Warrior of the Week # 6- Petty Officer 2nd Class Holmes

Courtesy Photo | Petty Officer 2nd Class Jedidiah Holmes, a San Diego, Calif., native and machinery technician attached to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 14 stands in a zodiac combat reconnaissance rubber craft in Africa, Aug. 31, 2014. Holmes is currently a team member on Security Cooperation Team 1, which is comprised of Marines, Sailors, and Coastguardsmen. The team’s mission is to conduct a train-the-trainer course on maritime security force assistance, marksmanship exercises, maritime patrolling techniques and small boat tactics and skills. (Courtesy Photo)  

SIGONELLA, ITALY

09.05.2014

Story by Cpl. Shawn Valosin 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

SIGONELLA, Italy - Machinery Technicians are one of the Coast Guard’s largest ratings. They have unlimited opportunities for assignments to every Coast Guard cutter, boat and shore station. They are trained not only as technicians, but as managers and leaders, acquiring a breadth of knowledge in all areas of machinery operation and maintenance, and are often called upon to act as federal law enforcement officers.

Petty Officer 2nd class Jedidiah Holmes, a San Diego, California, native and machinery technician with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa 14, has mastered the inherent qualities of the machinery technician rating and has applied the same tenacity in his current assignment, earning him the title of Warrior of the Week.

Holmes is currently a team member assigned to Security Cooperation Team 1, which is comprised of Marines, Sailors and Coastguardsmen from Naval Air Station Sigonella. He has trained alongside the Marines and Sailors of SCT-1 to prepare for partnership training with African nations on non-standard platforms.

The team’s mission is to conduct a train-the-trainer course on maritime security force assistance, marksmanship exercises, maritime patrolling techniques and small boat tactics and skills.

Before joining the coastguard, Holmes served in the Army.

“While deployed in Iraq I was working in supply, and felt that I needed a change, that I had a higher calling in life,” said Holmes. “I was perusing other government agencies and came across the U.S. Coast Guard. I was particularly interested in search and rescue and their law enforcement programs.”

Upon separation from the Army, Petty Officer 2nd class Holmes has remained at the forefront of Coast Guard operations with assignments to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Decisive, Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team, and Maritime Safety and Security Team Galveston.

Upon arrival to Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Holmes hit the ground running through immersion in various technical publications and integration into SP-MAGTF Africa’s theater security cooperation missions, training objectives and daily training schedule. While conducting work-ups in preparation for deployment, he personally inspected the material condition of the zodiac combat reconnaissance rubber craft to ensure full mission capability for the waterside portion of the training.

“[Petty Officer 2nd] class Holmes’ work ethic has been exemplary to this point,” said Chief Petty Officer Dustin Ruth, a Clearwater, Florida, native and the SCT-1 senior instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard. “He is always the first to volunteer and consistently seeks out every opportunity to train others. His ability to provide timely feedback [while on theater security cooperation engagements] has been instrumental in [building relationships with partner nations].”

Warrior of the Week was created to recognize the Marines and Sailors of SP-MAGTF Africa who play a significant role in the day to day operations that lead to mission success. Sometimes these accomplishments go under the radar, thus we try to capture the moments so that everyone else can appreciate their value.

• Date Taken: 09.05.2014
• Date Posted: 09.05.2014 10:17
• Story ID: 141237
• Location: SIGONELLA, IT
• Hometown: CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, US
• Hometown: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US