Photo By Sgt. Jeff Drew | Ewing, N.J., native Cpl. Abdelbasset Jibbou, an administration clerk with 2nd Combat...... read more read more
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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Afghanistan – On the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, then Maj. Gen. James Mattis described his Marines as “no better friend, no worse enemy.” Ewing, N.J., native Cpl. Abdelbasset Jibbou epitomizes this description with his generosity, tenacity and honor.
Jibbou was born and lived in Beni Mellal, Morocco, for 14 years where his father, a Moroccan army soldier, forged the foundation of his core values. The relaxed attitude of Moroccan culture complemented his disciplined upbringing to fashion a balanced and focused Marine.
“Beni Mellal is a small city, has great scenery, and whenever I’m there I’m completely relaxed,” said Jibbou, a 2006 graduate of Ewing High School in Ewing , N.J. “Everyone knows each other – it’s a family scene. One of my earliest memories was when two English-speaking tourists were being hustled by a salesman. My dad stepped in and took them away from the guy who was trying to sell them fake items. He told them because they were new here, they could come and live with us and enjoy their stay. They told my dad it was the best time they had visiting another country. It was just a good gesture.”
From that point on Jibbou strived to be like his father, balancing quiet kindness with a formidable sense of honor. Jibbou’s grandfather served in the French Foreign Legion during World War II and he remembered his father always in uniform when he was home. It was obvious to him at a young age that serving in the military was important to his family. Jibbou’s father, who spent long periods of time deployed or on different humanitarian missions throughout Africa with the Moroccan army, never spoke much about the military when he was home, instead preferring to leave work at work and home at home. However, he taught his son about proper physical training and the importance of being in top physical condition.
“We always went on runs and hikes together,” said the 22-year-old Jibbou. “He was trying to prepare me and show me how to be a man. I always laugh that I did more hiking with him then I have in the Marine Corps.”
Jibbou’s father also taught him about the value of military bearing, showing him how to conduct himself in a professional manner and how to toughen up at an early age.
“One time I was trying to race my father to the top of a hill. I grabbed a branch, it snapped off, and I went sliding down the hill; rocks messed up my knees,” said Jibbou. “I was sitting there bleeding, crying, and he came over and said, ‘Shake it off.’ I said, ‘What?’ He repeated himself, ‘Shake it off,’ and I just got up like it was nothing; all the pain was gone. He taught me how to deal with pain. From then on whenever I got a scratch or bruise I just looked at it like it was nothing.
“My father was an inspiration,” said Jibbou. “I look at him and he seems flawless; he never really seems in pain. One day he was training and he broke his arm, came home like it was nothing, and kept working. He said he was still the man of the house and had to do his duties. I want to be like him – I’m trying, but I haven’t reached that point yet.”
Jibbou took all of the knowledge gained from his father and moved to the U.S. with his mother when he was 14-years-old to pursue a better education settling in Ewing
“In Morocco I didn’t think about the future much, it was very laid back,” Jibbou explained. “I lived day-in and day-out, meal-by-meal. When I got to the states I realized people are non-stop, and I needed to think about the future and start planning ahead. I went to the Marine Corps recruiter and he said, ‘We’ll see if you can pass.’ All the other branches told me I just had to fill in the paperwork and I was in. Getting into the Marines was a goal, an accomplishment, and not everyone can do it.”
The Marine Corps was a perfect fit for Jibbou, who learned the Corps’s values at an early age. He excelled physically and has since learned new skills as a range coach and artillery mechanic. He is currently deployed with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, splitting his time between working as an administration clerk and posting security at the battalion armory.
“He’s a good worker, a really good person to be around,” said Lexington, Ky., native Cpl. Levi Carroll, a company clerk with the battalion who works with Jibbou. “He’s so task oriented; you give him something to do, it doesn’t matter what, it’s going to get done and in a prompt time.”
Jibbou’s first enlistment is drawing to a close, but he said he intends to re-enlist, hoping to become a reconnaissance Marine or work with Marine Special Forces. He credits his father for giving him a solid foundation, upon which he has begun to build a successful Marine Corps career.
“He made me what I am today,” said Jibbou. “He told me a man has responsibilities and things he needs to handle, like family and a job. He taught me to help out as much as I can and if I see someone in need, help them and always try to do good things for others.”
Editor’s note: The 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion is currently assigned to 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2011 13:10 |
| Story ID: | 76896 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 473 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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