Vice Presidential Pool Reports of March 26, 2025

VP Travel pool #1

Hello,

I am your pooler today for Vice President JD Vance's visit to Quantico. Media has arrived. The temperature is in the 40s and the sun is shining.

According to the VP's office, Vance's arrival and remarks are currently expected to occur in the noon hour.

VP Travel pool #2

Media is in place at the Marine Corps Air Station Quantico. There are two sets of bleachers for Marines to sit and a standing area in front of the stage where Vance will provide remarks later.

Behind the stage is an MV-22 Osprey, Marine One and a UH-60N White Hawk training version.

Plenty of rock music is being played as people wait for Vance's arrival. Some of the songs included "Shake It Up" by The Cars, "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol and "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley. "We're An American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad was cut short for a microphone test.

Didn't see who it was, but someone jumped on the microphone to announce MREs (Meal, Ready- to-Eat) were available for Marines to grab.

VP Travel pool #3

A spokesperson said Vance is expected to land at Quantico aboard Marine Two at 1:25 p.m.

VP Travel pool #4

Marine Two wheels touched down at Quantico at 1:22 p.m. Vance departed the aircraft at 1:33. He saluted someone and waived to Marines behind the fence. He greeted Col. Scott W. Warman, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, and Col. Jenny A. Colgate, commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Quantico. The names were provided by a Vance spokesperson.

The temperature has gotten into the 50s. When the wind isn’t blowing it feels warm outside.

Marines seated on the bleachers were told to fill in the standing area. Rough estimate is somewhere between 200 and 300 are here to listen to Vance’s remarks.

Vance is the first Marine to serve as VP.

VP Travel pool #5

Vice President JD Vance spoke to Marines for about 9 minutes. He shared the "good things" that Marines did for him. Vance said some of the best friends he made in his life, people who came to his and President Donald Trump's inauguration, he met in boot camp.

He used the time to speak to Marines about what this administration sees moving forward.

"Under President [Donald] Trump's leadership, we believe in a very simple principle — we don't care who you are, where you came from, we don't care what skin color you are. We care about excellence and we care about patriotism," Vance said. "And if you are awesome and you are a patriotic young Marine, then we are going to do everything that we can to make you the most lethal fighting force the world has ever seen, and that is what we're doing every single day. No more quotas, no more ridiculous mumbo jumbo, no more diversity trainings. We believe the real strength in the real diversity in the United States Marine Corps is that you all come from every walk of life, come from every corner of America, and you have got the strength and the purpose to win the nation's wars. And that is what the Marine Corps is going to do."

Toward the end of his speech, he acknowledged he didn't make it on time. He was supposed to arrive in the noon hour. A Marine shouted, "That's Marine time!"

Vance and others laughed.

"That's not Marine Corps time, my friends," Vance said. He mentioned a phrase he heard that "if you're five minutes early, you're 10 minutes late."

"What does it mean when the Vice President is two hours late? Well, guess I'm on time, because who the hell is going to get me in trouble, right," Vance said.

The vice president ended by saying before he left, he asked Trump if he had a message for Marines.

"The President of the United States said he wanted me to tell you two things. First of all, that he loves you, and second of all, that he's proud of you."

Vance went to the mess hall to serve Marines lunch and eat with them. A couple of Marines in line were from Kentucky and made a point to say "there are a lot of y'all."

Reporters tried to get his attention for questions, but he did not respond. Media has left the mess hall and are heading to the weapon range where Vance will appear next.

VP Travel pool #6

The media is about five minutes away from the weapon range. Vance's office provided more details and statements below on the lunch. The information is below:

At the mess hall, all five Marines sitting with the Vice President are enlisted, 3 Corporals and 2 Lance Corporals. The Marines are Ohio natives, work in a similar occupational field to the Vice President's MOS when he was a Marine, or are being recognized for exceptional service.

Each of the three Corporals provided a statement on the visit.

Quotes

Cpl Jacob Bursk - MOS: 6176 MV-22B Enlisted Aircrewman
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

"Vice President Vance is absolutely an inspiration to me. For me and my family to share so many similarities with him and his family is so special. I know another Corporal of Marines from Cincinnati who has also accomplished great things and that is my Dad. My father and mother both served and to see someone just like us who came from the same place as us and achieved so much is an inspiration to us all."

Cpl Hana Lathrop - MOS: 4512 Combat Graphics Specialist
(Same Occupational Field as VPOTUS)

"Meeting Vice President Vance is an honor, especially as a fellow Corporal serving as a Communication Strategy Marine. I see it as a chance to represent my fellow Marines and the hard work we put in every day for Marine Corps Base Quantico."

