Photo By Cpl. Harley Thomas | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – Cpl. Khiry Wright, a flight planner with Marine Corps Air...... read more read more
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While he had prepared for just another shift, Wright, a New York native, walked up the stairwell of the terminal building, located near the flight line aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, to an unexpected surprise – it was the day he first learned he could claim the title “Marine of the Year.”
“Truthfully, I was shocked,” Wright said. “Earning that title is a great honor and although it was always in the back of my mind ever since my first board, I didn’t quite see that as my stopping point. I see that as a culmination of everything I have done up to this point, whether it’s the volunteer work, the Marine Corps courses or the work I do every day, but that title was not my focus.”
He said “Marine of the Year” was something that could mark your personal progress, but, win or lose, you should keep striving to do your own thing and keep working hard. Nonetheless, he said he is very happy to have won, but not only for himself.
“I really do believe that hard work pays off and I am very happy to have earned it, but this isn’t something I did for myself,” Wright said. “This is something I did for my unit – when I went for it, I did so representing them. The support I’ve gotten here has been amazing and I love these guys.”
A friend and fellow flight planner, Cpl. Brandon Stallworth, said Wright has always been motivated to help around the shop in order to better the unit.
“You can tell he loves the Corps and he loves what he does, it shows in his work,” said Stallworth, a Detroit native. “Wright will come to work early every day and, while I don’t know for sure because I’m not here, I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves a little later as well. When he comes in, he makes sure everything is good to go and if there’s a problem, he handles it himself. That’s how he operates and that’s good, I think that’s what is needed in the Marine Corps.”
Wright said that ever since he first joined the military, he wanted to work to become someone that people, especially those junior to him, could always look up to. He also said that working to earn that respect is part of why he had joined in the first place.
“If I was going to join, it was going to be the Marine Corps,” he said. “The other recruiters would tell you about the things their branches would provide for you or what you would get from them. The Marines, however, would not do that. They wouldn’t tell you that you’d get anything, instead, they’d tell you what you can earn. I don’t want anyone to give me anything – I want to earn it for myself.”
Before becoming roommates with Wright, Stallworth said he heard Wright’s old roommate say that while preparing for a board, Wright would shout out various Marine Corps knowledge in his sleep.
“That just goes to show that this guy eats, sleeps and breathes the Corps,” Stallworth said. “He is definitely a motivator and I think that plays a part in why people like him so much: He’s a people person and treats others with respect. For that reason, even though I’ve been here longer and he is junior to me, I would never question anything he asked me to do. I respect him, both as a man and a Marine – although I’m sure he’d say he’s always a Marine first, and I can’t say I’d disagree with him.”
Stallworth said he was happy for Wright because earning “Marine of the Year” is a great accomplishment.
“He deserved it,” he said. “He always says he wants to be the commandant, and if I were ever to see him reach that point, it’s probably because he continued to do what he does now.”
Wright said he hopes to keep moving forward, doing the best he can, no matter what the outcome, so that he may inspire those around him to do more. He said it is motivating to see someone, even if they’re the best of the best, still striving to be better because they know people are looking up to them.
“You know, I’d love to try to be the commandant one day,” he said, half-jokingly. “That’s the person everyone looks to; everyone has high expectations for him and believes that he is knowledgeable in what he does. Even if I don’t quite reach that point, I would still try to be the best and get as far as I could so that I can pass on what I’ve learned so far, doing what my leadership has done for me.”
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2016 16:07 |
| Story ID: | 202563 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 154 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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