Subscribe
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Of the 200,000 people who join the military every year, 180,000 join the enlisted ranks and 20,000 become officers. There are various opportunities for enlisted Marines to transition to the commissioned ranks and continue their career, but the selection process for these programs is extremely competitive and requires a process of indoctrination completely different from the enlisted mindset. That being said, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island boasts prior-enlisted commanders in nearly every battalion; an unprecedented circumstance. Each of them took the road less traveled to get to where they are today, but they all share the same experience of enduring recruit training and earning their Eagle, Globe and Anchor aboard the recruit depot.
~
For Lt. Col. Aixa Dones, 4th Recruit Training Battalion Commanding Officer, the Marine Corps became the biggest adventure she never saw coming.
Growing up, she had aspirations of becoming a lawyer. After moving to Chicago from Puerto Rico at a young age, it was instilled in her by her family that she should prioritize an education and ultimately find a good career.
Her initial interest in the military stemmed from the potential to finish her education while in the service. What she didn’t anticipate after earning her Eagle, Globe and Anchor was how much she enjoyed being a Marine and wanted to pursue the military as a career.
“I think the love story here is that once I came in, I realized I wanted this lifestyle,” Dones said.
Dones initially came into the Marine Corps as an intelligence specialist, first stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba before transitioning to Marine Corps Intelligence Activity on Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA. The officers whom she interacted with as a young Marine spearheaded her desire to follow the same path that they had. Dones said she felt empowered to make decisions, which sparked a desire in her to look into the Marine Corps officer programs.
“Having the freedom to do a little bit more decision-making there within the confines of what my requirements were, I realized that at the end of the day I knew I could make the biggest impact as a Marine by applying to the MECEP program and becoming an officer,” Dones said.
Before she even considered applying to MECEP, Dones said her sights were set on a career path: she had a seat at the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group in Quantico, and intended to serve as a Marine Security Guard before then submitting a drill instructor package. That being said, Dones’s collaboration and relationships with the officers above her inspired her to follow a new path after seeing Marine Corps leadership from a different perspective.
“How I saw it, I wanted to be able to have a vision, imagine something and be able to put things together and get feedback,” Dones said. “The driving factor for me was being able to affect policy and advocate for my Marines.”
Dones found out she was selected for MECEP while she was serving in the office of the Secretary of the Navy at the Pentagon. From there, she commissioned and went on to advocate and serve her Marines as she had envisioned.
In 2010, she returned to the depot where she served as Series Commander, Company Executive Officer, and Company Commander, as well as Support Battalion Executive Officer. Her success as a leader of Marines eventually brought her to the command deck at Fourth Recruit Training Battalion, where she is still inspired to this day by her own drill instructor, Sgt. Garret.
“She is the person who inspired me to be the Marine I always wanted to be,” Dones said. “She was the epitome of professionalism, and it was because she demanded so much of all of us [recruits]. Her expectation of professionalism and the passion in which she did everything, was one of those things that I still look up to today. If I am the tenth of the Marine she is, then I know I will be ok.
In kind, Dones says she wants to show the drill instructors in her charge how important they are to the mission of making Marines.
“I tell my drill instructors one of their recruits could potentially become the future Fourth Battalion commander; the recruits they train are going to be the Marines they will work with in the fleet,” Dones said. “I want them to realize the incredible impact they have on the recruits, and that impact is forever.
Through these experiences on both the enlisted and officer sides of the Marine Corps, Dones said she gained a unique perspective and ability to give her Marines and drill instructors a voice.
“I wanted the enlisted perspective to truly be heard,” Dones said. “I thought if I could be an officer than I could further advocate for my Marines. The best part of being able to share the enlisted experience is the ability to connect with my Marines at their level and be able to say ‘I understand you.’”
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2021 12:17 |
| Photo ID: | 6784865 |
| VIRIN: | 210811-M-XU431-0014 |
| Resolution: | 5592x3186 |
| Size: | 6.36 MB |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,693 |
| Downloads: | 12 |
This work, An Enlisted Education [Image 4 of 4], by SSgt Dana Beesley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
