Photo By Greg Gilliam | U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Benjamin Gabica, a native of Issaquah, Wash., and the Drill...... read more read more
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As the lone bus full of members of the Marine Corps’ Silent Drill Platoon arrived to the snow covered start line in the predawn hours to walkthrough their upcoming performance at the 51st Annual Iditarod in Anchorage, Alaska. The scene was very different. The weather, at five below zero, was certainly unlike anything experienced before for the newly formed team.
The iconic dogsled race across Alaska was set to be opened by the group. It was up to U.S. Marine Corporal, Benjamin Gabica, platoon drill master to develop the plan of execution.
“He sets the standard. He is very good at adapting, problem solving and can look at any situation analyze the situation,” said U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Anthony Havens, SDP platoon sergeant.
Gabica, a native of Issaquah, Washington quickly developed a plan and put it into motion. Three hours later his plan came to life with a flawless performance by the team in front of thousands lining the downtown streets.
Gabica has spent the last three years with the Silent Drill Platoon. Arriving at the unit as a private first class, his diligence toward perfecting his craft has driven him to stand out amongst his peers. Not only has he competed to be one of the 24 performers, he competed for the position, assistant drill master, during his second year. Now in his third year with the unit, he has been hand selected to become the unit’s drill master.
“You have to be selected, but you can choose to try out for the silent drill once you become a ceremonial marcher,” said Cpl. Benjamin Gabica.
Some of his duties as drill master include creating drill sequences, teaching his Marines to perfect those sequences, and inspecting his Marines uniforms in order for the unit as a whole to conduct each performance flawlessly.
While a uniform inspection may seem insignificant to some, Marines pride themselves on attention to detail and achieving perfection. A Marine’s attention to detail is what makes the Marine Corps this nation’s elite fighting force.
“We always get inspected before we go anywhere, and the drill masters are incredibly meticulous on the tiniest little things,” Gabica said. “Being with this unit has taught me that the little things matter. Our rifles even get inspected.”
Now nearing the end of his tour with the unit, Gabica reminisces on the personal and professional growth he experienced.
“I’ve come a long way since I first got to Marine Barracks Washington,” Gabica said delightfully. “Being out in public, being in uniform representing what we are supposed to represent has taught me to stand taller, to be more respectful and be a gentleman.”
Marines of The Silent Drill Platoon are infantrymen, hand selected from the unit’s marching companies to perform ceremonial drill. Experienced members of the platoon have the opportunity to try out to be selected as one of the two rifle inspectors, or drill master.
One of the many things that motivates Gabica about being a part of the Silent Drill Platoon is having both Marine and civilians come up to speak with him after performances.
“I’ve had 8-year-old kids come up to me and say, ‘wow that was so cool’,” said Gabica. “I’ve had Marines say, ‘wow, that made me want to reenlist’. Hearing that really motivates me. I’ve even had veterans come up to me with tears in their eyes, and tell me that, ‘it reminds me of my brothers who I served with 50-60 years ago while wearing the dress blues’. It definitely makes me feel pretty good, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of this job.”
Gabica has pride and dedication toward his work. Although there were many supportive attendees throughout the Pacific Northwest tour, there is one attendee present who stands out with overwhelming pride for her son. This attendee is Gabica’s mother.
“I’m extremely proud of him,” said Kim Denny, a native of Bellevue, Washington. “It’s been a whirlwind of three years watching him really work hard and put his all into the silent drill platoon while earning awards for it. It’s also been really fun to watch.”
Denny has been all over the country to watch her son perform from Washington D.C. to Manhattan, and now in Snohomish, Washington, near his hometown.
Of the six performances Denny has traveled to attend, this was the first performance where Gabica was not on stage. This was the first performance where she witnessed Gabica as a leader.
“What was fun is that I’ve seen him perform in shows, but this was my first time watching him in a leadership role,” said Denny with a smile on her face. “I’ve never seen him, at the age of 22, being in charge of so many people with similar skills. He is in charge of them, he is running the show. They show such respect to each other and to Ben. It’s been really fun to watch and see his growth over the past few years. I don’t think he could have traded these growth and leadership opportunities for anything else.”
Of the 36-man platoon that is capable of performing, 24 of them are selected to travel and perform at events all across the country.
Marine Barracks Washington conducted a two-week tour that included performances in Alaska, Oregon and Washington. The unit consists of The Silent Drill Platoon, The Commandant’s Own Drum & Bugle Corps and the official Marine Corps Color Guard.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2023 11:05 |
| Story ID: | 440088 |
| Location: | SNOHOMISH, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | BELLEVUE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AU |
| Hometown: | ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 390 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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