Photo By Sgt. Brandon Aultman | U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Pamela Garcia, executive officer, Headquarters Battalion,...... read more read more
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“So, was it everything that I imagined? No. It was a lot more.”
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Pamela Garcia began her Marine Corps career as an enlisted Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
“My Marine Corps Occupational Specialty was 4421, legal services specialist,” said Garcia. “I worked in the Administrative Law/Administrative Support section.”
Over time, Garcia realized that she wanted more of a challenge than her rank as a corporal afforded her. Having joined the Marine Corps at the age of 25, Garcia already had a lot of life experience. She had lived on her own, worked multiple jobs, and even went to college. Because of this, she often felt that her maturity level was not exactly suited to the tasks she was often assigned, and she wanted an opportunity to do more.
“I felt kind of stuck,” said Garcia. “I should be doing more with my life.”
Garcia liked her job at legal, but could never shake the feeling that she wanted more of a challenge, and more autonomy to do things her own way. After imagining another two years of her mundane routine, she ultimately decided against it, saying, “No, I think it’s time for me to put my package in.”
In order to commission as an officer in the Marine Corps through the Enlisted Commissioning Program, a bachelor’s degree is required. This can be a major roadblock for anyone looking to make the switch to officer, as college can take several years to complete. Luckily for Garcia, she had already filled that requirement in the time before enlisting.
Although she had decided to move on from the enlisted life, Garcia never forgot what she learned during her time as an enlisted Marine in her legal section. Her supervisors were always pushing Garcia and her fellow Marines to stay physically fit, take advantage of volunteer opportunities, and sustain their foundational military skills.
“At first it may have felt like, ‘Man, why are we always getting told to do this and that?’” described Garcia. “But I think it was rewarding in the end.”
The investments Garcia made during her free time would eventually pay off. After all her hard work, she was able to win various awards, including Marine of the Quarter, and Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter. She also received 17 Letters of Appreciation and two Certificates of Commendation, all of which helped her to stand out when the time came to submit her officer candidate package. However, the hardest part was yet to come– Officer Candidates School.
Officers in the Marine Corps are held to very high standards. As mentioned in the official U.S. Marine Corps OCS website:
“Not everyone has the willingness and determination, the judgment and the leadership, or the mindset and the skillset to stand out in front of our nation as an officer of Marines. Those who think they may, will find out quickly at Officer Candidates School, where success is only achieved by giving everything you have.”
Upon her arrival to OCS, Garcia quickly realized she would be tested and challenged in ways she has never been before.
“It’s intense,” said Garcia. “There’s a lot expected of officers; you’re expected to perform.”
Although Garcia had very high fitness scores as an enlisted Marine, in OCS, she was just “part of the pack.” Due to the high mental and physical endurance demanded by the school, Garcia witnessed over 30 of her female classmates fail to make it to graduation, cutting her platoon nearly in half. Comparatively, about a fourth of the males in her class would meet a similar fate.
“I think both Officer Candidates School and The Basic School are, compared to boot camp and Marine Combat Training, night and day,” Garcia recalled. “They’re a lot more physically and intellectually challenging.”
Through completing OCS and TBS, Garcia had shown thus far that she was ready for the challenge she craved as an enlisted member. However, she would still have a lot more to prove in the next phase of her military career.
“As an officer I gained that autonomy that I wanted,” said Garcia. “But that autonomy came with a lot more responsibility. I think your scope as a corporal is small, and as an officer, it’s huge.”
Although she was excited to make the transition to officer, she faced a lot of pressure from the very start when she was assigned to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, as a 5803, military police officer.
“They told me, ‘Normally as a second lieutenant, you would be a watch commander,’” recalled Garcia. “‘But we don’t have an operations officer, so you’re it.’”
In the Marine Corps, the position of OPSO is usually reserved for a captain or a major, so Garcia was punching much higher above her proverbial weight as a second lieutenant. However, because of her previous life experience, as well as her experience as an enlisted Marine, her command decided to push more responsibility on her than the average officer.
“You’re asked to ‘figure it out’ in the military very often,” said Garcia. “But it has gotten easier as time goes on.”
Ultimately, Garcia rose to the challenge, and was able to make her way to the rank of captain. She had proved herself as a competent officer, but, unbeknownst to Garcia, the Marine Corps had more tests in store. After completing her time in Twentynine Palms, Garcia was able to select which duty station she wanted to go to next. She decided it was time to head back to where it all started– Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
Garcia hadn’t seen Hawaii since she left for OCS, and was excited to experience the island through a new lens.
“It feels great to see the places I used to frequent as enlisted,” said Garcia, “but not much has changed honestly.”
Once Garcia arrived to Hawaii, she was assigned to work at the Provost Marshal’s Office. After about a year and a half working as the OPSO for Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s PMO, she got the news that would once again bring a new challenge to her doorstep.
“When I got the news that I’d be the battalion executive officer, I thought they were joking,” said Garcia.
Newly appointed as the MCBH Headquarters Battalion executive officer, Capt. Garcia is now second-in-command to the MCBH HQBN commanding officer, Lt. Col. Stephen McNeil. It’s a lot of responsibility to hold as a captain, in a billet usually reserved for majors.
“I think that because of the needs of the Marine Corps, we are often placed in situations we may not feel prepared to fulfill,” said Garcia. “However, it is still a personal challenge to meet and exceed expectations wherever assigned.”
Although she’s faced many challenges to get to where she is, Garcia says she doesn’t regret a thing. She offers encouragement to any enlisted Marines who are considering making the change.
“At the end of the day, anybody can do it,” said Garcia. “It’s just putting in the effort, and staying committed to your goals. My goal has always been to do the best that I can wherever life takes me.”
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| Date Taken: | 06.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2022 15:45 |
| Story ID: | 423968 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 372 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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