thedrifter
07-01-05, 09:16 AM
Prior-enlisted officer reunites with Marines who trained her as a recruit
Submitted by: MCRD Parris Island
Story by Lance Cpl. Darhonda V. Hall
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (July 1, 2005) -- First Lt. Jennifer Bahe, formerly enlisted, did not expect to see two of the Marines who trained her when she reported to MCRD Parris Island.
When she recognized 1st Sgt. Vonda Jones, Oscar Co. first sergeant, 4th RTBn., and Capt. Regina Carbonary, Oscar Co. series commander, as her officer candidate school instructor and her former drill instructor respectively, Bahe felt the rush of her blood as she did when she was in training.
"I could only smile when I saw First Sergeant Jones," Bahe said. "I remember her voice ... it's not something you can forget."
As Bahe was checking in as a series commander for 4th RTBn., she had received word that her former drill instructor, Carbonary, was at 4th RTBn. also.
"[Carbonary's] name was Sgt. Edinger at the time and she was not the drill instructor you wanted to mess with," Bahe recalled. "She was very intense and all of the recruits were scared of her. It turned out at the end of recruit training, the recruits ended up respecting her the most. I will never forget the discipline she instilled in me. It was the small details. I have so much respect for her."
Bahe enlisted as a Reserve Marine and went through recruit training in the summer of 1998, and said the hardest thing about recruit training was getting along with 64 other females.
"My dad would only let me go [Reserve]," she said.
While in the reserves, Bahe completed college, earned her bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa and was commissioned in the Marine Corps.
During Officer Candidate School in Quantico MCCDC, Va., Bahe's instructor was then Gunnery Sgt. Jones, who said Bahe was always one step ahead of the rest.
"[Bahe] probably remembers me yelling at her and making sure she was squared away," Jones laughed. "I did not know she was coming to Parris Island. When she saw me, she just smiled."
Jones and Bahe both remember moments in OCS with each other.
"When she was in OCS, I told the instructors to put her in a leadership position to see how she does," Jones said. "She never failed."
Jones said she knew Bahe would make it through OCS.
"She is the epitome of what an officer should be," Jones said. "Her enlisted experiences carried over to her current job position."
Bahe was one of 62 females who entered the school and one of 16 females who graduated.
"OCS was the hardest thing I have ever done," Bahe said. "It was ten weeks of physically and mentally demanding activities."
Bahe remembered a moment during OCS when she had a difficult time climbing the rope.
"One day, I couldn't get up the rope, I had done it a million times before and [Jones] had seen me do it before, but that day, I don't know what happened," Bahe remembered.
"When she saw I couldn't do it, she pulled me out and in front of everyone, yelled and told me to get up the rope. Well, I got up the rope and I haven't had a problem getting up the rope since."
After completion of recruit training and OCS, Bahe said these two Marines were the Marines who changed her the most.
"I still hop to attention when I hear their voices ... I will never forget those two Marines," Bahe said.
Bahe said although Carbonary is not a drill instructor, she is still the same, yet she is different.
"She has all of the bearing and discipline of a drill instructor, but now she is an officer," Bahe said. "That is probably what makes her such a good officer."
Bahe will be finishing her Marine Corps career soon and requested orders to Parris Island to finish her active duty status.
"I requested orders here so that I could finish where I started," Bahe said. "I am still learning from First Sergeant Jones and Captain Carbonary," Bahe added. "Their professionalism has not changed."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20057194457/$file/reunion(L).jpg
First Lt. Jennifer Bahe, center, stands next to the Marines who made her a Marine. First Sgt. Vonda Jones, Oscar Co. first sergeant, was her instructor at Officer Candidate School, and Capt. Regina Carbonary, Oscar Co. series commander, was her drill instructor when she was a recruit. Bahe reported to Parris Island and encountered the Marines at 4th RTBn. when she became as an Oscar Co. series commander. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Darhonda V. Hall
Ellie
Submitted by: MCRD Parris Island
Story by Lance Cpl. Darhonda V. Hall
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (July 1, 2005) -- First Lt. Jennifer Bahe, formerly enlisted, did not expect to see two of the Marines who trained her when she reported to MCRD Parris Island.
When she recognized 1st Sgt. Vonda Jones, Oscar Co. first sergeant, 4th RTBn., and Capt. Regina Carbonary, Oscar Co. series commander, as her officer candidate school instructor and her former drill instructor respectively, Bahe felt the rush of her blood as she did when she was in training.
"I could only smile when I saw First Sergeant Jones," Bahe said. "I remember her voice ... it's not something you can forget."
As Bahe was checking in as a series commander for 4th RTBn., she had received word that her former drill instructor, Carbonary, was at 4th RTBn. also.
"[Carbonary's] name was Sgt. Edinger at the time and she was not the drill instructor you wanted to mess with," Bahe recalled. "She was very intense and all of the recruits were scared of her. It turned out at the end of recruit training, the recruits ended up respecting her the most. I will never forget the discipline she instilled in me. It was the small details. I have so much respect for her."
Bahe enlisted as a Reserve Marine and went through recruit training in the summer of 1998, and said the hardest thing about recruit training was getting along with 64 other females.
"My dad would only let me go [Reserve]," she said.
While in the reserves, Bahe completed college, earned her bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa and was commissioned in the Marine Corps.
During Officer Candidate School in Quantico MCCDC, Va., Bahe's instructor was then Gunnery Sgt. Jones, who said Bahe was always one step ahead of the rest.
"[Bahe] probably remembers me yelling at her and making sure she was squared away," Jones laughed. "I did not know she was coming to Parris Island. When she saw me, she just smiled."
Jones and Bahe both remember moments in OCS with each other.
"When she was in OCS, I told the instructors to put her in a leadership position to see how she does," Jones said. "She never failed."
Jones said she knew Bahe would make it through OCS.
"She is the epitome of what an officer should be," Jones said. "Her enlisted experiences carried over to her current job position."
Bahe was one of 62 females who entered the school and one of 16 females who graduated.
"OCS was the hardest thing I have ever done," Bahe said. "It was ten weeks of physically and mentally demanding activities."
Bahe remembered a moment during OCS when she had a difficult time climbing the rope.
"One day, I couldn't get up the rope, I had done it a million times before and [Jones] had seen me do it before, but that day, I don't know what happened," Bahe remembered.
"When she saw I couldn't do it, she pulled me out and in front of everyone, yelled and told me to get up the rope. Well, I got up the rope and I haven't had a problem getting up the rope since."
After completion of recruit training and OCS, Bahe said these two Marines were the Marines who changed her the most.
"I still hop to attention when I hear their voices ... I will never forget those two Marines," Bahe said.
Bahe said although Carbonary is not a drill instructor, she is still the same, yet she is different.
"She has all of the bearing and discipline of a drill instructor, but now she is an officer," Bahe said. "That is probably what makes her such a good officer."
Bahe will be finishing her Marine Corps career soon and requested orders to Parris Island to finish her active duty status.
"I requested orders here so that I could finish where I started," Bahe said. "I am still learning from First Sergeant Jones and Captain Carbonary," Bahe added. "Their professionalism has not changed."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20057194457/$file/reunion(L).jpg
First Lt. Jennifer Bahe, center, stands next to the Marines who made her a Marine. First Sgt. Vonda Jones, Oscar Co. first sergeant, was her instructor at Officer Candidate School, and Capt. Regina Carbonary, Oscar Co. series commander, was her drill instructor when she was a recruit. Bahe reported to Parris Island and encountered the Marines at 4th RTBn. when she became as an Oscar Co. series commander. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Darhonda V. Hall
Ellie