Maj. Jeff Van Cleave, the fire support coordinator

Maj. Jeff Van Cleave, the fire support coordinator for 1st Marine Division (Forward), holds a photo of himself in 1986. Van Cleave left the Marine Corps in 1990 in hopes of becoming an officer and wasn’t sure he would serve with the Marines again. Now the 43-year-old from Bellevue, Wash., serves with the “Blue Diamond,” overseeing all fire missions in Helmand province. “It’s been 20 years since I was a part of the Marines,” Van Cleave said. “My career has really come full circle. I guess it’s like they say: ‘once a Marine, always a Marine.’”