New Marine takes first steps to become officer

[thedrifter]

New Marine takes first steps to become officer
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 2003711134913
Story by Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.



MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 11, 2003) -- Most young Americans leave high school with many career options to choose from. Some join the military, some get jobs, and some go to college to pursue higher education.

PFC Louis C. Uhl, Platoon 3090, Company I, is a 31-year-old lawyer from Arizona, who has made his way down all three paths.

After the recent terrorist events in the country started happening, Uhl decided his career as a construction lawyer wasn't giving him enough meaning in life.

"It dawned on me that my country has given me so much, like a great job and a great family," he said.

According to Uhl, the Marine Corps was an opportunity for him to payback his country and also fulfill a dream of his father's, a former Marine captain.

"We were proud he joined the Marine Corps and that he thought it was the right thing to do," said Geri Uhl, his mother. "Since his dad was a Marine, I wasn't surprised he chose the Marine Corps over the other services."

Uhl started talking about joining the Corps in 2001, according to Geri.

"Time was running out for me to join," said the oldest recruit in Platoon 3090. "I wanted to become a military lawyer."

Uhl said becoming a military lawyer is his ultimate goal.

He is a reservist and is awaiting acceptance to Officer Candidate School.

"I enlisted in the reserves to have a different job," said Uhl. "I wanted to learn everything from the ground up, so when I am old and gray I will be able to look back on my experiences.

"I am proud of what I've done," he added. "It is the most worthwhile thing I've done in my life."

Uhl said the Marine Corps has helped him fill a void in his life.

"He seems more mature, even though that may sound odd for a 31-year-old," said Geri.

"It is great to be a part of such a proud institution," said Uhl. "At the end of training, it is great to look back at all the challenges you've overcome."

Uhl said he came here feeling like he was in a movie and was just waiting to see what would unfold. He quickly became amazed how the days piled up and how recruit training seemed to fly by.

Uhl has traveled many roads and has experienced a variety of the fruits life may offer, fruits which many men will never taste or even smell. The next curve on his winding road of career choices is the path that leads to OCS, and with more hard work and determination he may soon fulfill his goal of becoming a military lawyer.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...PFC_Uhl_lr.jpg

PFC Louis C. Uhl, Platoon 3090, Company I, cleans the lower receiver of his rifle with a cotton swab after his platoon competed in the final drill competition.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Jess Levens


The Drifter

[thedrifter]

From the battlefield to the classroom - Future officers take lessons from Operation Iraqi Freedom hits and misses
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 2003711133647
Story by Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke



MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 11, 2003) -- Marines from the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program Preparatory School here gathered in a classroom in Building 7W July 2 for professional military education on lessons learned in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The presentation, which was organized by and for the MECEP students, was another step along the way for 78 enlisted Marines who have begun the journey to become commissioned officers.

Five students who recently returned from the war in Iraq were chosen to head up the PME and talk about their experiences in combat and the lessons they learned.

Staff Sgts. James B. Gerber and Adam Ayriss, Sgts. Dan Jernigan, Robert Paugh and Owen F. Sisbarro took turns speaking to their classmates from a lectern and providing visual aids.

They told first-hand stories, ranging from accounts of exceptional officer leadership to poor enemy marksmanship to toilet paper shortages.

"One guy started shooting at us with an AK-47," said Sisbarro, who was assigned to 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, during the war. "He was shooting from the hip, not aiming at all."

The PME was a success, according to Lt. Col. Michael I. Moffett, director, MECEP Preparatory School.

"Presentations like this give these Marines the opportunity to get used to public speaking and taking questions," he said. "It gives them some insight into what lies ahead as officers."

Some of the students also agreed the presentation was a useful tool in preparing to be officers.

"The lessons learned and the funny stories were great," said Sgt. Penny D. Surdukan, student, MECEP. "We can learn from their experiences and apply them as leaders in the future."

MECEP helps enlisted Marines get a college degree so they can become commissioned officers.

Marines submit applications for the program and are evaluated based on their service records and academic potential.

According to Moffett, 20 to 30 percent of all applicants are accepted for the program. The preparatory school, which has been aboard the Depot since 1988, is an annual course that helps MECEP Marines prepare for the challenges of academia.

The program goes from the first week of June to the second week of August, and Marines come from units all over the Marine Corps to attend.

The school was established in the 1970s at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, not long after MECEP was introduced into the Corps.

The Marine Corps became concerned with the college attrition rate of its potential officer candidates, so it established the prep school to reduce academic failures and increase MECEP's efficiency.

"The school was established to help reintroduce Marines to an academic environment, so they're better prepared for what lies ahead," said Moffett.

The Marines study a variety of subjects in the course, such as basic English composition, physics, chemistry and math.

Anyone interested in MECEP should contact their installation education officer for more information.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...ecturn2_lr.jpg

Sgt. Robert Paugh, student, Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program Preparatory School, shares some of his experiences from Operation Iraqi Freedom with his classmates during professional military education. Paugh was one of five veterans of the recent war who spoke during the PME, sharing experiences and learning points.
Photo by: Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke


Sempers,

Roger