Grow Where you are Planted: I MEF Force Surgeon Retires After 32 Years of Faithful Service

Story by Lance Cpl. Erica Stanke

I Marine Expeditionary Force

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – U.S. Navy Captain Brandon G. Drew, the outgoing force surgeon for I Marine Expeditionary Force, retired after 32 years of faithful service on Dec. 1, 2023. Drew, a native of Syracuse, New York, considers himself “raised by Marines.”

Drew’s operational experience over 32 years of service includes four deployments with the Fleet Marine Force and four deployments with the Joint Special Operations Command. His deployments have been throughout Asia, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan and underway on 11 ships. As the I MEF Force Surgeon, Drew was responsible to the commanding general of I MEF for health service support operations, programs, policy, training, logistics, planning and execution in support of over 50,000 Marines and Sailors.

Recounting his exploits in front of a crowd of colleagues, friends and family at his Oct. 27 retirement ceremony, Drew shared an adage that is commonly used but less often put into practice; “grow where you are planted.” The phrase, a play on “bloom where you are planted,” is regularly used by Marines as a call to action to make the most out of the job and duty station they are assigned.

Completing his family medicine internship, Drew was assigned to the FMF as part of his General Medical Officer tour prior to residency. As a GMO in the FMF, Drew served alongside artillery Marines in Okinawa, Japan, and infantry Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Having accepted his assignment and grown where he was planted, Drew found that his first tour with the Marines had an immense impact on him personally and professionally.

Drew cherishes the opportunities he’s had to get to know Marines and non-medical personnel alike. A memory he looks back on fondly is being able to take the last watch so he could make coffee for his Marine comrades in the morning as they rose from their sleeping bags for another day of hard work.

“I don’t think there are many physicians that get a chance to spend that much time with these individuals like I have,” said Drew. “Coming out of residency, I immediately wanted to deploy again because nothing tests you like sleeping in the dirt.”

Drew deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, as the shock trauma platoon officer in charge after completing emergency medicine residency. In one of the most kinetic battlespaces in Afghanistan, Drew and his platoon provided life saving medical care to Marines and Sailors conducting combat operations.

“You have to keep looking for new events that are going to challenge you,” said Drew.

Not fond of ships, Drew said he prefers being in the field with the Marines and getting his hands dirty. However, whether he was serving as part of the FMF, the Joint Force, or the U.S. Navy, he never passed up the opportunity to make connections and learn from the people to his left and right.

“Don’t look for the next thing. Look for the interesting things to do where you are right now,” said Drew. “That’s what gets you exposed to more people and opportunities that you never knew existed.”

Growing wherever he was planted and exploiting the opportunities at each assignment, Drew graduated with distinction from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, qualified as a Fleet Marine Force Warfare Officer and, as a basic parachutist, was awarded the German and Dutch foreign jump wings.