thedrifter
04-16-09, 07:54 AM
Veteran Wisdom
Staff Sgt. Brandon Cox
By: Teri Ruland
Posted: 4/16/09
Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. The Marines don't have that problem." This Ronald Reagan quote is one of Staff Sgt. Brandon Cox's favorites.
Being in the Marine Corps for 10 years, the impact he's made in the lives of Marine recruits has been of great significance, but he didn't know that would be the case when he first enlisted.
The United States Marine Corps will have Cox, the junior psychology major, co-writer of the revised Military Police training manual, influence in both the classroom and on the field. He's been an instructor of the MP School for potential military police officers.
Cox was sitting at a restaurant eating lunch, alone, when a recruiter approached him and asked if he could speak to him. Since he had no easy out, he agreed. After having their discussion, Cox decided it couldn't hurt if he went to the recruiting office and talked to the senior recruiter.
Cox's hometown: Webb City, Mo. - He had received academic scholarships to a variety of state universities, but was tired of the school scene. More importantly, he said he didn't want to go to college and "waste someone else's money."
The military had always been in the back of his mind, so after his meeting with the recruiting officer, he decided the Marine Corps was his best option.
When Cox told his mother, she expressed her dislike for his decision because of the dangerous possibilities that arose with his enlistment.
"I was very against it when he first went in," said his mother, Leah Cox. "I wanted him to stay home and get an education. I was not in favor of it at all."
She said when he enlisted there was no inherent danger; the U.S. hadn't been in war in a while. "People told me it'd be a great thing for him to do because we were at peace."
Cox said he'd always been the type that would do what he wanted despite others' wishes.
Since his decision had been made, he said everyone gave him nothing but full support.
"He's accomplished quite a bit and everyone in the family is proud of everything he's achieved and we support him in everything he does," Leah said.
Basic training
Basic takes place for the Marine Corps in one of two places: San Diego, Calif. or Parris Island, N.C.
Cox was sent to San Diego, where he said many of the recruits had difficulty adjusting to a climate and atmosphere to which they were not accustomed.
"It was pick-up day for the platoon, and it was a rather tense day. There were people yelling and running around. I remember this distinctly," Cox said. "There was a bird that landed on a windowsill and a recruit named Rayford asked one of the drill sergeants what kind of bird it was."
The drill instructor that had been asked about the bird looked at Rayford, bewildered that someone would ask such a question on his first day.
The drill instructors descended on him, yelling.
Military time
He said having support from his family made times more bearable when he was overseas.
"You can have some rough times in the military, but I usually got by pretty well. I just have to think, 'There's someone out there who has it worse off than I do,' and put myself into perspective. You just have to work it out and deal with it," he said.
He said sticking to it and plodding through tough times are what truly make an individual. Cox said he learned a lot about himself through his time in basic training.
"Something in me that was reinforced by going into the military was that you always put your best foot forward. You'll be remembered by what you do," Cox said.
He said he remembered a poster in one of his friends' mom's classrooms that read "what's popular isn't always right and what's right isn't always popular," and said that poster was absolutely right because sometimes as a Marine staff sergeant he had to make decisions that didn't make the unit happy, but it was for their benefit.
He was assigned in the first wave to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Afghanistan in August 2001, a month before Sept. 11.
"In war, it's always a possibility that something could happen and the first time was when he went to Afghanistan when the Trade Centers were hit. That was my first encounter with [my son going to war]," Leah said.
She said the thought of her son not returning from overseas wasn't something she wanted to think about when he was deployed, but said it's something that weighs heavily on everyone's mind with loved ones in war.
Cox said he was lucky to be in the first wave of military personnel deployed to Afghanistan.
He worked in an enemy detainment facility. The Marines processed, searched, screened and guarded the detainees, performing their duties in shifts.
While at the detainment facility, he heard a rumor that the prisoners said they wouldn't try to escape until the Marines left because of their inherent fear of them. Although they may have feared the Marines, sometimes improvised weapons such as shanks were found in the facility. Shanks are crude weapons crafted by prisoners from various objects in the facility.
Once the Marines left, the prisoners didn't do anything. At least, to his knowledge.
In January 2003, Cox was sent to Kuwait, where the initial invasion of Iraq occurred.
In Kuwait, he was the security leader for fueling points.
"I became more responsible. I make more rational decisions now when I have to think about what to do," Cox said. "It's matured me a lot and given me better leadership skills."
He said the things he no longer takes for granted are freedom, family and the comforts of the American lifestyle.
