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thedrifter
07-19-04, 08:16 AM
From An Army of One, to One of the Few - Reboot - Uprooted Army Ranger restarts in Marine Corps
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification #: 2004716105313
Story by Cpl. Shawn M. Toussaint



MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 16, 2004) -- As a staff noncommissioned officer in an elite U.S. Army infantry outfit, Ricardo A. Dixon served until lack of citizenship status forced him into the reserves.

A 2001 U.S. law limited immigrants without American citizenship to eight years active duty service eligibility. However, when Congress passed the Armed Forces Naturalization Act of 2003, Dixon, a native Panamanian, went to find out if he could become an active duty soldier once again.

According to Dixon, Army officials wanted him to wait six to eight months for a "pay-grade determination waiver" to process. As a result, he traded 11 years in the Army, three ranks, and several thousand dollars in pay to start all over again in the U.S. Marine Corps. He couldn't wait to start serving his country again.

"He was motivated and a little ticked off," said recruiter Staff Sgt. L.R. Ratcliff, Recruiting Substation Lake County, Ill., about the first time he met Dixon.

"I was going to join something," said Dixon. "Actually, I wanted to join the Corps in 1993. I liked their reputation for being the best. Even though I was part of the Army's best, I always had something in the back of my head that kept me wondering how things would've been if I had joined the Marine Corps. This was my opportunity to prove to myself and my family that I could do this."

Soon after Dixon and Ratcliff first met, the two bonded and began working to get the former Army infantryman into the active duty ranks of the Marine Corps.

"We had a lot in common," said Ratcliff. "We are both married to Japanese women, we both got married on our birthday, and we both have a burning desire to belong to something that is greater than ourselves. When he started talking about his desire to serve this country, it fired me up. I wanted to do everything in my power to make it happen."

On April 5, 2004, it happened. Dixon swore in to serve, and he was on his way to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Shortly after his arrival aboard the Depot, Dixon was assigned to Platoon 3077, Company M. His drill instructors immediately recognized his ability to lead, and they assigned him the platoon guide position.

"He showed the ability to break down things to the other recruits and help them along the way," said senior drill instructor Staff Sgt. Arthur M. Arebalo, Platoon 3077, Company M. "Because of his military experience, the other recruits looked up to him and went to him for guidance."

After leading his platoon all the way to the final weeks of training, Dixon appeared before a series honor man board in which he won, earning his current lance corporal rank.

"I am humbled; being named series honor man is a great honor," said Dixon. "But an even greater honor is being allowed to serve as a member of the world's best military service."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004716105449/$file/recruit_dixon_lr.jpg

Lance Cpl. Ricardo A. Dixon served 11 active duty years in the U.S. Army. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/0CD033180505394785256ED30051C6ED?opendocument

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