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MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Of the 200,000 people who join the military every year, 180,000 join the enlisted ranks and 20,000 become officers. There are various opportunities for enlisted Marines to transition to the commissioned ranks and continue their career, but the selection process for these programs is extremely competitive and requires a process of indoctrination completely different from the enlisted mindset. That being said, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island boasts prior-enlisted commanders in nearly every battalion; an unprecedented circumstance. Each of them took the road less traveled to get to where they are today, but they all share the same experience of enduring recruit training and earning their Eagle, Globe and Anchor aboard the recruit depot.
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After seeing a Marine with Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) Company fast-roping out of the back of a CH-46 on the cover of Leatherneck Magazine, Lt. Col. Shawn Rickrode knew what he wanted to do as a career. Up until that point, Rickrode said he had aspirations of going to college to become a sports journalist.
“I had no inkling of joining the military until I got out of high school,” Rickrode said. “I wanted to be the next Bob Costas. Ultimately I decided that I needed some structure in my life.”
It was Rickrode’s best friend who inspired him to join the Marine Corps and ship to Parris Island as part of the buddy program. He soon learned that the process to becoming a part of FAST Company was a long and arduous one; a poolee had to have a guaranteed infantry contract, move to security forces after infantry training, then compete for a spot in the 300-Marine section, which was a small and competitive number compared to other Marine designators.
Rickrode left for Parris Island on an open contract and was able to find his way to FAST Company after going through the necessary indoctrination process. After his first few years in the Marine Corps, he said he hadn’t settled on staying in the Marines, until his unit deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia where he got his first taste of combat. It was there where he saw a future as a leader of Marines.
“I think the thing that made the desire to lead ‘click’ for me was this moment when we were in a firefight on top of this building,” Rickrode, who was a Lance Cpl. at the time, recollected. “I was serving as a SAW gunner and I was sighting in on my target, and pile of rubble was obstructing my view. I told my squad leader, Cpl. Haug, that I couldn’t see anything, and this man walks down the line of fire, picks me up by the flak with my rifle and everything, moves me single handedly to the side and asks me, “Can you see now?” I responded, “Yes, Cpl.” “Alright, then start shooting.”
“That moment made me realize what leading Marines is about. He didn’t care what happened to him, he cared about putting his Marines in a position to engage the enemy and be successful.”
As a scout sniper with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Rickrode remembers working with a Capt. Bradley Seay, whom first encouraged him to think about commissioning. At the time, Rickrode didn’t see the officer path for himself, but Seay insisted on writing him a letter of recommendation on the off chance he’d change his mind. It was years later that Rickrode finally read the letter, which he said was the turning point of his career.
“The way he closed the letter was really the reason why I made the decision that I wanted to be an officer,” Rickrode said. “He wrote, ‘If there were ever a Marine I would want to lead my son or daughter into combat, it would be Cpl. Rickrode.’ At that point, I knew I owed it to him and others who believe in me to give it a shot, and I put my MECEP package together.”
Rickrode went on to apply and be accepted to MECEP, and upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, transferred to the Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He said his time as an enlisted Marine gave him insight on various scenarios as a student and young lieutenant, based off of his own experience.
“I knew and realized the value of teamwork because of my time being an enlisted Marine,” Rickrode said. “I knew what lance corporals’ thought processes were because I was one of them.”
As he approaches his 30-year anniversary of stepping on the yellow footprints, Rickrode observes recruit training from the command deck at Support Battalion, a central hub where all recruit in-processing sections, rehabilitation platoons, and follow-on training schools are located. Above every skill Rickrode has developed over his career, he said ultimately the leadership trait which impacted his service from enlisted to officer was dedication towards his Marines, peers, and now recruits.
“All of us have made mistakes in our lives,” Rickrode said. “I myself chose some difficult paths along the way to where I am today, but more importantly I learned to never give up on my Marines. Whether they are going through personal or professional struggles, you have to apply the tools you have to help them because they are all a part of the team.”
Rickrode said he cherishes the ability to give the drill instructors time to recharge as they prepare to go back into training, and the give recruits time to heal from injuries so they can get back in the fight.
“I value the fact that this battalion is where my Marines can come for a break,” Rickrode said. “It’s only about six to nine months that I have with them, but it should be six to nine months where these drill instructors can catch up on time for themselves and their families and be allowed the opportunity to go to schools and courses to better their career. I understand the situation where the recruits are in too. A lot of them came here dreaming about becoming a Marine for years and now they are injured and awaiting the next step as they can heal. To find that happy medium to keep them in the fight is just as important to me.”
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2021 12:18 |
| Photo ID: | 6784866 |
| VIRIN: | 210811-M-XU431-0211 |
| Resolution: | 4799x3182 |
| Size: | 9.09 MB |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 304 |
| Downloads: | 8 |
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