My Marine/Career Goals

Motivation

Have tough skin and a soft heart, a quick wit and a slow tongue. Be stern, but fair.

My Path

I have been assigned to a Fire Team Leader billet by my squad leader. Not too much responsibility, just have to keep accountability of four other Marines and their gear. Not too much to ask.

Where do I begin? I have told my SPC that my first MOS choice is Infantry. Why? When I think of a Marine, the first image that comes to mind is a grunt. To have an 03 MOS designation (Infantry) would not only make me into what I have always thought a Marine was, but also offer loads of challenges and responsibilities. I look forward to the physical and mental challenges. The challenges of dealing with salty Marines; Marines that came from homes where they didn't feel loved and joined the Corps to be a part of something bigger than themselves. That desire to be in a brotherhood, a group of individuals serving for a common purpose is exactly why I wanted to join the Marine Corps. I want to be a mentor to whoever would have me. This means I have to be very knowledgable in not just my MOS, but of other resources that would benefit my Marines. The drive for continuously expanding knowledge and proficiency is what motivates me and inspires me every day.

While combat can be glorified in movies and video games, I have a profound respect for everything that takes place in combat. I'm not looking for glamour or glory that some might associate with war-hardened veterans, I simply want to lead those who need leadership the most. Some might as why I want to be in the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) as an operator. It simply comes down to being the best of the best. There is plenty of argument as to which special forces team is the most elite, but it is the general consensus that the Marine Corps is the elite of all the American fighting forces. If MARSOC is the best of the Marines, then that makes them the best of the best. I respect operators in SEALs, Rangers, PJs, and other Spec Ops. I hope that I get to work with them somewhere in my career, but MARSOC is where I want to be.

With those short term goals stated, I can now address my long term goals. I know a lot can change in a short amount of time, but at this moment I would like to spend at least twenty years in the Corps. This goal has two sides. I want to make a difference in many people's lives and help the Corps out as much as I can for as long as I can. On the other hand I want to be able to collect retirement benefits and a pension while starting another career. I'm not one to care about money, but in order to provide for my family I will need to have it. The more financial security I can establish the better. Working toward collecting two pensions will have me and my family set into the foreseeable future. I didn't have a rough upbringing, but I have the same desire that my parents had as they began their family. I want to provide a better life for my children than I had for myself. That's a pretty lofty goal considering everything my parents provided for me. But because they provided such a great life in my early years, they set me up to provide an even better life for my future family.

In summary my goals consist of attaining an 0302, Infantry Officer, MOS, attend the Infantry Officers Course (IOC) here on Camp Barrett, lead Marines through deployments, become a MARSOC operator, rise through the ranks of the Corps, and retire after twenty years of service and begin another career in a related field where I will retire after twenty more years and collect two pensions. Is that too much to ask? Hahaha. As I said earlier, a lot can change in a short amount of time. It never hurts to have goals and to write them down. It gives you something to shoot for. And as cliché as it might sounds, there is something to be said about "if you shoot for the moon and miss you'll land amongst the stars."

WOD

Rest Day