"This country has more freedom than any other nation in the world. Having firsthand experience of cultures where there is a lot of restriction has made me appreciate the freedoms we have here," Cox said. "You don't realize how much you appreciate air conditioning until you're in the middle of a desert without it and the temperature is 115 degrees."
After Iraq, he went back to Camp Pendleton, outside of San Diego, a base where Marines go to learn their specialties. Cox attended school at Camp Pendleton to become an instructor.
While he was there, he taught the Department of Defense non-lethal weapons course, showing students how to employ various defensive tactics.
"It was a fun time. I got to instruct all different types of people," Cox said.
After his time as an instructor, he went back to the MP school as a curriculum director, where he began aiding in the process of writing a training manual.
Varying Experiences
Being on the highway to Iraq brought things into perspective for Cox.
"I remember thinking, 'Wow. I'm going to Baghdad,'" he said.
A thought like that would have never crossed his mind before joining the Marines. Being in the military gave him the opportunity to experience other cultures.
"Seeing kids in Iraq running around with torn-up secondhand clothes, playing soccer with no shoes on, really made me realize how great we have it in this country. Not to mention the fact that they were living in a war zone and had been under the control of a vicious dictator for the past couple of decades," Cox said.
Gum for a goat
One culturally enriching experience happened while he was driving in a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle in Iraq, ensuring people were in their houses when the explosive ordinance disposal team was going to destroy Iraqi mortars. People needed to be in their homes in case shrapnel were to hit the Iraqi civilians.
While they were driving around, there was a young boy running next to the vehicle. Cox decided to give the child a pack of gum: one of the packs his mother had sent him.
Later, an older man flagged the men down.
Cox thought the man wanted food or water, but the gunner recognized that the man wanted to talk.
"We didn't speak Arabic, but when we got there, we overcame language barriers and figured out it was the child's dad. His dad was so thankful, he wanted us to come and eat with them," Cox said.
The man took the Marines into the house and gave them pita-type bread, scrambled eggs and water.
After they finished eating, one of the women living with the child's father brought out a goat and was preparing to butcher it to say thanks for giving the child a pack of gum.
The Marines decided they had to leave when suddenly, a shot went off. It was a much bigger "bang" than expected, while the explosive ordinance disposal team was destroying mortars.
Journey to Aggieland
After everything he did in the Middle East, he applied for Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, which allows enlisted men to receive commission while simultaneously receiving an education at an ROTC-affiliated university.
In order to receive the commission, the Marines interested in the program have to obtain letters of recommendation and transcripts. A selection board chooses the most qualified candidates.
After the selection board chose Cox to participate in the program, he chose to attend Texas A&M.
"One of the things that drew me here is that as Marines, we have such a rich tradition we have to uphold. The minute we start letting that slip, that's when the Corps starts slipping," he said. "As long as we're holding our Marines to such a high level of excellence, we will continue to maintain the standard of the best fighters in the world."
Cox has been at A&M since May 2008.
While he attends classes at A&M, he is still on active duty and receives a salary from the Marines and once he completes his degree, he will owe four years of commissioned service to the military.
He is responsible for his tuition and fees and is allowed to use his GI Bill while he's on active duty.
During the summer, the participants must attend an officer candidate school. They are also required to go to a leadership lab every afternoon for military classes.
Each program participant's job in the military may change. The military doesn't guarantee a job as an officer.
Back to the Marines
After he participates in the program, the Marines have a six-month infantry-oriented training, after which Cox will find out what job he will get.
Cox gets the option of identifying the types of jobs he would like. Also, the better he performs academically, the more likely he will be to get the job he wants, which is in aviation.
"You don't always get what you want, but I'll do the best I can where I'm at, wherever they put me. It's a privilege to get to do this. Not a lot of people get to be military officers."
Cox said being in the military put his life in perspective and made his respect for life grow.
"People spend a lot of time on things that don't really matter. It's easy to get lost in a cloud of thought without a frame of reference."
His military career
June 1999 Enlisted
November 1999 - February 2000
student at MP school
February 2000 Reported to Marine Corps Air Station at Camp Pendleton
August 2001 Assigned to 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Afghanistan
April 2002 Returned to Camp Pendleton
January 2003 Deployed to Kuwait/Iraq with Marine Wing Support Squadron - 372
July 2003 Reported to Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. to serve as military police instructor
May 2008 Reported to Texas A&M for participation in Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program
http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper657/thumbs/t_p91gn8k3.gif
Ellie
Staff Sgt. Brandon Cox
By: Teri Ruland
Posted: 4/16/09
Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. The Marines don't have that problem." This Ronald Reagan quote is one of Staff Sgt. Brandon Cox's favorites.
