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Officer Pushes Marines To Succeed
(September 11, 2009) |
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| MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Sept. 8, 2009 – A
boy who wanted to become an architect ended up enlisting to be a part of the
brotherhood of the Marine Corps. Today, as an officer, he uses his experience as
an enlisted Marine to help those in his charge.
Growing up, Marine Corps Capt. Alexis Sanchez went to a fine-arts high school to
study and prepare his art portfolio to be submitted to a college. But a sudden
change of heart led the 18-year-old to become a Marine.
Sanchez, the operations officer for Headquarters Company, Combat Logistics
Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, remembers when he first saw the Marine
Corps poster advertisement featuring the most decorated Marine, Lt. Gen. Chesty
Puller, holding a sword. When his mother would joke with him about how he should
join the Corps, he said, he gave her the same answer every time: “No way, Mom,
because they kill people.”
A recruiter started calling him, and gave him another option to consider after
graduating from high school. After seeing a classmate enlist under the Delayed
Entry Program, Sanchez decided it was time for a change. He walked right up to
the recruiting station and enlisted.
After Sanchez was enlisted for seven and a half years, he said, he figured it
was time for another change, but he wasn't ready to leave the Corps. So he
earned a commission through the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education
Program.
"Having the enlisted background, it gives me the sanity check,” the 31-year-old
native of Paterson, N.J., said. “I know what works and what doesn't."
Having served as an enlisted Marine, Sanchez said, he can relate to the enlisted
Marines who serve under him. That, he added, has helped him out tremendously in
his job.
As operations officer, his job is to develop a pre-deployment training plan,
which involves attending meetings to discuss different types of training and
coordinating with subordinate units and outside agencies.
"If I take time to do a detailed plan now, it would eliminate a lot of headaches
down the road," Sanchez said. "Marines would be able to train properly with no
downtime. Knowing that I have contributed to something that would affect the
Marines and bring them back safely from deployments due to proper training, it
makes me feel good about my job."
His junior Marines agree Sanchez is approachable. They can go to him for
anything, they said, and he treats them with the utmost respect.
"Treat others like how you want to be treated; I have always followed this
concept in my career," Sanchez said. "You can always learn something from
anyone."
Sanchez said he treats his Marines the way he would treat his children. He
spends time with them to get to know them and help them do well.
"I want to be able to wake up every morning and push my kids to do their best by
mere example,” he said. “That translates to my professional career by wanting to
push my Marines to do their best by setting the example as well."
Sanchez said meeting people face to face makes it easier to actually get to know
them. In the process, he added, he is able to get out of the office and meet a
lot of people.
One way he does that is joining his fellow Marines on the softball field.
"I enjoy participating on the softball team, because it allows me to engage the
Marines outside of work, and I believe it builds camaraderie," said Sanchez, who
plays left-center field, pitcher and first base for 1st Marine Logistics Group
team, The Dirty Dogs.
Sanchez said he plans to stay in the Corps for at least 20 years, and hopes to
become either a math or Spanish teacher after retirement. That way, he said, he
can continue to pass down his knowledge and make a difference in people's lives. | |
Article by USMC Pfc. Khoa N. Pelczar
1st Marine Logistics Group
Special to American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2009
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