Courtesy Photo | Cpl. Jalen Drummond (center), a rifleman with 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance...... read more read more
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For many Marines, walking through the White House and advising high ranking officials may seem like a daunting task; however, for Cpl. Jalen Drummond this was just a normal day working as the assistant press secretary for the Trump administration.
“I served in a variety of roles at the White House before joining the Marine Corps,” said Drummond. “It was such an awesome experience getting to speak on behalf of the White House and the leader of the free world. It was a truly rewarding opportunity. It gave me a perspective that few Americans will ever get and I’m really appreciative of it.”
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Drummond enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in February of 2019 and went to recruit training on Parris Island, S.C. before attending the School of Infantry East and becoming a rifleman. Drummond was then attached to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Quantico Virginia.
“As a public affairs professional I sit at a desk all day, so when I made the decision to enlist I wanted a path completely different from my civilian career,” said Drummond.
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Drummond was born and raised in Wedowee, Alabama – a small, rural town about 80 miles east of Birmingham near the Georgia border and attended college at the University of Alabama.
“My family doesn’t come from money at all, and I wasn’t a straight-A student, so I knew that if I wanted to go to college I would have to find a way to pay for it,” said Drummond. “I found out the University of Alabama had a speech and debate team so my mom and I drove the two and a half hours from Wedowee to Tuscaloosa where I auditioned for the team and I ended up getting a full scholarship!”
As a member of the debate team Drummond traveled to different parts of the country competing every weekend. From the moment he stepped foot on campus, Drummond quickly became a house-hold name and eventually won the national championship during his senior year.
Drummond’s determination to be successful did not end there. Before graduating and earning his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in communications he applied for an internship at the White House.
“I knew I wanted to be in D.C.; I loved government. The internship at the White House is competitive. It’s often said that it's easier to get into Harvard than it is to get an internship at the White House, but I have always dreamt big,” explained Drummond.
Not knowing if it would even be seen, Drummond put together a competitive and robust application that went through more than 40 revisions along with a his resume and sent it off to the White House.
Drummond was shocked when he looked at his inbox and found an email from the White House. Not only was his application seen but he had made it to the next round and would be doing an interview. After interviewing with a couple of the president’s staffers, all that was left to do was wait for the results.
“After months of waiting I finally got an email saying ‘Congratulations you have been accepted as one of the President's White House interns’” exclaimed Drummond. “Two days after graduating from college I packed up a suitcase and flew to Washington D.C. where I became a White House intern. It was a phenomenal experience getting to meet people from all over the country and to walk the halls of the White House everyday where some of the most consequential decisions were made.”
Near the end of his internship at the White House, Drummond was not coy about his desire to join the administration full time. “I showed up every single day bright and early and I was the last person to leave,” said Drummond. At the end of his internship, the White House personnel office extended Drummond a full time offer to join the administration as a presidential appointee.
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Drummond’s first job in the administration was working for Ben Carson, who was serving as the 17th U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. During his time working with Carson, Drummond decided to take a leave of absence and enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Despite already having a college degree and being eligible to commission as a Marine Corps officer, he decided the enlisted route was best for him. “I knew nothing about the Marine Corps when I decided to earn the title,” explained Drummond. “I thought it was important that I learned how to follow Marines before leading them.”
“At the time I enlisted, I had already graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and was working in Washington D.C. as a presidential appointee. The reserves allowed me the opportunity to continue pursuing an exciting civilian career while also providing me an opportunity to serve my country in uniform. It was truly a win-win situation.”
When Drummond made the decision to join the Marine Corps he only told a small group of people because he wanted to keep his journey of earning the title private. His immediate family and close friends gave him their total support. “I am a self-proclaimed overachiever, and the Marines have an unmatched reputation and are recognized as one of the most elite military forces in the world,” said Drummond. “When I made the decision to enlist in the military, it is the only branch that I gave any serious consideration.”
When Drummond graduated from recruit training it came as a total surprise to extended family and friends. “Once they found out, they were incredibly supportive and it has been nothing but encouragement over the years,” said Drummond.
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After graduating from the School of Infantry, he was offered the job of Associate Director of Research at the White House before receiving a promotion to Assistant Press Secretary. “I have always wanted a career that allowed me to contribute to society in a meaningful way. I thought working in the public sector was a rewarding way that I could contribute to society and earn a living,” explained Drummond.
Similar to his college life managing his classes and his spot on the debate team, as a Marine reservist, Drummond has had to maintain two careers as well. “My command has been extraordinarily supportive and accommodating of the demands that my civilian career entails,” said Drummond. “There were times when I was on the firing line and had to put down my rifle to take a call from a Governor and one instance where I had to disembark from the LAV [Light armored Vehicles] during a night op when news broke that a Supreme Court Justice had unexpectedly passed away.”
After a couple of years in the White House, Drummond now works as a corporate spokesperson for a large defense contractor in the Washington area. Along with his hard work and dedication he also credits his success to the Marine Corps.
“I would not be where I am today professionally without the Marine Corps,” said Drummond. “The Marine Corps has gifted me a unique set of skills that many employers value – thus opening up many doors that are not granted to my peers who lack military service.
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After serving as a rifleman for two years, Drummond became a part of the Individual Mobilization Augmentee program and now serves at the Communication Directorate at the Pentagon. This program provides a source of trained and qualified members of the Selected Marine Corps Reserve to fill individual military billets that augment the active component structure of the Marine Corps, Department of Defense, or other Departments or Agencies of the U.S. Government.
“Most enlisted riflemen do not drill at the Pentagon, said Drummond. “However, the IMA program is unique in that if a Marine reservist has a special civilian skill set and the ability to fill a particular need for an active-duty unit, they can perform their reserve duties with that unit.”
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Throughout his journey, Drummond has never stopped taking chances and striving to be the best version of himself to earn the freedoms that every American enjoys.
“For generations, men and women of all stripes have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve and protect our freedoms,” said Drummond. “I joined the Marine Corps because I viewed it as a personal duty of mine to continue their service and earn freedom rather than simply inheriting it.”
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Who We Are: The United States Marine Corps Reserve is responsible for providing trained units and qualified individuals for mobilization to active duty in time of war, national emergency, and crisis or contingency operations. On a day-to-day basis, Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) consists of a talented and dedicated pool of nearly 100,000 Marines able to augment the Active Component in a myriad of ways, to include operational deployments, support to training, participation in bi/multi-lateral exercises with partner nations and allies, and service-level experimentation in support of Force Design 2030 and refinement of new concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures.
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| Date Taken: | 02.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2022 12:14 |
| Story ID: | 415413 |
| Location: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Hometown: | WEDOWEE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 436 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From the White House to Parris Island, by LCpl Ashley Corbo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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