Kennewick Marine serves with RCT-6 [Image 2 of 3]

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, AFGHANISTAN

02.10.2012

Photo by Cpl. Ed Galo 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

The Regimental Combat Team 6, Marine of the day is Lance Cpl. Josh Whitehead, 20, field radio operator, Regimental Combat Team 6, from Kennewick, Wash. Whitehead joined the Marine Corps in September 2010. “I felt like I needed to serve some time for America,” he said. “I wanted to make my family proud and get money for college too.” Before joining the Marine Corps, Whitehead took a semester of college at Columbia Basin, a community college near his hometown. He says that he plans on continuing his education after his time in service. “I went to school to become a pharmacist,” Whitehead said. “But now I want to go to school for engineering.” Some of his goals before leaving the Marine Corps include getting promoted to the rank of corporal, learning everything he can about his job and earning an associate’s degree. Though he plans on leaving the Marine Corps after his current enlistment is complete, he says he may consider staying in if he could lateral move into the band. Before joining the Marine Corps, Whitehead says he had many jobs such as being a cook at Round Table Pizza, a local pizza place where he’s from, a sales representative for Amazon.com and, his favorite, a detailer at an automobile dealership. “I liked that job” he said. “I got paid really well and I got to drive almost every nice car they had.” Whitehead says his most prized possession is an American flag given to him on the day of his father’s funeral. “My dad was in the Navy,” he said. “He died back in 98. I have the folded flag that was given to me when he passed away. He was attached to a Marine unit at the time. I’m not too sure what unit it was because I was too young to know, but he was buried with military honors and had a Marine funeral detail there.” According to Whitehead, his uncle was also a Marine and his grandfather was in the Navy and fought in the Korean War.

• Date Taken: 02.10.2012
• Date Posted: 02.10.2012 05:26
• Photo ID: 522133
• VIRIN: 120210-M-7721G-902
• Resolution: 516x737
• Size: 57.66 KB
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, AF