Before gaining fame as a singer, Shaggy, born Orville Richard Burrell, was a Marine Corps hero. Serving with the 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, also known as “The Five and Dime,” Shaggy deployed to the Middle East during the liberation of Kuwait in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from December 1990 to April 1991.
Despite attaining the rank of lance corporal, Shaggy faced disciplinary issues for unauthorized absences, which he attributed to driving to New York City for music sessions. After leaving the Marine Corps in 1992, Shaggy became a music star but continued to honor his service by performing at free military concerts.
Shaggy, who moved from Jamaica to Brooklyn, New York, at age 18, received the Jamaican Order of Distinction with the rank of Commander in 2007 and an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Brown University in 2022. The 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, where Shaggy served, was deactivated in June 2012 after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
