Photo By Lauren Kurkimilis | Maj. Jessica Acosta is from the small town of Tehachapi, Calif., and had high hopes of...... read more read more
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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Maj. Jessica Acosta is from the small town of Tehachapi, Calif., and had high hopes of one day working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While working toward her degree in criminal justice at California State University, she learned the FBI would require her to have experience in the field before even applying. Her answer to this was to join the military and then find her way to the FBI. What she found instead was a life changing decision and an unexpected journey.
I thought I was just going to be in this green machine for four years, my requirement, and then apply to the FBI. That was 15 years ago. I enjoyed my time in the Marine Corps so much that I said, “No, I think I’ll stay here instead.”
I went to Officer Candidate School the summer of my junior year in college which was in 1996. That was my first time on active duty. I finished my senior year of college and then I started at The Basic School in 1998.
When I was thinking about joining the military, there was never a doubt as to which branch I would choose. It was because of the reputation, because we’re the best. Maybe it was all of those commercials but I was convinced. My step dad was in the Marine Corps as well so I had the family experience.
I’ve been all over, which has been wonderful. My first duty station was in Hawaii. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Then I went to Parris Island, S.C., and had the opportunity to be a series commander and company commander. I then went to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and worked for 10th Marines.
Following that, I went to Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., so I got some experience working with the aviation component and now I’m here.
I’ve deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan and participated in exercises in Korea. So my time in the Corps has been really exciting. It’s opened my eyes to things far beyond Tehachapi, Calif.
This organization is very male dominant. The military is very male dominant but the Marine Corps is even more so because of the nature of our primary mission. We are the nation’s 911 force. We need to be ready, at a moment’s notice, to be able to go anywhere and do anything. Because of that, we’re a minority in the population which makes us unique.
It’s always been my personal mission to be the best at what I do. Even if I were to fold towels at the gym, I’m going to be the best one who does it. That kind of mentality helps you to be successful in the Marine Corps as a female Marine.
You’re competing against individuals that innately do the physical part of the job more easily. So you’ve got to stand out and do your best.
Do your best. This is a team organization and a team mentality. Even though you’re competitive and probably a Type A personality, as most Marines are, you still have to have the collaboration effort. You can’t get anything done here by yourself.
If you come in with the wrong attitude like, “I’m just going to judge others,” or, “I’m going to make you look bad so I look better,” that doesn’t work. That’s not the way the Marine Corps runs and you will fail. You will not succeed in this organization.
My platoon commander (in OCS) was a captain and she could do one-armed pull-ups. So she’d come out there and do her one-armed pull-ups in front of everyone, males and females alike and she was showing everyone up. That’s just an example of what I had to look up to when I was first becoming a Marine.
When I was at TBS, Gen. Wilson was the commanding general of Quantico. When I’d drive by the general’s building, I remember I’d see her, the female commanding general of the base and I just thought that was so great. It was very inspirational for me to see female officers already accomplishing so much.
My grandma is very motivating to me. I remember she would always say, “We are women. Hear us roar.” She had that mentality that you can do whatever you want and to be the best. I’ve always had women like her to inspire me.
My other grandma went to college and got her real estate license. She became a professional in an era when that wasn’t done. Women didn’t go to college. She had a job and she had seven kids.
My mother was the same way. She got her degree and had two jobs while she was in college and then went on to become a successful school teacher. She’s very strong-willed and eager. She believed that nothing was impossible. You can do and be whatever you want. So I’ve grown up around all of that.
Just having positive role models, like I did growing up, no matter what they do, makes a difference when you’re raising children. I would definitely agree that my kids get the benefit of learning how to become healthy successful adults because of the examples they’re given now.
I waited 10 years to have kids. I didn’t want to be a second lieutenant that was supposed to be taking care of her Marines and being there when they needed it because I was being pulled away for my own personal family reasons. But now I’m in a position where I can take a sick day if my kid is sick and all they want is mom. It won’t disrupt the whole system if I do.
My firstborn is five, her name is Camille and she just started kindergarten this year and my second born is Peter, he just turned two in December.
It takes a lot of support from your command to be able to balance being a Marine and a mom. They have to give a lot of flexibility to the situation. It’s obviously not mission one but to complete the mission, you have to support the troops and that includes letting them support their families. That’s always been visible in the Marine Corps.
| Date Taken: | 03.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2013 17:36 |
| Story ID: | 103610 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | TEHACHAPI, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 345 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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