Photo By Sgt. Angelica Annastas | Private Toosaint P. Mitchell, Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, attaches a...... read more read more
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There are a lot of people who have money issues in this world, but many of them make the decision to keep pushing through that hardship. One Marine and his family were able to do just that when he found the desire to be a part of something bigger than himself.
Private Toosaint P. Mitchell, Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, gained more independence by joining the United States Marine Corps and leaving financial issues behind.
Mitchell, a native of Houston, Texas, remembers that growing up was difficult for him and his family because they moved around often.
“We moved so much I lost count,” said Mitchell. “Money was tight in our family, and sometimes certain situations would result in things falling through. That’s when my mom had to find us a new home, and we’d have to move around again.”
Any job opportunities that came his mother’s way turned out to be a big help for the small family.
“My mom was the one who had to work,” said Mitchell. “(My dad wasn’t around), I’ve never met him before, and so it’s just been my mom and us. She took whatever decent job she could find so that she could support us.”
Mitchell’s mother tried her best to provide shelter for her family, but sometimes things wouldn’t work out.
“I remember we had to move in with my grandma a couple of times when we couldn’t find anywhere else to go,” said Mitchell. “It was hard moving around like that, but that’s how we lived.”
As Mitchell entered high school he got a few jobs to try and help his mother.
“Two of my jobs were at a shoe store and Walgreens,” said Mitchell. “They all gave me a chance to get some experience by just being able to work and have a job. Plus, I was able to help support my family a little.”
School wasn’t difficult for Mitchell. He maintained good grades, which allowed him to stay on the school’s football and basketball teams.
In his senior year, a Marine recruiter approached Mitchell and his friends while they were eating lunch one day. That was the start of a new path for him.
“He gave me his card, and I called him later that day,” said Mitchell. “I was eventually set up with a recruiter who got me an interview and told me more about the Marine Corps.”
As Mitchell started to make his own decisions for himself, he started taking bigger steps toward his future. If it weren’t for the Marine recruiter approaching him that day, he might have joined another branch of the military.
“I decided to join the Marine Corps because they were the ones who had approached me and pulled me in before anyone else,” said Mitchell. “I’m glad I made this decision.”
In November, Mitchell was sent to San Diego to join “the world’s best fighting force” and become a United States Marine. He was attached to Lima Company and started to find his place in the Marine Corps. The sudden change for him was different, but it was also a bit of a relief.
“I remember my first meal (on the depot),” said Mitchell. “Because of the money situation growing up, we didn’t have a lot to eat sometimes, so it was really good.”
Just like any other recruit, Mitchell was put through several challenges that helped shape him into a Marine.
“I had a lot of fears coming into recruit training, but eventually I had to face some of them,” said Mitchell. “The rappel tower, for example, was one of them. I’m afraid of heights, so that was something I had to put to the side.”
Mitchell had to learn a lot in a short amount of time, but he found a way through it all.
“Recruit training is what you make of it, it all depends on you,” said Mitchell. “It can be hard, or it can be easy. I tried to take on some type of leadership role (as a recruit), too. It’s those things that can change your experience while you’re here.”
After graduating recruit training, Mitchell's next step is attending the School of Infantry at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, and then he will go to school to learn his military occupational specialty in communications.
“‘If you ain’t aim too high / Then you aim too low,’” quoted Mitchell. “That’s a lyric from a song by (hip-hop artist) J. Cole, one of my favorites. That quote specifically stuck in my mind, and it helped me get through (recruit training).”
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2016 12:26 |
| Story ID: | 187385 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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