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FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan (6/9/2012) – To serve
his country, Petty Officer 3rd Class Lamar Jackson decided to follow
in his father's footsteps.
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Petty Officer 3rd Class Lamar Jackson,
from Atlanta, checks for a pulse on a simulated unconscious patient
during a training exercise, June 8, 2012. Jackson, a corpsman at the
Battalion Aid Station for 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental
Combat Team 6, was inspired by his father to serve his country.
Photo by USMC Lance Cpl. Mark Garcia
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Growing up, Jackson saw the camaraderie his father shared with his
fellow Marines. Jackson knew he wanted to be a part of that
experience.
“Seeing that brotherhood that they had was
something I always admired,” said Jackson, a corpsman at the
Battalion Aid Station for 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental
Combat Team 6.
Jackson enlisted as a corpsman in the Navy
because of his admiration for Marines and the desire to do something
with his life.
“I became a corpsman so I could work with
Marines,” Jackson, from Atlanta, said. “I also wanted to start
getting into the medical field. It was the one job that allowed me
to do both. I just didn't want to be in the same place my whole
life. I wanted to get out and see different things and experience
different things in the world.” |
Jackson has been a corpsman for three and a half years.
Before enlisting in October 2008, Jackson played football in
college and worked full-time at a retirement home kitchen.
“When I was in college and I played sports, my
teammates and I had close relationships, but it was nothing
like the bonds I have with people in Afghanistan. You have
to trust them with your life, so you grow close to people,”
Jackson said. br>
He's been stationed at Camp Pendleton
and Twentynine Palms, both in California. Jackson says he
enjoys the high pressure situations he often faces.
“You're the guy once everything starts to go south,” Jackson
said.
“You're the person everyone's looking for. I
like being in the situation where everyone is counting on
you. There was one time some Afghan locals were injured by
an improvised explosive device, so we had to provide them
with aid and ensure they were stabilized before they were
moved anywhere.”
Jackson is currently on his first
deployment, and says it has been a life-changing experience.
He remembers experiencing significant culture shock when he
first arrived in Afghanistan.
“It's jarring just to
see how a piece of candy changes kid's whole day. In
America, that's something we take for granted,” Jackson
said.
Jackson plans to get out of the Navy and
continue his education once he completes his current
enlistment.
“I plan on going to the University of
Southern California once I'm out and (attending) their
physician assistant program,” Jackson said. “After that,
I'll get a job in a hospital. Eventually though, I would
like to move into the health care administration side of
things. It won't be as much hands-on work. Instead, I'll be
more focused on looking after the doctors and what they're
doing.”
While Jackson misses his friends and family,
he misses his wife the most. To cope with being away, he
says he focuses on his job.
Jackson's daily tasks
include ensuring Marines and sailors are both physically and
mentally healthy. He also helps Afghans, some of whom have
been injured by IED blasts.
“He's one of the most
motivated and dedicated corpsman,” said Petty Officer 2nd
Class Alexander Burkhart, the assistant leading petty
officer at the BAS, and from Astoria, Ore. “He loves the
Navy. He gets the job done. His Marines like him a lot. He's
able to figure out what needs to be done and gets it done
without any supervision. I have a lot of trust in him and
his abilities.”
By USMC Lance Cpl. Mark Garcia
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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