thedrifter
05-11-06, 12:47 PM
MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. (May 11, 2006) -- For Sgt. Richard Dowie, retail manager for the Post Exchange, the Marine Corps was never a choice, it was the only way.
"I always wanted to join. I was in Jamaica for Panama, and saw it on T.V. So you know I thought it was cool," Dowie said.
He was born May 31, 1975, and grew up in Jamaica, but left the island at age 13, he said.
During the summer of 1988, Dowie's mom went to New York for a "quick vacation" from her life in Jamaica. While in New York, she told him and his older sister to come visit her in the United States. Dowie was then told by his mother that he and his sister couldn't go back to their hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, and that is how he started living in the U.S, he revealed.
After Dowie graduated from high school, he worked a couple of different jobs, starting with construction, and then moving on to being a security guard at a New York City high school, he said. It was his job to go around the school and confiscate box cutters and other illegal paraphernalia.
Dowie was waiting to be granted United States citizenship before joining the Corps, but after talking with a recruiter, he found out that he did not have to be a citizen. So, on June 15, 1999, at the age of 24, Dowie went to Marine boot camp.
After becoming a Marine, he was sent to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., and assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion as a motor transport operator, Dowie said.
After serving his tour at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, he received orders to Okinawa, Japan.
While in Okinawa, Dowie's first term of enlistment was winding down, and it was at this time that he realized he wanted to reenlist in the Corps, he said. Unfortunately, the spaces that were allotted for motor transport were full, which forced Dowie to lateral move into a new military occupational specialty.
His original plan was to move into the infantry MOS, but it was because of the advice of two master sergeants that he started to think about more options, Dowie said. In the mean time, Dowie served as a primary marksmanship instructor for the bases in Okinawa.
After considering many MOSs, he chose to become a morale, welfare and recreation specialist.
On Okinawa, he participated in some on-the-job training with a chef, then he received orders to the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow in July 2003, said Dowie.
A year and nine months after his arrival, he deployed to Iraq with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics brigade (forward), he said.
While in Iraq, he traveled around the country in Warfighter Express Services Teams, where he would provide a portable exchange to the Marines at different forward operating bases, Dowie said. The mobile exchanges carried all of the essential products that a Marine would want to buy, including: candy, cigarettes, batteries, Gatorade, chewing tobacco and potato chips.
For his efforts in Iraq, Dowie was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, he said.
Dowie said he looks forward to finishing out his term in the Marine Corps, and will try to go back to Iraq, if he can.
Editor's Note:
The 2nd Force Service Support Group was deactivated and reactivated as the 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
Ellie
"I always wanted to join. I was in Jamaica for Panama, and saw it on T.V. So you know I thought it was cool," Dowie said.
He was born May 31, 1975, and grew up in Jamaica, but left the island at age 13, he said.
During the summer of 1988, Dowie's mom went to New York for a "quick vacation" from her life in Jamaica. While in New York, she told him and his older sister to come visit her in the United States. Dowie was then told by his mother that he and his sister couldn't go back to their hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, and that is how he started living in the U.S, he revealed.
After Dowie graduated from high school, he worked a couple of different jobs, starting with construction, and then moving on to being a security guard at a New York City high school, he said. It was his job to go around the school and confiscate box cutters and other illegal paraphernalia.
Dowie was waiting to be granted United States citizenship before joining the Corps, but after talking with a recruiter, he found out that he did not have to be a citizen. So, on June 15, 1999, at the age of 24, Dowie went to Marine boot camp.
After becoming a Marine, he was sent to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., and assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion as a motor transport operator, Dowie said.
After serving his tour at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, he received orders to Okinawa, Japan.
While in Okinawa, Dowie's first term of enlistment was winding down, and it was at this time that he realized he wanted to reenlist in the Corps, he said. Unfortunately, the spaces that were allotted for motor transport were full, which forced Dowie to lateral move into a new military occupational specialty.
His original plan was to move into the infantry MOS, but it was because of the advice of two master sergeants that he started to think about more options, Dowie said. In the mean time, Dowie served as a primary marksmanship instructor for the bases in Okinawa.
After considering many MOSs, he chose to become a morale, welfare and recreation specialist.
On Okinawa, he participated in some on-the-job training with a chef, then he received orders to the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow in July 2003, said Dowie.
A year and nine months after his arrival, he deployed to Iraq with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics brigade (forward), he said.
While in Iraq, he traveled around the country in Warfighter Express Services Teams, where he would provide a portable exchange to the Marines at different forward operating bases, Dowie said. The mobile exchanges carried all of the essential products that a Marine would want to buy, including: candy, cigarettes, batteries, Gatorade, chewing tobacco and potato chips.
For his efforts in Iraq, Dowie was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, he said.
Dowie said he looks forward to finishing out his term in the Marine Corps, and will try to go back to Iraq, if he can.
Editor's Note:
The 2nd Force Service Support Group was deactivated and reactivated as the 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
Ellie