Being in the Marine Corps for 10 years, the impact he's made in the lives of Marine recruits has been of great significance, but he didn't know that would be the case when he first enlisted.
The United States Marine Corps will have Cox, the junior psychology major, co-writer of the revised Military Police training manual, influence in both the classroom and on the field. He's been an instructor of the MP School for potential military police officers.
Cox was sitting at a restaurant eating lunch, alone, when a recruiter approached him and asked if he could speak to him. Since he had no easy out, he agreed. After having their discussion, Cox decided it couldn't hurt if he went to the recruiting office and talked to the senior recruiter.
Cox's hometown: Webb City, Mo. - He had received academic scholarships to a variety of state universities, but was tired of the school scene. More importantly, he said he didn't want to go to college and "waste someone else's money."
The military had always been in the back of his mind, so after his meeting with the recruiting officer, he decided the Marine Corps was his best option.
When Cox told his mother, she expressed her dislike for his decision because of the dangerous possibilities that arose with his enlistment.
"I was very against it when he first went in," said his mother, Leah Cox. "I wanted him to stay home and get an education. I was not in favor of it at all."
She said when he enlisted there was no inherent danger; the U.S. hadn't been in war in a while. "People told me it'd be a great thing for him to do because we were at peace."
Cox said he'd always been the type that would do what he wanted despite others' wishes.
Since his decision had been made, he said everyone gave him nothing but full support.
"He's accomplished quite a bit and everyone in the family is proud of everything he's achieved and we support him in everything he does," Leah said.
Basic training
Basic takes place for the Marine Corps in one of two places: San Diego, Calif. or Parris Island, N.C.
Cox was sent to San Diego, where he said many of the recruits had difficulty adjusting to a climate and atmosphere to which they were not accustomed.
"It was pick-up day for the platoon, and it was a rather tense day. There were people yelling and running around. I remember this distinctly," Cox said. "There was a bird that landed on a windowsill and a recruit named Rayford asked one of the drill sergeants what kind of bird it was."
The drill instructor that had been asked about the bird looked at Rayford, bewildered that someone would ask such a question on his first day.
The drill instructors descended on him, yelling.
Military time
He said having support from his family made times more bearable when he was overseas.
"You can have some rough times in the military, but I usually got by pretty well. I just have to think, 'There's someone out there who has it worse off than I do,' and put myself into perspective. You just have to work it out and deal with it," he said.
He said sticking to it and plodding through tough times are what truly make an individual. Cox said he learned a lot about himself through his time in basic training.
"Something in me that was reinforced by going into the military was that you always put your best foot forward. You'll be remembered by what you do," Cox said.
He said he remembered a poster in one of his friends' mom's classrooms that read "what's popular isn't always right and what's right isn't always popular," and said that poster was absolutely right because sometimes as a Marine staff sergeant he had to make decisions that didn't make the unit happy, but it was for their benefit.
He was assigned in the first wave to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Afghanistan in August 2001, a month before Sept. 11.
"In war, it's always a possibility that something could happen and the first time was when he went to Afghanistan when the Trade Centers were hit. That was my first encounter with [my son going to war]," Leah said.
She said the thought of her son not returning from overseas wasn't something she wanted to think about when he was deployed, but said it's something that weighs heavily on everyone's mind with loved ones in war.
Cox said he was lucky to be in the first wave of military personnel deployed to Afghanistan.
He worked in an enemy detainment facility. The Marines processed, searched, screened and guarded the detainees, performing their duties in shifts.
While at the detainment facility, he heard a rumor that the prisoners said they wouldn't try to escape until the Marines left because of their inherent fear of them. Although they may have feared the Marines, sometimes improvised weapons such as shanks were found in the facility. Shanks are crude weapons crafted by prisoners from various objects in the facility.
Once the Marines left, the prisoners didn't do anything. At least, to his knowledge.
In January 2003, Cox was sent to Kuwait, where the initial invasion of Iraq occurred.
In Kuwait, he was the security leader for fueling points.
"I became more responsible. I make more rational decisions now when I have to think about what to do," Cox said. "It's matured me a lot and given me better leadership skills."
He said the things he no longer takes for granted are freedom, family and the comforts of the American lifestyle.
