Photo By Sgt. Lydia Gordon | U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nathan Martin, a native of Rexburg, Idaho, graduated from...... read more read more
In the summer season, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego sees approximately 500 plus new recruits almost every week that begin their journey on the strenuous 13-weeks to becoming a United States Marine. With as many people that come through, it is difficult to stand out, especially in an environment where everyone is trained to be stripped of their individuality. There was one recruit, however, that stood out amongst a company of 523 and performed above and beyond his peers.
Lance Cpl. Nathan Martin, an 18-year old native of Rexburg, Idaho, graduated from Kilo Company, Platoon 3234, as the Company Honor Graduate at MCRD San Diego on September 1, 2023. Martin began his journey to becoming a Marine in June of 2022. A rising high school senior at the time from Madison High School, Martin always knew he wanted to be a Marine.
“The military always interested me because I liked the structure and the challenge of it. My dad ran our home pretty disciplined. Everything was on time and put in place, so I saw value in sustaining this structure in the military,” Lance Cpl. Martin stated.
As an avid golfer and cross country runner, Martin was not a stranger to physical fitness and maintaining this was a very important aspect to why he wanted to enlist as a Marine.
When asked how he met his recruiter, Martin made it clear that it wasn’t the recruiter that found him; “I found my recruiter through Instagram and reached out to him directly. At the time, I was too young, but once I turned 17, I was put in contact with my current recruiter, Sgt. Leslie with Recruiting Sub-station Idaho Falls.”
His initiative, motivation and drive to become a Marine had a great impact not only on his fellow poolees, but his recruiters as well.
Sgt. Brannen Leslie, a recruiter out of RSS Idaho Falls with Recruiting Station Salt Lake City, said, “my first impression of Martin was the way he carried himself. It made him seem much more mature than others his age. He had a lot more innate leadership traits that any other 17-year old I had met.”
Lance Cpl. Martin spent his entire senior year of high school in the Marine Corps’ Delayed Entry Program. The DEP allows future Marines time to physically and mentally prepare for recruit training through the mentorship of their recruiters. He used this time to not only train and learn with his peers, but become a mentor.
“From the first couple of PTs, he displayed a lot of leadership potential. We made him the guide almost immediately. He practically ran the pool, ensuring his fellow poolees learned Marine Corps knowledge and even led PTs with the pool outside of RSS PTs and pool functions. He didn’t need to be told by us how to run the team, so I was not surprised to hear that he was the Company Honor Grad,” Sgt. Leslie proudly stated.
Lance Cpl. Nathan Martin was meritoriously promoted as a result of this recognition. After the 10 days of leave that follow bootcamp, Martin will be continuing his training at the School of Infantry under a reconnaissance contract. He is excited to push through barriers and face new physical and mental challenges in the future with his new brotherhood/sisterhood.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.12.2023 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 453194 |
| Location: | IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, US |
| Hometown: | REXBURG, IDAHO, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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