Wake Forest Marine serves with RCT-6 [Image 5 of 8]

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, AFGHANISTAN

03.01.2012

Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Storm 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

The Marine of the day is Lance Cpl. Brian Ellis, 19, satellite communications operator, Regimental Combat Team 6, from Wake Forest N.C. Ellis joined the Marine Corps in September 2010. He enlisted because he wanted to better himself and see if he was up to the challenge. “My dad was a Marine, so it runs in the family,” Ellis said. A constant joker, Ellis cracks jokes about everything, including his being a Marine. “At six, I ran around acting like a Marine, now I run around and try to act like a civilian,” Ellis laughed. “I only plan on doing one enlistment. Then I want to go to school.” While he’s in the Marine Corps he wants to earn his associate’s degree in nursing and earn the rank of corporal before he gets out. When he leaves the Marines, he plans to continue his education and get his bachelor degree in nursing, with a minor in business. “Nursing’s a great field. It pays good money and it’s always in demand,” Ellis said. “I want to get a job in the Virgin Islands… it has great scenery. I don’t want to be a nurse forever though. I want to own ten businesses, surf shops and restaurants, then I can relax on a beach in Fiji and just surf or do nothing all day. ” In his free time, Ellis loves to surf and play music. He likes to play, guitar, bass and drums and is part of the Delaram II chapel music team. They practice during the week to assist the chaplain with the two Protestant services on Sunday. Ellis also has a passion for hunting. He’ll hunt just about anything – squirrel, deer, doves and duck being among his favorites. “I’ll hunt any kind of small, fuzzy animal that comes across my path,” Ellis laughed. “I love to go home and shoot deer from my backyard. My mom gets mad at me when I’m home because I keep destroying her bird feeder. I like to sit on the back porch and shoot the squirrels…then I eat them.” "I want to say I love and miss you to my wife, Steph,” Ellis said.

• Date Taken: 03.01.2012
• Date Posted: 03.01.2012 07:10
• Photo ID: 533485
• VIRIN: 120301-M-EV518-214
• Resolution: 1344x1937
• Size: 250.46 KB
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, AF