Photo By Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel | Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian McKenna, a hospital corpsman with Brigade Headquarters...... read more read more
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - In combat environments, with bullets flying and improvised explosive devices hidden all around, lives are at risk. There are a select few men and women qualified to accompany Marines into these dangerous areas.
These men and women are known as corpsmen and among them is Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian McKenna.
Growing up in Sacramento, Calif., McKenna spent his summers working on a ranch in the hills in the northern area of the state. The ranch belonged to his grandfather, Don Bird, who served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War and taught him what the military is about.
“He always instilled that sense of discipline in me since I was a kid,” said McKenna. “He talked about the Marines, patriotism and keeping America alive.”
As he grew, McKenna discovered he was drawn toward the medical field.
“I guess I always felt I was compassionate,” said McKenna. “I like helping people.”
McKenna said he knew from an early age that he wanted to join the military even though he wasn’t sure of what branch. Eventually his love of medicine and the Marine Corps made that decision for him.
“I originally thought the Marines had their own medical care, that it was all taken care of from within,” McKenna said, “but then my grandpa told me it was Navy corpsmen who took care of it.”
Even though he was joining the Navy, McKenna said he could never see himself working on a ship or in a hospital. Luckily for him, there was another option.
“I learned about field corpsmen,” said McKenna. “The guys who get embedded with the Marines, and that was what I wanted to do so I signed up.”
The field corpsmen, or greenside corpsmen, work side-by-side with Marines in garrison and deployed environments. They participate in everything the Marines are required to do from physical training to patrols and even classes.
“I like the green side mentality,” said McKenna. “I like the atmosphere, I like the work we do and I like the patients that we see. It’s the Marine-corpsman bond that you just can’t replace.”
In the beginning, McKenna saw the military as more of a stepping stone towards a medical career. However, once he was in, he was hooked.
“I originally joined to be a corpsman and get the medical experience needed to eventually get out and practice on the civilian side,” said McKenna. “That was over 8 years ago.”
In 2007, McKenna deployed to Iraq with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. It was there he experienced first-hand what it feels like to hold a Marine’s life in his hands.
“He was standing in front of a 7-ton and there was a Humvee on top of the hill. He didn’t put the wheel blocks in so it gave in and pinned him between the vehicles,” said McKenna.
As one of the only two corpsmen present at the accident, McKenna felt the full weight of his responsibility.
“You’re the doc,” said McKenna. “They depend solely on you. It’s a brotherhood, a bond that you can’t replace.”
Currently, McKenna is participating in Large Scale Exercise 2014 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. He is the assistant lead petty officer for Brigade Headquarters Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
LSE-14 is a bilateral training exercise being conducted by 1st MEB to build U.S. and Canadian forces’ joint capabilities through live, simulated, and constructive military training activities.
McKenna has been working with most of the sailors at BHG for approximately a year. During that time, he helped bring the people he works with together, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Bonita Ashley, a hospital corpsman with BHG, I MEB.
“Everyone has their own personality, and he helps mellow everyone out,” said Ashley.
Ashley, from Ontario, Calif., said McKenna has developed a reputation for being honest and trustworthy while inspiring his fellow corpsmen to better themselves.
“He makes me start taking more initiative,” said Ashley. “And when we do exercises, he doesn’t freak out. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
McKenna’s leaders have also recognized his hard work, dedication, and skill.
“If something happens to me, he takes charge in my stead,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Brooks, hospital corpsman and lead petty officer for BHG, I MEB. “I have great trust in him.”
Beyond his professional drive, McKenna explained that he felt a duty to his grandfather to continue the family legacy in the military.
“He gives me a hard time for not being a Marine every time I talk to him, but he proudly wears a Navy shirt when he sees me,” said McKenna.
As McKenna moves forward with his career, he is still considering whether to remain in the Navy or return to his original plan of practicing medicine as a civilian.
Brooks said that she believes McKenna will have a successful career whether he chooses to stay in the Navy for just a few years to finish his current contract or for another 20.
“I have no doubt in my mind that he would be a great chief,” said Brooks. “He’s motivated, driven, and he knows his stuff.”
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2014 18:38 |
| Story ID: | 138658 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 741 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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