps)

LAV-25 Light Armored Vehicles from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit fire on fixed targets as part of a combined arms engagement range during sustainment training in D'Arta Plage, Djibouti, on Nov. 9, 2014. (Jonathan R. Waldman/U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., the commanding general of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, visits U.S. Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit for the celebration of the United States Marine Corps' 239th birthday in D'Arta Plage, Djibouti, on Nov. 10, 2014. (Jonathan R. Waldman/U.S. Marine Corps)

Players and cheerleaders from the NFL Chargers team visit Marines at the Assault Amphibian School Battalion at Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Nov. 11, 2014. (Valerie Eppler/U.S. Marine Corps)

Lance Cpl. Niccolo Bonomo, recreation attendant, Single Marine Program, descends a rock face during a rock-climbing event for members of the SMP at Joshua Tree National Park, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2014. (Medina Ayala-Lo/U.S. Marine Corps)

Marines and Sailors on Black Sea Rotational Force 14 worked hand-in-hand with Romanian Land Forces during exercise Platinum Lynx 15.3 in Focsani, Romania. (Ryan Young/U.S. Marine Corps)

Marines of 2nd Battalion 25th Marines, conduct a static display with military vehicles allowing civilians to see them prior to the start of the 95th Annual New York City Veterans Day Parade in Manhattan, N.Y., Nov. 11, 2014. (Elizabeth Thurston/U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jake Vargas fast ropes during helicopter rope suspension training aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Nov. 12, 2014. (Anna Albrecht/U.S. Marine Corps)