"This country has more freedom than any other nation in the world. Having firsthand experience of cultures where there is a lot of restriction has made me appreciate the freedoms we have here," Cox said. "You don't realize how much you appreciate air conditioning until you're in the middle of a desert without it and the temperature is 115 degrees."
After Iraq, he went back to Camp Pendleton, outside of San Diego, a base where Marines go to learn their specialties. Cox attended school at Camp Pendleton to become an instructor.
While he was there, he taught the Department of Defense non-lethal weapons course, showing students how to employ various defensive tactics.
"It was a fun time. I got to instruct all different types of people," Cox said.
After his time as an instructor, he went back to the MP school as a curriculum director, where he began aiding in the process of writing a training manual.
Varying Experiences
Being on the highway to Iraq brought things into perspective for Cox.
"I remember thinking, 'Wow. I'm going to Baghdad,'" he said.
A thought like that would have never crossed his mind before joining the Marines. Being in the military gave him the opportunity to experience other cultures.
"Seeing kids in Iraq running around with torn-up secondhand clothes, playing soccer with no shoes on, really made me realize how great we have it in this country. Not to mention the fact that they were living in a war zone and had been under the control of a vicious dictator for the past couple of decades," Cox said.
Gum for a goat
One culturally enriching experience happened while he was driving in a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle in Iraq, ensuring people were in their houses when the explosive ordinance disposal team was going to destroy Iraqi mortars. People needed to be in their homes in case shrapnel were to hit the Iraqi civilians.
While they were driving around, there was a young boy running next to the vehicle. Cox decided to give the child a pack of gum: one of the packs his mother had sent him.
Later, an older man flagged the men down.
Cox thought the man wanted food or water, but the gunner recognized that the man wanted to talk.
"We didn't speak Arabic, but when we got there, we overcame language barriers and figured out it was the child's dad. His dad was so thankful, he wanted us to come and eat with them," Cox said.
The man took the Marines into the house and gave them pita-type bread, scrambled eggs and water.
After they finished eating, one of the women living with the child's father brought out a goat and was preparing to butcher it to say thanks for giving the child a pack of gum.
The Marines decided they had to leave when suddenly, a shot went off. It was a much bigger "bang" than expected, while the explosive ordinance disposal team was destroying mortars.
Journey to Aggieland
After everything he did in the Middle East, he applied for Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, which allows enlisted men to receive commission while simultaneously receiving an education at an ROTC-affiliated university.
In order to receive the commission, the Marines interested in the program have to obtain letters of recommendation and transcripts. A selection board chooses the most qualified candidates.
After the selection board chose Cox to participate in the program, he chose to attend Texas A&M.
"One of the things that drew me here is that as Marines, we have such a rich tradition we have to uphold. The minute we start letting that slip, that's when the Corps starts slipping," he said. "As long as we're holding our Marines to such a high level of excellence, we will continue to maintain the standard of the best fighters in the world."
Cox has been at A&M since May 2008.
While he attends classes at A&M, he is still on active duty and receives a salary from the Marines and once he completes his degree, he will owe four years of commissioned service to the military.
He is responsible for his tuition and fees and is allowed to use his GI Bill while he's on active duty.
During the summer, the participants must attend an officer candidate school. They are also required to go to a leadership lab every afternoon for military classes.
Each program participant's job in the military may change. The military doesn't guarantee a job as an officer.
Back to the Marines
After he participates in the program, the Marines have a six-month infantry-oriented training, after which Cox will find out what job he will get.
Cox gets the option of identifying the types of jobs he would like. Also, the better he performs academically, the more likely he will be to get the job he wants, which is in aviation.
"You don't always get what you want, but I'll do the best I can where I'm at, wherever they put me. It's a privilege to get to do this. Not a lot of people get to be military officers."
Cox said being in the military put his life in perspective and made his respect for life grow.
"People spend a lot of time on things that don't really matter. It's easy to get lost in a cloud of thought without a frame of reference."
His military career
June 1999 Enlisted
November 1999 - February 2000
student at MP school
February 2000 Reported to Marine Corps Air Station at Camp Pendleton
August 2001 Assigned to 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Afghanistan
April 2002 Returned to Camp Pendleton
January 2003 Deployed to Kuwait/Iraq with Marine Wing Support Squadron - 372
July 2003 Reported to Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. to serve as military police instructor
May 2008 Reported to Texas A&M for participation in Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program
http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper657/thumbs/t_p91gn8k3.gif
Ellie