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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- In a small town in Wisconsin called Menomonee Falls, a kid named Michael J. Weiland grew up dreaming to become a police officer.
Soon after graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Weiland went off to pursue his goal of becoming a law enforcement officer by attending college for criminal justice.
During my first year of college I started talking about joining the Marine Corps with a few of my buddies, so we went to the Marine Corps recruiting office, and I talked to a recruiter about becoming an MP (military policeman), said Weiland, 21, an ammunition technician with 1st Marine Division (Forward).
Weiland committed to the Marine Corps with an open contract, meaning 'the corps' would determine his specialty following basic training.
Right after graduating boot camp, Weiland found out that his aspirations of becoming an MP weren't going to happen right away. He was told that he was going to be a supply clerk with Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
"When I found out I was going to be supply, I was a little bummed out, but was still extremely proud to know that I was a United States Marine," Weiland said.
Just a year and a half after graduating from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Weiland, now a corporal, found out that his unit was deploying to Afghanistan. He was very excited, but didn't know if he would make the cut. Many of the Marines in his office wanted to deploy just as much as he did.
"I was going to volunteer to go, but I found out my name had already been pulled to go as an ammunition technician," Weiland said.
Like any good non-commissioned Marine officer would, Weiland rose to the challenge of taking on a new position.
"When Weiland takes on a new job he doesn't just say, 'forget it.' He takes an interest in it right away and excels, said Cpl. Chanceton R. Murphy, 25, transportation clerk for 1st Marine Division (Fwd). "Weiland likes to learn about his new job and become the best he can possibly be at it."
Weiland was very curious to what exactly he would be doing over the course of his deployment. So he went to the armory to talk to some of the armorers to find out.
"When I talked to the armorers, they said I would be running 'ammo' out to ranges, and keeping accountability for it all," Weiland said.
Weiland quickly found out what an 'ammo tech' does, but what got him really excited was when he found out that he was going to work with the Provost Marshall's Office for a couple of months during his deployment, doing some of the same things he went to college for.
All of a sudden, Weiland was deploying and would be working with MP's. His dreams were becoming a reality.
"He is interested in learning new things, and whether it is being an ammunition technician or working with PMO he will learn the job, and do his best to succeed," Murphy added.
"I am really excited to see the kind of work PMO is going to have for us," Weiland said.
Thanks to his strong work ethic and perseverance, Weiland's dream job was waiting for him in Afghanistan, during his deployment with the 1st Marine Division (Fwd).
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2010 06:29 |
| Story ID: | 48279 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF |
| Web Views: | 453 |
| Downloads: | 413 |
This work, Marine joins the fight doing what he loves, by MSgt Skyler Tooker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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