From Sulu to Burgos, the Marines’ Fourth Brigade comes home

ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines – For most military officers, homecomings happen after decades of service, when they’re finally ready or required to don their rank one last time. 

But for Brigadier General Vicente Blanco III, commander of the 4th Marine Brigade, the homecoming came early and twice over. Just as he earned his first star in late 2021, Blanco prepared for a major task, moving the brigade from the country’s southernmost to its northernmost frontier. 

“This should have happened a long time ago, after the World War.