WEBVTT 00:05.679 --> 00:07.750 Hi , I'm Corporal Avery LaVoy . I'm 00:07.750 --> 00:09.972 from Waxall , North Carolina , which is 00:09.972 --> 00:11.750 just south of Charlotte , North 00:11.750 --> 00:13.806 Carolina . I graduated from Parkwood 00:13.806 --> 00:15.806 High School . I'm a military police 00:15.806 --> 00:17.528 canine handler at Marine Corps 00:17.528 --> 00:19.528 Logistics Base Albany , Georgia . I 00:19.528 --> 00:21.417 joined the Marine Corps because I 00:21.417 --> 00:21.239 really felt like that's where God was 00:21.239 --> 00:23.461 calling me to be and I really felt like 00:23.461 --> 00:26.040 he was pushing me to better myself and 00:26.040 --> 00:28.262 really challenge myself , especially in 00:28.262 --> 00:30.879 a group of men that I knew were going 00:30.879 --> 00:33.279 to consistently challenge me . The men 00:33.279 --> 00:35.168 definitely stepped up like in the 00:35.168 --> 00:37.400 Marine Corps . I could not imagine a 00:37.400 --> 00:40.200 better family to be a part of , and my 00:40.200 --> 00:43.959 brothers definitely are . Very 00:43.959 --> 00:45.959 protective and great to be around . 00:45.959 --> 00:48.015 That's honestly the biggest reason I 00:48.015 --> 00:50.015 join the Marine Corps . I think the 00:50.015 --> 00:49.959 thing I enjoy most about working with 00:49.959 --> 00:52.599 my dog is the fact that he is so 00:52.599 --> 00:56.000 attentive to my emotions and if I'm 00:56.000 --> 00:58.056 having a bad day , he's having a bad 00:58.056 --> 00:59.889 day so it really kind of puts my 00:59.889 --> 01:02.056 emotions in check on a daily basis and 01:02.056 --> 01:03.944 I'm like , oh , humble yourself a 01:03.944 --> 01:06.111 little bit like these dogs will humble 01:06.111 --> 01:08.056 you more than anybody ever could I 01:08.056 --> 01:10.440 promise you that and they are so 01:10.440 --> 01:12.760 incredible because my . Team is not 01:12.760 --> 01:15.080 just my dog but multiple dogs and 01:15.080 --> 01:16.969 multiple handlers that I have the 01:16.969 --> 01:19.191 luxury of working with on a daily basis 01:19.279 --> 01:21.223 and getting to see these different 01:21.223 --> 01:23.223 teams and how they communicate with 01:23.223 --> 01:25.335 each other and how they work together 01:25.335 --> 01:28.550 and work as an even greater team as the 01:28.550 --> 01:31.519 kennels , especially with just so many 01:31.519 --> 01:33.352 challenges that come up with our 01:33.352 --> 01:35.575 missions and everything we have to do . 01:35.575 --> 01:37.741 It's really cool how at the end of the 01:37.741 --> 01:39.963 day like everything gets done and these 01:39.963 --> 01:42.130 dogs continue to work for us . I think 01:42.130 --> 01:44.352 it's all about the time that you put in 01:44.352 --> 01:46.352 to not only yourself but the people 01:46.352 --> 01:48.352 around you , and I think that it is 01:48.352 --> 01:50.463 extremely crucial to once you get out 01:50.463 --> 01:52.630 of that 9 to 5 job in the Marine Corps 01:52.630 --> 01:54.575 sometimes that schedule looks very 01:54.575 --> 01:56.741 different that you make sure that your 01:56.741 --> 01:58.908 5 to 9 schedule is just as important . 01:58.908 --> 02:00.908 And just as valuable taking care of 02:00.908 --> 02:02.908 yourself is extremely important and 02:02.908 --> 02:04.852 making sure that like you are also 02:04.852 --> 02:06.908 prioritizing yourself and the Marine 02:06.908 --> 02:08.963 Corps at the same time that way when 02:08.963 --> 02:11.019 you show up to work the next day you 02:11.019 --> 02:13.075 are refreshed and you know like what 02:13.075 --> 02:15.241 your Marines need and what you need to 02:15.241 --> 02:17.241 kind of get through the day . And I 02:17.241 --> 02:19.463 really think that it is important to go 02:19.463 --> 02:21.686 to school because it is free for us and 02:21.686 --> 02:23.908 it is important to volunteer . I cannot 02:23.908 --> 02:26.075 say that enough , but it's also really 02:26.075 --> 02:28.075 important to take time to find your 02:28.075 --> 02:30.186 hobbies . This is a great environment 02:30.186 --> 02:32.241 to be able to do that in because you 02:32.241 --> 02:34.186 have the money for it . You're not 02:34.186 --> 02:36.241 spending it on the cost of living or 02:36.241 --> 02:35.809 anything like that like everybody else , 02:35.929 --> 02:37.929 so it's a great opportunity to just 02:37.929 --> 02:39.873 prioritize yourself and the people 02:39.873 --> 02:42.040 around you and don't lose sight of the 02:42.040 --> 02:43.929 family that kind of got you there 02:44.220 --> 02:46.220 because I know my family had a huge 02:46.220 --> 02:48.053 factor in like supporting me and 02:48.053 --> 02:50.109 getting exactly where I am today . I 02:50.109 --> 02:52.109 think one of my proudest moments is 02:52.109 --> 02:54.276 validating and certifying with my NW , 02:54.276 --> 02:56.389 and I didn't even know , but the 02:56.389 --> 02:58.389 sergeant Maer came up to me and was 02:58.389 --> 02:58.309 like , Did you know that you're the 02:58.309 --> 03:01.130 first female Marine canine handler 03:01.130 --> 03:03.130 Marine Corps which space Albany has 03:03.130 --> 03:05.419 ever had certify and validate on a dog ? 03:05.619 --> 03:07.730 And I'm not sure if that's because no 03:07.730 --> 03:10.070 other female has come here to do such a 03:10.070 --> 03:12.070 thing , but I thought it was really 03:12.070 --> 03:14.292 cool because sometimes you don't really 03:14.292 --> 03:14.070 know your proudest moments until after 03:14.070 --> 03:16.292 they've already happened . I definitely 03:16.292 --> 03:18.403 do just want to say thank you for the 03:18.403 --> 03:20.348 recognition of being Marine of the 03:20.348 --> 03:22.570 Quarter and then Marine of the Year . I 03:22.570 --> 03:24.681 think that it was a great honor and I 03:24.681 --> 03:27.014 really want to thank some of my mentors . 03:27.014 --> 03:29.237 I know Sergeant Dolly had a huge impact 03:29.237 --> 03:31.348 on me and Sergeant Gezi hadn't even . 03:31.348 --> 03:33.237 Bigger impact on me as one of the 03:33.237 --> 03:35.292 female mentors that really taught me 03:35.292 --> 03:37.459 that just because you're a female does 03:37.459 --> 03:39.514 not mean you can't just compete with 03:39.514 --> 03:41.681 the men on a daily basis but also that 03:41.681 --> 03:43.903 you don't have to make it a competition 03:43.903 --> 03:43.759 at all and that you could just work 03:43.759 --> 03:45.759 side by side with them like they're 03:45.759 --> 03:46.199 your brothers .