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thedrifter
07-25-03, 05:32 AM
Marine is father to fatherless
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 2003722163934
Story by Lance Cpl. Jess Levens



MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 18, 2003) -- There comes a time in a boy's life when he must become a man. Boys become men, but in many cases, they still act like boys. Many of these young men venture off away from home to grow up. Some come into contact with men who inherently feel as if they possess a paternal influence, that guides them on their journey -fathers to the fatherless.

One such man is Staff Sgt. Earl Budd, Platoon 1091, Company D. He said he strives to be a father to his recruits, not just a senior drill instructor.

This conquest of unrequited fatherhood began when Budd was 16, a mere youth growing up in Anchorage, Alaska.

During his high school football and baseball glory days, his father suddenly passed away. Taking care of their mother and pressing on, he and his two brothers did what they could to manage.

Then, a spark that would later be fanned into an ever-burning flame was lit in the deepest chambers of his heart and slowly burned into his soul.

Losing his father was a terrible feeling, according to Budd, and he didn't want anyone else to feel that way.

Budd graduated high school in 1996; he then moved on to the University of Alaska at Anchorage, where he studied English for two years.

"I didn't want to go to college anymore," said Budd. "I felt I could do more with my life."

With a yearning for excellence deep inside, Budd enlisted in the Marine Corps as a basic infantryman.

"Both of my brothers joined the Air Force," said Budd. "I wanted to go beyond that, and I knew the Corps was the best service."

After recruit training, the 5-foot-9-inch Marine checked into the School of Infantry where he learned basic infantry skills.

Once placed into an infantry unit at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif., his leadership skills set him apart, according to Budd.

He earned the rank of sergeant and was then appointed platoon sergeant.

Budd said he used his time as a platoon sergeant to develop his leadership skills toward his fellow Marines, but he was still a bit raw.

"I used to fix the problem," said Budd. "I would yell and dish out punishments, but I never really helped the Marine."

Budd continued to lead with this style until a very significant event took place in his life: He became a father to a baby boy.

"Becoming a father changed my whole outlook," said Budd. "Suddenly there was this whole other life in my hands. My actions didn't only affect me, but they affected my son."

Shortly after becoming a father, Budd applied to Drill Instructor School and was accepted. He graduated the course and was assigned to Co. D in 2001

"My first cycle as a drill instructor was tough," said Budd. "Being the new drill instructor, I had to get used to working intense hours and showing the recruits that I was in control."

It wasn't until Budd moved up the drill instructor chain that his paternal mentality began to show.

"I got to develop my own ways of teaching, my own demands, much like a father would teach and demand things of his son," said the hazel-eyed Marine.

He became used to the idea of being a temporary father to hundreds of young men.

Budd was then appointed a senior drill instructor after five cycles, and he said he put his fatherly actions into full spin.

"I became not only the teacher, but the mentor," said Budd. "My recruits knew I would take care of them no matter what and never abandon them, much like a father should act."

If a recruit has a problem, he is more than welcome to sit with his senior drill instructor and talk about it, man to man, according to Budd.

While implementing his fatherly techniques, Budd said another miracle occurred in his life: His wife, Lynne, gave birth to a baby girl.

With his son now 4 and living in Alaska, Budd almost had to start over being a father.

"My second child was different," said Budd. "Having a girl changed the way I looked at several things, especially the way I treated women. But it also changed the way I looked at my recruits. I saw them as people's sons, not just recruits."

After the birth of his daughter, Budd did more than try to act like a father. He became the recruits' father for the short time they spent together.

"Staff Sgt. Budd really motivates the platoon when we're down and out," said PFC Colby Squires, Platoon 1091, Co. D. "He is like our father while we're away from home."

Budd is very influential among his drill instructors too, according to Sgt. Andrew Nichols, drill instructor, Platoon 1091, Co. D.

"In my first cycle, he taught me how to be a drill instructor and really showed me the ropes," said Nichols. "He's very good at building people up when they're down, like a dad would encourage his son."

Many people say a father cannot be replaced, and that is not the goal, according to Budd. When young men arrive at recruit training, they need a father figure.

When the sons of this nation come here to train, looking into the firm and sincere eyes of this senior drill instructor, they know they are in good hands.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200372216437/$file/SSgt_E_Budd_lr.jpg

Staff Sgt. Earl Budd, senior drill instructor, Platoon 1091, Company D, passes a letter to Pvt. James McFarland, Platoon 1091, Co. D, after evening chow.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Jess Levens


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