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Two months after graduating high school in 2015 while Raphael Martinez Bobek was
working in a candy shop in California, he found a calling to join
the Marine Corps after having a conversation with a Marine who just
graduated from recruit training. Determined to enlist, he reached
out to recruiters as far away as Salt Lake City looking for the
quickest opportunity to start his journey to become a United States
Marine.
“I thought to myself, if I have to move to another state
to join the Marine Corps, then I'll do it,” said Bobek. “I
bought a Greyhound bus ticket; I left everything I had, and
I moved to Utah.”
Eighteen years old at the time and with no place to call home, no
family to lean on and only a part-time job, the unwavering
adolescent slept at Greyhound bus station he arrived at for over six
weeks.
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Pvt. Raphael Martinez Bobek, a Marine with 2nd Battalion, Hotel
Company, Platoon 2173, with family and friends aboard Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, San Diego, California after graduating from recruit
training April 8, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mark Adams)
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“Somehow, someway I ended up living at the bus station
for a month and a half,” said Bobek. “I still had a job, I
worked hard and I ate out of a vending machine all while
trying to enlist.”
The recruiters from Recruiting Substation Salt Lake City East saw
how devoted Bobek was to making his dream of becoming a Marine a
reality, and they were ready to help him overcome any obstacles in
his way.
“He didn't have a steady place to stay, and we did whatever we
could to help him out,” said Staff Sgt. Francisco Guerra, his
recruiter, Recruiting Substation Salt Lake City East.
The future Marine was ready to take on the challenge of recruit
training as soon as possible. After completing all of the necessary
requirements for enlistment, and with the help of his recruiters, he
was sworn into the United States Marine Corps and left for recruit
training two days later.
“What we do as Marines is look after each other,” said Guerra. “Bobek
was qualified, we could tell this is what he wanted to do, and no
ifs, ands or buts about it, he wanted to do whatever it took to
become a Marine.”
Bobek arrived at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, January
18, 2016 for a grueling 13 weeks of training and transformation into
a United States Marine. The recruit wasn't without support; people
from all across the nation sent letters to show the young man who
overcame hardship and achieved his goal he wasn't alone.
“We saw a great amount of support being raised on Salt Lake City
East's Facebook page and thought this would be a great story to tell
the world,” said Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Evans, social media director,
12th Marine Corps District, San Diego.
Bobek completed the Crucible, the 52-hour culminating event for
recruit training, March 31, 2016. Upon competition, he and the rest
of Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, earned the title
of United States Marine and received their coveted eagle, globe and
anchor insignias from their drill instructors. The company graduated
recruit training April 8th.
“I wasn't looking for anything from the Marine Corps, initially,”
said Bobek. “But then I realized you can gain a family and become
part of a brotherhood.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Taylor Morton
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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