Photo By Sgt. Rachel Young-Porter | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Andrew T. Borseth, a ground electronic transmission systems...... read more read more
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BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA – “I see it as a life or death situation,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Andrew T. Borseth. A ground electronic transmission systems maintainer with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Borseth ensures support for his Marines is always ready, especially in the field or while forward deployed.
"If a radio goes down, Marines are in the dark and won’t be able to evacuate a casualty or call for support”, said Borseth, speaking on the realities of his role in combat.
A native of Williston, North Dakota, Borseth was raised in a small town by a mother and father that prepared him for the trials to come.
“My mother battled and beat breast cancer twice. When she was first diagnosed, I was two weeks away from going to boot camp,” said Borseth. “She encouraged me to go despite my objections to push my date back, and while I was gone for three months, she didn’t tell me she was going through chemotherapy so that I would focus on becoming a Marine.”
On his graduation day, Borseth saw how the cancer treatments had affected her body yet had not touched her mind. He recalled that watching his mother persevere despite the odds gave him the mental, spiritual, and physical strength to push through the toughest situations he has encountered as a Marine.
His father was no stranger to working long hours in a dangerous work environment. As a child, Borseth remembered that his father would work from five in the morning until seven at night on oil rigs in their hometown.
“My father worked over 25 years on oil rigs, constantly overseeing production and growing in his skill set so that he could provide for us,” he said. “I work hard for my Marines just like he worked hard for me.”
One evening, his father returned home with a story that left an imprint upon young Borseth. While his father was working on the rigs, a loader dropped piping on a coworker and instantly killed him. The lesson Borseth was taught from his father’s experience was to be present, aware of your surroundings, and competent in your job because others’ lives may be at stake.
Borseth spends his time studying newly published instructions that supplement his skillset. This arms him with the ability to perform at the skill level he expects for himself, while outperforming the standard the Corps expects of him.
“I can trust him to accomplish anything,” said Staff Sgt. Shawn M. Stevens, communications chief of CLB-2. “Any questions I have, he’s already answered.”
Borseth is currently leading 20 Marines during Mountain Training Exercise 1-21 at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California.
“My favorite thing about my work is teaching and helping Marines to be better,” he said. “There’s nothing greater than knowing you’ve made a Marine more effective.”
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.09.2020 17:23 |
| Story ID: | 380482 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER BRIDGEPORT, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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