Mike Company squad leader finds a place in the Corps

Photo By Sgt. Angelica Annastas | Private First Class Jakob S. Kurle, Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, stands next to his squad bay at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, April 11. Following recruit training, Kurle will report to the School of Infantry at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and then to his military occupational specialty school to become a combat engineer. Annually, more than 17,000 males recruited from the Western Recruiting Region are trained at MCRD San Diego.  

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

04.11.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Angelica Annastas 

Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego     

While sitting in his jeep without a plan of what to do next, one Marine knew there was more to life than what he had going for himself. Private First Class Jakob S. Kurle, Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, joined the Marine Corps to better himself after losing his job.
Kurle grew up in Seattle, Wash., where he lived with his dad while going to high school. His two older sisters had already graduated high school and moved on with their lives.
When he was 17 years old, Kurle got a job at Discount Tire Store with his childhood friend. His dad saw that Kurle was starting to take care of himself with his new job so he let him off on his own.
“I was making okay money at the time with that job,” said Kurle, now 18 years old. “My dad saw that I was doing alright on my own, and I guess you could say he kicked me out of the house [after high school].”
After graduating from high school in 2015, Kurle moved in with his friend.
“It was actually going pretty [well] at first, but things started to get a little rocky,” said Kurle. “We hit a rough patch after four months.”
Kurle and his friend both lost their jobs, and decided to go their separate ways.
“I ended up spending some time in my jeep after that,” said Kurle. “I honestly didn’t know what to do at that point, and then one day the thought of joining the Marine Corps came to my mind.”
Kurle was curious about the military ever since his junior year of high school.
“I remember thinking that if I was going to join the military it would have to be the Marine Corps,” said Kurle. “I would have to go all out. I got in contact with a recruiter and learned more about it, but it just wasn’t something I wanted to do [as a junior].”
After losing his job and finding himself in a difficult situation, Kurle thought joining the Marine Corps could help him get somewhere in his life.
“I got back in contact with my recruiter and he managed to help me out,” said Kurle. “He provided me with a lot of guidance, too. When I joined the [Delayed Entry Program], I was only in it for a short 20 days because my recruiter pushed for me to leave as soon as I could.”
Kurle soon received his spot as a recruit in Mike Company, which provided him with a new perspective.
“Being in recruit training was so different,” said Kurle. “It was quite a change for me. It was difficult of course, and I wasn’t used to being around so many people all the time. I realized that I had to take charge.”
Kurle, ever since the first phase of training, managed to acheive and hold the position of squad leader.
“It was nice being a squad leader,” said Kurle, “Of course I got special attention because of that, but it was all part of training. The [other recruits] liked me because I tried leveling with them. I talked to them a little about my past and what I had been through. Some of them had similar experiences, too. We responded well to each other.”
Joining the Marine Corps paid off for Kurle in the end.
“Recruit training was hard mentally and physically of course, but I can honestly say that I was glad I did it,” said Kurle. “What I loved most was the brotherhood. There was this [snowball effect] where we’d wake up and all throughout the day we’d be helping each other with things and getting things done. We just created this bond with one another.”
Because of his outstanding efforts as a recruit, Kurle was meritoriously promoted to Private First Class during training, and all that was left after that was graduation. Kurle couldn’t wait to finally see his sisters again during graduation.
“I want[ed] to show them that I made it,” said Kurle. “I didn’t really tell them about everything that happened before I joined. I just want[ed] to make them proud.”
Following recruit training, Kurle will report to the School of Infantry at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and then to his military occupational specialty school to become a combat engineer.
“I can see myself staying in the Marine Corps for a while,” said Kurle. “Even with just being in recruit training, I feel like the Marine Corps has provided me with a stable lifestyle. It was more than I had just before I joined, and I like having that for myself.”

• Date Taken: 04.11.2016
• Date Posted: 04.12.2016 17:29
• Story ID: 195171
• Location: MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, CA, US