MCCSSS Instructor wins “best of the best”, instructor of the year award

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

03.10.2015

Story by Cpl. Justin Rodriguez 

Marine Corps Installations East       

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Staff Sgt. Jeffery T. Ward, an instructor at Marine Corps Combat Service Support School, was named the 2015 MCCSSS Instructor of the Year during a ceremony at Camp Johnson aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune March 10.

Ward was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal during the ceremony after competing with four other instructors for the title.

The competing instructors, who were each previously named instructors of the quarter, were placed on a board and assessed on their leadership qualities and overall teaching abilities.

“It wasn’t just my effort,” said Ward, a native of Franklin, Pennsylvania. “It was the mentorship and leadership of everyone at the school who opened up their offices to me and answered my questions. The mentorship means a lot to me.”

Before choosing a winner, evaluators sat in on a class taught by the instructors.

“It shows the dedication they have to teaching and the passion for what they do on a daily basis,” said Col. David E. Jones, MCCSSS commanding officer. “We spent several hours looking at the numbers to choose a winner. Ward edged his peers from the leadership standard, but the competition was very close.”

The instructors were also graded on their ability to lead Marines, both in and outside the classroom.

“We’re training these Marines from sun up to sun down,” said Jones. “It’s essential we maintain the transformation. We teach them what it is on a daily basis to exemplify the ethos of the Marine Corps.”

“I attribute my success to a desire to be the best,” said Ward. “Also to remain humble and gather information and experience from those around me.”

• Date Taken: 03.10.2015
• Date Posted: 03.17.2015 09:31
• Story ID: 157209
• Location: MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US