Photo By Sgt. Steven Fox | Corporal Rosalie Nolan, a motor transport operator with Marine Special Operations...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Approximately 50 Marines with Marine Special Operations Support Group, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command stood poised in formation in front of a giant ceremonial American flag and a variety of military vehicles.
The MARSOC commander, Major Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, took his position in front of the formation, setting in motion a ceremony to recognize a Marine he described as someone to be emulated.
Corporal Rosalie Nolan was presented the U.S. Marine Corps Motor Transport Operator of the Year award during a ceremony at the MSOSG motor pool at Stone Bay, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 11, 2015, for her outstanding service and dedication to duty throughout 2014.
Nolan’s family, who traveled here from Windsor Locks, Conn., sat in the front row of the arranged seating, beaming with pride as Osterman professed his admiration for Nolan’s hard work and professionalism.
Nolan found herself standing in front of her family, Osterman and her fellow Marines because of her hard work. Her command recognized her efforts and submitted her nomination for the annual U.S. Marine Corps Motor Transport Association Awards. A board of judges had combed through nominations of motor transport operators, selecting Nolan.
Nolan, however, spoke rather modestly about receiving the award.
“I don’t really know why I was nominated, but I would assume it’s because I’ve got a lot of knowledge in my (military occupational specialty),” Nolan said during an interview after the ceremony. “I’ve had some great sergeants and corporals above me who taught me a lot, and I just retained all that information.”
Nolan said she is humbled by her nomination and subsequent selection for the award. She is also appreciative of the Marines she works with who she said planned and prepared the event, ensuring everything ran smoothly.
“It meant a lot to see my hard work recognized,” said Nolan. “You see the reverse all the time: great Marines work really hard, and accomplish a lot, and it can go unrecognized, but if a Marine does something bad, everybody knows about it.”
However uncertain Nolan was about her merit, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Todd D. Klink, the MSOSG Motor Transport officer-in-charge, said he had absolutely no doubts the board would select her for the award.
“When the Motor-T Association awards came up, I told my staff non-commissioned officers to provide me with some nominations, and they came up with some, but I thought, ‘No. Cpl. Nolan’,” said Klink. “And I wasn’t surprised at all when the final decision was made, and I saw her name at the top of the list.”
Klink went on to say he’s always known Nolan to be a motivated Marine, and capable of handling any task given to her with poise and ease. So much so that when an opportunity for one of his Marines to deploy opened up, Nolan was the individual he felt most comfortable sending.
“It was March of last year, and Chief Warrant Officer Klink pulled me into his office after work one day and asked me, ‘are you ready to deploy’,” said Nolan. “I was out the door a couple of months later.”
Nolan deployed to Afghanistan in May 2014 with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, and attached to Special Operations Task Force – South to assist in retrograding U.S. military materials and installations in Kandahar province.
“It was completely outside of my military occupational specialty,” said Nolan. “I wasn’t out there driving trucks; I was finding gear and retrograding it, and it was millions of dollars-worth of gear, so there’s not much room for making mistakes.”
Nolan received a Joint Service Commendation Medal for the work she did in Afghanistan. Klink said her deployment and JCOM had little to do with his nominating her, but rather, he nominated her for her sound leadership qualities and superior work ethic.
“She understands commanders intent, doesn’t need supervision, knows when to be hard and when to be compassionate,” said Klink. “That’s what you need in a leader: JJDIDTIEBUCKLE (a Marine Corps acronym describing 14 leadership traits) – that’s Corporal Nolan.”
Nolan said she would not be the Marine she is without the guidance from her superiors, so she mentors new Marines arriving from their respective MOS schools to give them the same opportunities she has had.
“When we get our new guys, they’re immediately told what’s expected of them,” said Nolan. “I tell them, ‘knowledge is power. You can be an expert shooter and run a perfect physical fitness test, but if you don’t know how to do your job well, you’re not really of any use to anybody.’”
Despite her devotion to her Marines, appreciation for her experiences, and overall affection for the Marine Corps, Nolan hasn’t decided whether she would like to make a career in the military.
“I think this has taken me a lot more places and given me a lot more experiences than anything else after high school would have, but I still haven’t made up my mind about staying in,” explained Nolan. “If I do stay in, I’ll probably do another term enlisted, and then drop a warrant officer package for Motor-T.”
Klink said he is aware Nolan is still uncertain about which avenue she wants to pursue, but hopes she decides to stay in the Marine Corps.
“She’s an awesome Marine, and I would hate to see her get out of the Marine Corps,” said Klink. “It’s a rarity for a Motor-T operator to cross over into being a motor transport maintenance officer, but they are out there, and I could see her in that capacity because of her leadership.”
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2015 13:17 |
| Story ID: | 166809 |
| Location: | NC, US |
| Web Views: | 371 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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