31st MEU recognizes the NCO of the Year

Photo By Cpl. Brienna Tuck | PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 31, 2020) Cpl. Kyle J. Daly, a tiltrotor crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and an Anaheim, California native, gets ready to fly during flight operations aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). “Being a crew chief on the osprey is an awesome job," says Daly. "It’s something that excites me and makes me want to get up in the morning. I love learning the different components of the aircraft, being able to fly and be part of a crew, and just being in that environment with pilots and with the other crew chiefs to accomplish the mission." America, flagship of America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), 31st MEU team, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The America ARG, 31st MEU team remains the premier crisis response force in the region despite the unique challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brienna Tuck)  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

02.10.2021

Story by Lance Cpl. Joseph DeMarcus 

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit       

“There are many people in my unit that are deserving of this, I’m just grateful for the honor,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Kyle Daly, a crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), who was recognized as Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

Daly, a native of Anaheim, California, was a reporter before joining the Marine Corps and worked for several different media outlets. “I wanted to work for places like CNN or the Washington Post but that dream never came to fruition,” said Daly.

After working as a reporter, Daly enlisted in the Marine Corps at 27 years old out of Guam in 2016, following in his parents’ footsteps, who were both officers in the military. According to Daly, his experiences as a reporter have made him a better leader in his Marine Corps career, helping him to develop stronger interpersonal skills.

Daly also credits his Marine Corps experiences for shaping him into the leader he is today: “Coming up through the ranks, I’ve had bad leaders and good leaders, and I definitely try to take the good qualities I've seen demonstrated and apply those to the day-to-day aspects of my job,” said Daly. “From boot camp, the Marine Corps teaches you how to succeed as a leader, but it is on the individual to actually embody those leadership traits.”

Daly plans to commission as an officer in the Marine Corps, and he leaves for Officer Candidate School later this year. “He has the mindset and the drive to do it,” says Gunnery Sgt. Jason Darby, a crew chief with VMM-262 REIN, 31st MEU; “He’s going to do great wherever he goes from here.”

Daly aims to stay within the aviation field, but has also been looking into the intelligence community and communication strategy and operations field, due to his experience as a journalist.

“A leader is someone you want to listen to; poor leaders are the ones who have to scare you into doing something”, said Daly; “I have tasted failure, but I’ve learned from those failures and they have shaped who I am as a person and as a leader today. I try to inspire my Marines to give the most because they want the most."

• Date Taken: 02.10.2021
• Date Posted: 03.22.2021 04:37
• Story ID: 391671
• Location: OKINAWA, JP