Photo By Sgt. Benjamin Crilly | Cpl. Michael R. Gibbons and Cpl. Christina White hold White’s re-enlistment...... read more read more
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CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan — Working third shift at Costco, Michael never thought that in four years he would be helping Marines re-enlist while assigned to Marine Helicopter Squadron 1.
Cpl. Michael R. Gibbons re-enlisted as a career planner July 25 as he wrapped up a year-long tour in Afghanistan.
The Waterbury, Conn., native and a 2006 W. F. Kaynor Technical High School graduate, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2007 as a motor transportation operator.
“I knew that I wanted to serve my country, I like to drive and I was good at it,” Gibbons said. “So enlisting was a logical choice.”
Gibbons served as the security force commander while deployed as part of Regimental Combat Team 7. Throughout the deployment he led his Marines in convoy security operations throughout Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Gibbons and other operators conducted more than a hundred convoy operations driving vehicles to battalions in addition to moving personnel around the RCT-7 area of operations.
Like a lot of motor transportation Marines, Gibbons said he discovered a sense of purpose while deployed that he lacked while he was stationed at Twentynine Palms, Calif.
When his re-enlistment date came up, Staff Sgt. John Kosa, the RCT-7 career planner, met with Gibbons to discuss the opportunities and career paths available.
“I was undecided about re-enlisting as an operator or just getting out to use my G.I. Bill,” Gibbons said. “I knew that the Marine Corps had other opportunities and programs out there, but as a first term re-enlistment I didn’t know what I qualified for.”
Kosa reviewed Gibbons’ scores and walked him through what the different programs were and what military occupational specialties to which he could laterally move.
Gibbons chose to become a career planner for a number of reasons, but at the top of his list was his family, especially his daughter. Gibbons missed his daughter’s first birthday while in Afghanistan and didn’t know how much more of her life he would miss while on deployments.
Marines are given incentives upon re-enlistment, so Gibbons received a bonus and his choice of duty station. He received orders to report to HMX-1 out of Quantico, Va., as the future career planner for the Marines who serve aboard Marine One, the President’s helicopter, and as the field testers for Marine rotary aviation programs. Gibbons will also be promoted to the rank of sergeant before he redeploys to the States because of his career decision.
Gibbons credits his re-enlistment to Kosa’s informed guidance as his career planner and wants to be able to guide other Marines, giving them the tools to succeed.
“A lot of good, young noncommissioned officers who have proven themselves as leaders are getting out because they don’t know what is available to them,” Gibbons said.
“Having someone here to find the right people to stay in the Corps is just as important of a mission as going outside the wire and driving around,” Gibbons said.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2010 06:16 |
| Story ID: | 53774 |
| Location: | CAMP DWYER, AF |
| Web Views: | 447 |
| Downloads: | 242 |
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