Lance Cpl. Kevin C. Ngo
Job Title: Court Reporter
Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron
Age: 23
Hometown: San Leandro, Calif.
Date Joined: Nov. 1, 2011
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Courts-martial are rare at Cherry Point. When they do happen, Lance Cpl. Kevin C. Ngo is ready to transcribe everything that is said during judicial proceedings.
Ngo, a San Leandro, Calif. native, speaks into a microphone to record everything he says onto his laptop using a voice writing program.
“Whenever there is a court-martial or any similar hearing, it is my job to capture and record everything that is being said,” said Ngo, a court reporter with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. “We then document it and send it on its way to the next level of the case.”
According to Ngo, using the voice writing program is his favorite part of his job, but sometimes it can be difficult.
“We have people that talk really fast or try to talk over each other,” he said. “But it’s my job to catch it and get it done.”
Ngo says his job is important because if he slows down at any point, he could affect the outcome of official proceedings.
“If I don’t do my job and capture everything that is said or lose a piece of audio, they could potentially throw the case out and let someone walk away,” he said.