CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa, Japan -- In 2016, Lance Cpl. Joshua Battin was the senior recreational leader for the city of San Jose, California. At that point in his life, he never expected that two years later he would be hiking alongside the Phillipine Army in full mission oriented protective posture suits for a training exercise. Battin gave up his position in the city’s upper echelon to become a private in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Though succeeding in the civilian world, he felt that something was missing. He received encouraging advice from a friend to join the Marine Corps. This advice would change his life forever.
“I was tired of working at the job I had, and I wanted to become something greater,” said Lance Cpl. Battin, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense specialist with Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. “My friend was on recruiters’ assistance, and he said he needed a civilian to join. I went to the office and talked to the recruiter.”
Battin attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and School of Infantry West for Marine Corps combat training in California. Battin was introduced to Lance Cpl. Julian Coronado while attending recruit training. The two would go on to graduate recruit training together and also receive orders to the same military occupational specialty schoolhouse in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Following graduation from MOS school, the Marines both received orders to Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan.
“From recruit training up to now he has improved in leadership, and he’s still improving,” said Lance Cpl. Julian Coronado a CBRN specialist with the company.
Battin has now been a CBRN specialist with the company for 7 months. Though only a lance corporal, he pushes others and himself to become better overall, according to his leadership.
“I consider him the most mature [Marine],” said Sgt. Alexander Underwood, the CBRN warehouse chief for the company. “I can depend upon and utilize him out here and in the warehouse.”
According to Underwood, Battin played a major role during the annual exercise Balikatan in the Philippines. He was able to teach and learn from the Philippine Army.
Balikatan consists of a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and counterterrorism.
“In Balikatan, Battin and I were in different teams so I didn’t see him,” said Coronado. “But from what I was hearing from radio chatter he was actually getting everything done before anyone was asking for updates.”
While only with the unit for under a year, Battin’s dedication to his job and the Corps have not gone unnoticed and his future looks bright, according to the Marines that work with him.
“I’ve got a lot of investment in this Marine; I see a lot of potential coming his way,” said Underwood. “I’m looking forward to pinning on his rank as [noncommissioned officer] and him taking charge in my absence.”