Major Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, formally announces the names of the seven Marines who died Tuesday when a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed near Eglin, Fla., during a press conference in front of the command headquarters building at Stone Bay aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Mar. 13.
One the seven, SSGT. Kemp was from Port Washington, Wisconsin. Prayers to all the Marines and Soldiers who lost their lives in this mishap.
Staff Sgt. Kerry Kemp served as a critical skills operator in 2D Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Kerry Kemp was born in Memphis, Tenn., and lived there until the tenth grade. He then moved to Port Washington, Wis., where he graduated from Port Washington High School in 2005. Upon graduating, he worked full time at Cramer Coil and Transformer Company and attended Milwaukee Area Technical College until he enlisted in the Marine Corps. In July of 2007 he shipped to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif., for boot camp. Upon completion of boot camp in October 2007 he attended Marine Combat Training and Military Occupations Specialty School where he became an Artillery Mechanic, MOS 2131. In March 2008, then meritoriously-promoted Lance Corporal Kemp received orders to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, Calif., where he was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 7. Staff Sergeant Kemp was again meritoriously promoted to the rank of corporal and deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, with CLB-7 as a machine gunner attached to Motor Transport Company. Upon returning from deployment he was once again meritoriously promoted to the rank of sergeant.
In September 2010, Sgt. Kemp attended the MARSOC Assessment & Selection Preparation and Orientation Course (ASPOC) and MARSOC Assessment & Selection Class 01-11 (A&S) and was selected to attend the Individual Training Course. In April 2011 Sgt. Kemp executed orders to Marine Special Operations School, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to attend the Individual Training Course Class 2-11. Sgt. Kemp completed ITC and graduated in May 2012 with Class 3-11.
In May 2012, Sgt. Kemp received orders to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to serve with 2D Marine Special Operations Battalion and deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom from November 2013 to June 2014. On December 1, 2014, following his deployment with Hotel Company he was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.
Staff Sgt. Kemp’s awards include: The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Valor, Combat Action Ribbon and Good Conduct Medal.