Cpl Kayli Merritt - MOS: 7051 Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter
Hometown: Washington Courthouse, OH

"Earning the opportunity to meet Vice President Vance is such an honorable opportunity for me because we share two valuable factors, both born and raised in small towns in Ohio, and we are both United States Marines. As someone currently serving, it is inspiring to meet someone who understands the values, discipline, and commitment of being a Marine, and to see those values taught in the Marine Corps be carried into a higher level of service. Being from a small town in Ohio, it is motivating to see someone of a similar background achieve such great things, Vice President Vance serves as a reminder that our experiences, whether good or bad, are valuable lessons, and that it is up to the individual to use them as motivation, not excuses. It is an honor to meet with such an influential figure who not only understands the commitment and sacrifice of military service but also deeply relates to the grit and resilience that come from lessons learned back home. Vice President Vance said in his memoir, 'Where we come from is who we are… but we choose every day who we become.' and I strive to live by those words every single day."

VP Travel pool #7

Vance departed his motorcade at 2:46 at the shooting range. He will fire six different weapons. Will send a list later.

At this time, it does not appear Vance will take any questions from reporters while he is visiting Quantico.

While waiting for Vance to put his shooting gear on, his office provided more information on Marines he met with. The information is below:

Vance's office shared that before lunch, the VP met privately with three exceptional Marines. The VP's office passed along the following info on those marines, which was provided by the base.

Sergeant Kaitlyn M. Cubias
-MOS: 7051 Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter.
-Born and Raised: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Sgt Cubias is the embodiment of the institutional corps values of the Marine Corps and MCAF. Her leadership and drive are above
reproach. Sgt Cubias was selected as the Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region 4th Quarter NCO of the Quarter and the year. Her drive to be better also led her to complete all the Marine Corps Marathon Events last year to be recognized as a distinguished runner.

Lance Corporal Peter C. Beers
-MOS: 6672 Aviation Supply Specialist
-Born and Raised: Brunswick, Maryland
Lance Corporal Beers is the epitome of what a Marine should be: energetic, intelligent, and courteous. These qualities and his unwavering commitment to excellence have earned him
recognition as a standout leader among his peers. He embodies the "total Marine" dynamic, consistently maintaining optimal physical conditioning and a sharp, professional appearance. Despite his junior rank, Lance Corporal Beers continually exceeds expectations, regularly taking on additional responsibilities confidently and successfully. His achievements earned him the title of HMX-1 Marine of the Year.

Corporal Dominick Blades
MOS: 5812 Military Working Dog Handler (Military Police)
Home of record: Gresham, Oregon
Dominick Blades enlisted in the United States
Marine Corps in July of 2022. He attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Military Police Basic Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Military Working Dog Handler Course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. On Christmas Eve, 2024, while off-duty, Cpl Blades observed a multi-vehicle accident on I-95. Disregarding his personal safety, he ran to the scene and began triaging the injured occupants of the vehicles. Utilizing his personal first aid kit, he rendered initial care until Emergency Medical Services arrived at which point he provided a summary of actions performed and directed them to the most critical patient who was pinned in a vehicle with signs of head trauma. He was awarded an impact Navy Marine Corps
Achievement Medal for his selfless actions.

VP Travel pool #8

Vance fired five weapons. He did not fire the handgun. Between firing and taking photos with Marines, Vance was on the range for about 40 minutes — 1:50 to 2:30. The list of weapons are below:

• M27 5.56 infantry rifle: Vance complained about the shooting glasses he was wearing. Marines on the rifle told him he could take them off. He didn't. It took several tries before getting it. "You know what you're doing," a Marine told the VP.
• M107 .50 sniper rifle: It was hard to hear with ear plugs but believe this was the rifle that drew applause from Marines watching his shooting.
• M240B 7.62 machine gun
• FPV drone: A Marine on the range said this is a First Person View drone. He said this drone is currently still in experiment. Vance took his helmet and glasses off to put on goggles to fly the drone.
• 105mm Howitzer: He only had time to fire one round.

Vance's office said Marines at Quantico made a patch for his helmet that read, "THE CORPORAL OF MARINES." Your pooler did not see that. Check with photos from the range.

Reporters and photographers are waiting on the bus to head back to the main base.

A spokesperson provided a note that at 3:48 p.m., Marine Two begins taxiing. Wheels up occurred at 3:50.

VP Travel pool #9

My last note:

With wheels up from Quantico, I'm signing out.