Photo By Cpl. Avery Wayland | U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Oliver Lavenson, a fire support Marine with the 11th...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Arizona -- Under the bright stars of the Arizona desert, Lance Cpl. Oliver Lavenson stood watch surrounded by silence, sand, and a vast night sky while eleven other Marines lay sound asleep in their sleeping bags. Just a year earlier, Lavenson had been unsure about where his life was headed. He graduated high school in December of 2023 with no clear direction. Finding himself in a situation where he needed to figure out what to do with his life fast, the military sounded like the best possible solution. But if he was going to join, he wanted a challenge, he wanted to join the best of the best, which led to him choosing the United States Marine Corps.
“I didn’t know what career I wanted,” he said. “I thought the military would help me build knowledge, discipline, and a better foundation for whatever I chose to do later in life.”
But not everyone supported that decision at first. When he told his family he intended to enlist, tension rose. It could have been the end of his plan—but Lavenson stood firm.
“We talked more, and eventually I convinced them why I was joining,” he said. Later, when he marched across the parade deck as a newly minted Marine, his family was in the stands cheering. “Ever since I graduated boot camp, they’ve been completely supportive of my decision.”
Lavenson’s sense of responsibility was sharp long before he wore a uniform, but the Marine Corps made him sharper. He arrived physically strong, but the mental challenges pushed him into unfamiliar territory.
“Training was hard for me mentally,” he said. “I had to push myself farther than I ever thought I could.”
It began when he checked into his first unit, 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group. Here, he learned to call for fire, coordinate air support, and operate in complex environments. Most days were spent running simulations, in class, or thinking through technical scenarios. Some days he was positioned on a mock outpost directing simulated fire missions, training to support friendly forces when deployed.
During this period, he learned to understand the equipment he was training to use in combat. He asked questions and learned by doing. Through this, the thing that he learned the most about – was himself. "In my time in the Marines, no single moment stands out,” he said. “It’s the collection of experiences that shaped me.”
Many of these foundational experiences came from the people around him. Lavenson learned quickly that good leadership had nothing to do with rank alone.
“When you have leaders who care about you, everything changes,” he said. “Morale shifts. The team becomes tighter. You want to give 100%, and you don’t want to let your leaders down.”
That lesson became real during ANGLICO’s Certification Exercise—a grueling evaluation needed prior to attaching to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit for deployment. It consisted of multiple hikes and simulated fire missions. Morale dropped early as negative feedback piled up, and the team struggled to find its footing. But the Marines stayed steady, kept their bearing, and pushed through.
“We stuck together and worked together to get better,” Lavenson said. “Our willingness to help one another is what got us through. Passing certification was the moment that brought us together the most.”
Now, months later, Lavenson finds himself deep in the Arizona desert assisting with establishing a sensing expeditionary advanced base, a forward-deployed and isolated site that finds targets of interest in the area and relays that information up the chain of command, all in support of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The team stayed in constant communication with higher headquarters, relaying every detail. Overhead, a V-BAT Unmanned Aerial System confirmed enemy locations with live-imagery. Now, after three days in the desert, Lavenson was waiting for extraction by a helicopter to bring him and his teammates back to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
Experiences like these have changed Lavenson—not just as a Marine, but as a person. It also strengthened his sense of responsibility and gave him a clearer picture of what real leadership means to him: taking care of your people, no matter your rank.
“The Marine Corps made me appreciate the little things I used to take for granted,” he said. “It also made me a better person.”
His future is still open. When his time in the Marine Corps ends, his plan is to go to college. Maybe he’ll become a firefighter or a police officer. Maybe even a pilot. His path is still unclear—but for the first time, uncertainty doesn’t scare him. The Marines gave him the confidence to face it.
For anyone considering joining, Lavenson offers simple advice:
“Know what you want. The Marine Corps has the highest standards. To be a Marine, you need to be the best—and the Marines won’t accept anything less.”
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.24.2025 20:51 |
| Story ID: | 552286 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, ARIZONA, US |
| Hometown: | ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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