Photo By Lance Cpl. Zachary Zephir | U.S. Navy Sailor Ensign Veronica Morris, 2nd Dental Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics...... read more read more
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The mustang is a wild animal. It is smarter, more capable, and has a better survival instinct than thoroughbreds. The mustang can take care of itself when the going gets tough.
These characteristics exist in both the horse and naval officers who have earned the title "mustang," a nickname given to commissioned officers who served previously as an enlisted service member.
On February 28, 2020, U.S. Navy Ensign Veronica Morris was commissioned after previously serving as a hospital corpsman 2nd class with 2nd Medical Battalion for the majority of her enlisted career at a ceremony on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
One reason why enlisted service members choose to pursue a commission is to give back to those they have served with.
Being able to sympathize with enlisted sailors and understand how they feel helps officers make appropriate judgement calls and the best use of their enlisted sailors’ time. Many service members perceive that mustangs have an edge over other officers that have commissioned straight out of college or Officer Candidate School.
With these attributes, mustangs are able to lead their sailors in ways that improve not only morale, but productivity as well.
“[Mustangs have] been in the shoes of their fellow enlisted, and therefore have more appreciation for the command and the decisions the command makes,” said Lt. Nicholas J. Teeman, company commander, 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
Morris previously served as a line corpsman, the naval equivalent to a medic. Proving herself early on in her first billet, she was later selected for a follow-on school as a lab technician, a specialty in her occupational field.
Once she achieved that goal, Morris continued to stand out by working hard enough to become commissioned as a medical laboratory scientist, which she was competitively selected for out of four-hundred lab technician applicants across the entire Navy.
Morris is looking forward to continue her career at U.S. Navy Officer Training Command Newport in Rhode Island.
“All the experiences people have had and shared with me allowed me to grow not only as a person but as a sailor,” said Morris. “I’ll continue learning from these experiences as an officer.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2020 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 364667 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 715 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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