When and where was JD Vance deployed during his Marine Corps tenure?

1. Service dates and occupational specialty

Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and completed a four‑year enlistment from 2003 to 2007 as a combat correspondent — a public affairs/photojournalism specialty in the Corps — a fact reflected in his service records and multiple reporting outlets ^{[1] [4]}.

2. The deployment timeline: six months in Iraq in 2005 (reporting varies on exact months)

Multiple reputable outlets state that Vance deployed to Iraq for approximately six months in 2005; some reports place that tour broadly in late 2005 while others give the more specific span of August 2005 to February 2006, reflecting slight variations in contemporary reporting and recollections ^{[2] [5] [6]}.

3. Where he was based: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and Cherry Point

During his enlistment Vance served with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and is reported to have worked out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, where he later held a media‑relations role before separating from the Corps ^{[3] [7]}.

4. What he did in Iraq: non‑combat public affairs work

Reporting consistently describes his Iraq tour as non‑combat in nature: Vance’s role was to write articles, take photographs, and work public affairs as a combat correspondent rather than serve in an infantry or direct combat role, a characterization he and media profiles have reiterated ^{[2] [4] [6]}.

5. Evidence corroborating deployment: medals and first‑hand accounts

Support for the deployment appears in his listed awards — including service medals appropriate to the Iraq tour — and in contemporaneous accounts from fellow Marines and Pentagon‑released service details; profiles and veterans’ outlets cite those records when summarizing his six‑month Iraq deployment ^{[1] [3] [8]}.

6. Disputes, scrutiny and context

While the core facts (2003–2007 service, six‑month Iraq deployment as a combat correspondent) are consistent across reporting, the topic drew scrutiny during election coverage, with critics debating whether his service should be framed as “combat” service and with opponents scrutinizing nuances of unit timelines and duties — debates reflected in coverage that interrogates both the record and the rhetorical use of it ^{[5] [8] [6]}.

7. Reporting limits and what remains unconfirmed in the sources

The assembled sources reliably establish the year range of service, the six‑month Iraq deployment in 2005, and his public affairs role with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, but they differ slightly on exact month‑to‑month boundaries of the tour; none of the provided items supplies a definitive single personnel roster entry with an unambiguous day‑by‑day deployment record to remove that minor ambiguity ^{[2] [5] [9]}.