thedrifter
01-27-08, 08:12 AM
Marine has tales to tell and oppourtunity to offer
By Susan Brittingham
Features Editor
Personally seeing all that flashing chrome in the Harley-Davidson store of the United Arab Emirates gives new meaning to “been there, done that, got the T-shirt.”
Especially if you actually bought the T-shirt.
For Sgt. Mickey Nolen, that store was yet another of the many memorable sights he’s seen throughout the world, courtesy of the United States Marines Corps.
Actually being there, so many time zones away from home, also gave him a chance to buy an official black Harley-Davidson of UAE T-shirt. They are not available online or in American stores.
For world travelers, bought-on-location souvenirs can add up quickly.
So can the list of exotic ports of call. And for most civilians, so can the credit card bills for airline tickets and European rail passes.
But as a member of America’s fighting forces, Nolen has been traveling around the world for free ever since he graduated high school. That’s why he personally knows the locations of so many Harley-Davidson stores around the world.
Licensed T-shirts from foreign lands may be pricey, depending upon the rate of currency exchange, but getting to them didn’t cost him a dime.
Instead, the Marines paid him to go there — in cash and so much more. That’s one reason he decided to become a career Marine, a job that has led to him becoming McAlester’s newest recruiter.
Another reason is because “My stepdad was a Marine and I thought that was coolest thing since sliced bread.”
Joining the Marines, he said, was his ticket to seeing not only Harley-Davidson stores in faraway places, but also so much else of what this world has to offer those who are willing to travel to see it.
“The Marines offer lots and lots of travel, and lots of adventure,” Nolen said, smiling as he began to list his world travels, by both air and sea.
“I’ve been to Hawaii five times, Hong Kong two times, Singapore two times, Malaysia, Thailand, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, three ports in Australia — I saw the Sydney Opera House, which is awesome — the UAE, Baharain, Qatar and Egypt. I even went to Seychelles, which is an island country that is the European equivalent to the Bahamas.
“Being a Marine is an awesome job.
“There’s lots of travel and lots of adventure.”
Marines also receive “$40,000 for college, plus 100 percent tuition assistance while you’re in the service. You get 30 days of paid vacation a year, plus free medical and free dental,” he said.
Not sure what career interests you?
“The Marines offer technical and on-the-job training in over 300 different job fields,” he said.
“The job I had before I became a recruiter, and the job that I’ll be going back to in three years, is one of the most awesome jobs in the Marines. I love that job.”
Three years from now, Nolen will leave landlocked Oklahoma for salty ocean breezes and the “awesome” job he misses so badly.
He will be returning to Camp Pendleton in sunny California, where he spent 10 years as an amphibious assault crewman.
“I was on an armored personnel carrier,” he said. “It is the ultimate four-wheel drive because it floats.”
Then, smiling as he remembered unforgettable trips across the heaving waves of faraway oceans, the new recruiter said, “The Marines offer so much adventure. Being a Marine is just an awesome adventure.
“We live the Marine motto of Semper Fi, which is Latin for “Always Faithful,” which we always are.
“Being a Marine is great. I love this job and I think others will, too. Come visit me and we’ll talk about the new career and awesome adventures that are waiting for you.”
For more information or to join the Marines, contact Sgt. Nolen at 423-2113 or visit him at the United States Marine Corps, 520 S. George Nigh Expwy., Suite 200.
Contact Susan Brittingham at 421-2029 or e-mail sbrittingham@mcalesternews.com.
Ellie
By Susan Brittingham
Features Editor
Personally seeing all that flashing chrome in the Harley-Davidson store of the United Arab Emirates gives new meaning to “been there, done that, got the T-shirt.”
Especially if you actually bought the T-shirt.
For Sgt. Mickey Nolen, that store was yet another of the many memorable sights he’s seen throughout the world, courtesy of the United States Marines Corps.
Actually being there, so many time zones away from home, also gave him a chance to buy an official black Harley-Davidson of UAE T-shirt. They are not available online or in American stores.
For world travelers, bought-on-location souvenirs can add up quickly.
So can the list of exotic ports of call. And for most civilians, so can the credit card bills for airline tickets and European rail passes.
But as a member of America’s fighting forces, Nolen has been traveling around the world for free ever since he graduated high school. That’s why he personally knows the locations of so many Harley-Davidson stores around the world.
Licensed T-shirts from foreign lands may be pricey, depending upon the rate of currency exchange, but getting to them didn’t cost him a dime.
Instead, the Marines paid him to go there — in cash and so much more. That’s one reason he decided to become a career Marine, a job that has led to him becoming McAlester’s newest recruiter.
Another reason is because “My stepdad was a Marine and I thought that was coolest thing since sliced bread.”
Joining the Marines, he said, was his ticket to seeing not only Harley-Davidson stores in faraway places, but also so much else of what this world has to offer those who are willing to travel to see it.
“The Marines offer lots and lots of travel, and lots of adventure,” Nolen said, smiling as he began to list his world travels, by both air and sea.
“I’ve been to Hawaii five times, Hong Kong two times, Singapore two times, Malaysia, Thailand, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, three ports in Australia — I saw the Sydney Opera House, which is awesome — the UAE, Baharain, Qatar and Egypt. I even went to Seychelles, which is an island country that is the European equivalent to the Bahamas.
“Being a Marine is an awesome job.
“There’s lots of travel and lots of adventure.”
Marines also receive “$40,000 for college, plus 100 percent tuition assistance while you’re in the service. You get 30 days of paid vacation a year, plus free medical and free dental,” he said.
Not sure what career interests you?
“The Marines offer technical and on-the-job training in over 300 different job fields,” he said.
“The job I had before I became a recruiter, and the job that I’ll be going back to in three years, is one of the most awesome jobs in the Marines. I love that job.”
Three years from now, Nolen will leave landlocked Oklahoma for salty ocean breezes and the “awesome” job he misses so badly.
He will be returning to Camp Pendleton in sunny California, where he spent 10 years as an amphibious assault crewman.
“I was on an armored personnel carrier,” he said. “It is the ultimate four-wheel drive because it floats.”
Then, smiling as he remembered unforgettable trips across the heaving waves of faraway oceans, the new recruiter said, “The Marines offer so much adventure. Being a Marine is just an awesome adventure.
“We live the Marine motto of Semper Fi, which is Latin for “Always Faithful,” which we always are.
“Being a Marine is great. I love this job and I think others will, too. Come visit me and we’ll talk about the new career and awesome adventures that are waiting for you.”
For more information or to join the Marines, contact Sgt. Nolen at 423-2113 or visit him at the United States Marine Corps, 520 S. George Nigh Expwy., Suite 200.
Contact Susan Brittingham at 421-2029 or e-mail sbrittingham@mcalesternews.com.
Ellie