Photo By Keith Hayes | Lance Corporal Jeremy A. A. Gauna of Monroe, La., leads his horse back to his stall at...... read more read more
Another MCG alumnus, Lance Cpl. Jeremy A. A. Gauna, stableman, is the Marine of the Quarter.
Born in Monroe, La., “just up the road from Duck Dynasty” Gauna said he was raised by his four older sisters and his grandparents.
“I come from a pretty bad childhood and I wanted to better myself,” Gauna said.
He joined in the Corps in 2015.
“I’ve always wanted to be a Marine,” Gauna said. “The first time I stepped on those yellow footprints (at Parris Island), it definitely changed my life.”
Prior to being stationed at MCLB Barstow, he served with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
His chosen Military Occupational Specialty was Infantry, so naturally, he was stationed with the MCG and learned to ride horses.
“When I was first checked in at MCLB Barstow I found out that they had a Mounted Color Guard,” Gauna said, “which was the first time I found out that the Marine Corps had one, let alone the last one in the Corps.”
Despite the less than perfect childhood, Gauna still had familial inspirations to draw from.
“My grandfather, Navor Gauna, was a big inspiration to me,” he explained. “He was in World War II in the Army. I have four older sisters, too. They taught me to respect women and how to treat them properly.”
Getting used to the desert setting for MCLB Barstow took a little time.
“I was shocked because it was in the middle of nowhere,” Gauna said.
But his typical optimism saw him through the surprise.
“Every place you’re stationed has its ups and downs,” he said. “The downs here are you have to literally drive miles to do anything fun, but if you have the right people at the barracks, you can have fun just hanging out.”
The Lance Corporal said the size of MCLB Barstow has its advantages.
“They look out for you here,” he said. “If you want training they’ll help you sign up for that. They help you apply for tuition for college. They’ll guide you and push you to get it done, which is great about a small command like this.”
Nominated by Gunnery Sgt. Esswein, the NCOIC of the MCG said no other Lance Corporal can compete with the abilities Gauna brings to the job.
“He works extremely hard, not just around the ranch developing himself as a horseman, but he does a lot of extracurricular activities outside the office,” Esswein said. ”He volunteers for almost any activity that comes up, such as mentoring the S.H.O.C.K. Program at Apple Valley High School. He’s also very aggressive at bettering himself.”
Gauna said the acronym stands for “Self-discipline, Honor, Obedience, Courage, and Knowledge.”
“It’s supposed to help students who are at risk, such as runaways, or they’ve been drinking or smoking,” he said.
Gauna said he gets enormous satisfaction out of his mentoring with the SHOCK Program. “I get to see the kids go on the right path,” he said. “These teenagers don’t have anyone to guide them. So when I help out with S.H.O.C.K., they see that here is someone who cares about them. It’s like a mini boot camp. We drill them and march them, and we also physically train them because it keeps them in shape. We also teach a one hour class that discusses drugs and gangs, and how to make the right decisions; what the dos and don’ts are. They have a little ceremony for graduation and the students come up and thank me, shake my hand and take pictures with me.”
Gauna also takes Marine Net courses to satisfy his quest for knowledge.
“I plan to take some business courses because I want to open my own business when I get out,” he said. “I want to open a bar. It’s not much but it’s something I can call mine.”
He believes one of the reasons he was nominated for the Marine of the Quarter is because he does his work with a lot of dedication.
“I wasn’t trying to stand out I was just trying to do me,” Gauna said. “I like helping people.”
The best advice he can give anyone is the same guiding principles he has used in his life.
“Always look for the clearer path in life,” he said. “Life is hard and you may want to give up but you have friends and family who help you out. My friends and family helped me out and supported me and do to this day.”
| Date Taken: | 01.24.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.12.2018 13:54 |
| Story ID: | 265697 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Hometown: | MONROE, LA, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NCO and Marine of the Quarter are both horse people, by Keith Hayes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT