Photo By Sgt. Austin Long | Lance Cpl. Sergio Carrillo, far right, plays volleyball with members of the Boys &...... read more read more
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High-pitched voices, squealing with excitement, call out to Sergio, as he enters the room; changing the atmosphere circling the open room. His voice, full of joy, greets the enthusiastic children. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade children climb on Sergio like he is an old oak tree in the front yard; each child crying out for his attention, to gain the coveted opportunity to talk with him about their day.
“The kids love having him here,” said Rachel Georges, the program and team coordinator with the Boys and Girls Club of Coastal Carolina. “He brings a lot of energy and joy to the club. If he wasn’t a Marine, I’d hire him. What he brings to the club and how excited the kids are to see him, it’s great having him here.”
Because of his volunteer efforts, Lance Cpl. Sergio Carrillo, an administrative specialist assigned to Manpower, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina was recently honored as the John C. Bietz Service Person of the Quarter, during a John C. Bietz Awards Luncheon at the Morehead City Elks Lodge in Morehead City, North Carolina, Aug. 12, 2016.
The Military Affairs Committee of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce honors service members from the Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army Reserve four times a year during a luncheon. Each honoree is presented with a folded flag inside of a triangular wooden case, showcasing a commemorative brass plate, stating he/she is the service person of the quarter.
Carrillo was nominated by his command, based on his volunteer work and military accomplishments; such as training, schooling, and his professional development.
“Receiving the award was a complete shock to me,” said Carrillo. “I didn’t know it was going to happen. I just enjoy volunteering. I have a lot of free time when I get off work for the day, even with doing PT twice a day.”
Carrillo was nominated for this award after completing 160.5 volunteer hours in a three month period from May to July 2016. The large number of volunteer hours stood out among the other Marines and Sailors volunteering through the Single Marine Program, aboard MCAS Cherry Point.
Organizations Carrillo volunteers for are the Boys & Girls Club of Coastal Carolina, Young Marines Program, Carteret County Animal Shelter, Chicod Elementary School, Havelock Middle School, and Camp Corral.
“The [Boys and Girls Club of Coastal Carolina] is my favorite organization to volunteer at,” said Carrillo. “My second favorite is the Young Marines Program. It tests me in my leadership skills. You’re teaching them to function in the world. They’re good kids who I enjoy working with.”
Leading comes in many forms for the 24-year-old Springfield, Virginia native. Whether it’s leading Marines throughout the work day or leading the youth at the organizations he volunteers at, Carrillo said he sees each situation as an opportunity to make a difference.
“Lead others as you want to be led,” said Carrillo. “For me when I think of leading, I think of how everyone has the potential to do better and be more than what they are, so, it’s up to me to see that potential and help them make their potential blossom.”
Volunteering with youth organizations is an opportunity to test his leadership skills, said Carrillo.
“It’s up to you to be there for these kids, to motivate them, prepare them for the real world, and you have a real opportunity to make a difference,” said Carrillo. “Even if it’s only for one person, it’s a start. I love volunteering, I enjoy working with these kids; they’re good kids.”
Carrillo shows his love and compassion when volunteering, which the kids pick up on and they are drawn to him due to his openness, said Gerrod Green, the Boys and Girls Club of Coastal Carolina club director.
“The kids love him,” said Green. “Every day they come in asking where he is. The kids draw to him, some of them can have situations going on at home and they open up to him and talk to him. He has a unique way of doing it. He talks with them one-on-one while playing a card game or board game. They trust him. He’s always open to do whatever we need and has been that way since day one.”
Recently the young Marine was selected for Marine Security Guard duty. He will be attending school in September 2016.
Even when stationed abroad, Carrillo said he plans to volunteer in the surrounding community where he is stationed. Volunteering helps him understand the area and makes him feel a part of the community.
Carrillo joined the Marine Corps in September 2014, he began volunteering in 2015. His motivation for joining, alongside making a difference, is to see the world and to do something different with his life.
Challenging and improving himself is what Carrillo said he constantly does. Whether it is a better marksmanship score on the rifle range, improving his physical fitness test score, or bettering himself throughout areas of his personal life, Carrillo is constantly seeking self-improvement; professionally and personally.
“There’s something about beating myself that I love,” said Carrillo. “I’m constantly in competition with myself because I want to continue to improve. That’s what I love about the Marine Corps, it allows me to continue challenging myself and puts me in challenging situations; and that’s what I’m about.”
Following his MSG duty, Carrillo plans on returning to administrative work. Upon being promoted to staff sergeant, he plans on submitting a Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Educational Program package, or MECEP, to go to college and become a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps.
For the young lance corporal, the Marine Corps is full of opportunities. Opportunities such as improving oneself, volunteering within the local community, and traveling; opportunities he continues to take advantage of and loves.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2016 17:20 |
| Story ID: | 208446 |
| Location: | HAVELOCK, NC, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 192 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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