Last April Lance Cpl. Quinson Bullock, assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, was less than 24 hours away from becoming a Marine when he was injured conducting casualty evacuation drills during the Crucible. While carrying another recruit he felt a tremendous pain in his back and immediately knew something was wrong. He would later find out that he had herniated three discs in his lower back.
“It was the worst pain I had felt in my life, I knew something was seriously wrong”, said Bullock.
Bullock was placed in the Marine Recovery Platoon to try to recover and resume training. Doctors told Bullock there was a high chance he could reinjure himself, which might lead to him losing his ability to walk. Bullock was offered medical separation from the Marine Corps, but was determined to stay in despite opposition from his family.
“My parents wanted to see me recover but I knew the Marine Corps was something that I wanted,” Bullock said.
After 180 days, he was told he would be mandatorily separated from the Marine Corps per policy. Bullock, not wanting to give up, decided to consult the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and take his case to Washington D.C.
“I spoke with a JAG lawyer for 11 months but the Marine Corps still saw me as unfit so I took my case to D.C.” Bullock said. “My lawyer and I pleaded my case to the medical board.”
After an arduous legal battle and recovery process Bullock would bounce back from his injury and be cleared to resume recruit training.
“Physical therapy was gruesome, I went from struggling to walk to doing extraneous stretches,” Bullock said. “The legal battle was even more tiring.”
Bullock was re-assigned to his old company, now composed of different recruits, and was reunited with one of his old drill instructors who noticed a change in Bullock from his previous time in the company.
“He was a pretty average recruit when he was first in Fox Company and didn’t attempt to stand out,” said Gunnery Sgt Derik Winningham, Bullock’s senior drill instructor. “After coming back from his injury, he developed a lot more confidence as a man and a recruit.”
After almost two years on the depot, Bullock finally received his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on August 3rd, 2019 after completing the Crucible. He will graduate recruit training on August 16th, 2019.
“Receiving my EGA was a relief; after being here for so long, I felt like I had finally made it,” Bullock said. “I am finally a Marine.”
Winningham said Bullock faced challenges beyond was most recruits had to endure in recruit training.
“He had to face a lot more adversity than the average recruit and even some marines,” said Winningham. “He didn’t take no for an answer, he took commitment and ran with it.”