Face of Defense: Navy Corpsman Serves on First Deployment

By Marine Corps Cpl. Mark Garcia

Regimental Combat Team 6

COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, Afghanistan, Sept. 19, 2012 – As a senior in high school, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Ricky Lattimore decided to serve his country. One month after his May 2008 graduation, he was on his way to basic training.

Lattimore, a corpsman with Company B, 2nd Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 6, said that after playing football and basketball in high school, he did not receive a scholarship to play sports in college. Unable to afford continuing his education, he enlisted in the Navy.

“After my senior year, I didn’t get a scholarship to play football or the chance to go to acting school,” said Lattimore, from Dublin, Ga. “My mom couldn’t afford to pay for it, so I had to figure out a plan to get out of there. At the same time, I had to get an education. One day I met a Navy recruiter who had stopped by my job. He asked me if I wanted to join the Navy, and I was all for it after that.”

Not wanting a manual labor job, Lattimore said, he decided to get a job in the Navy that would challenge him mentally.

“I didn’t want some kind of hard labor job. Instead I was looking for a job where I would need to work with my mind,” he said. “When they offered me the corpsman job, I thought it would be a challenge. I’ve always liked helping people out too, so what better way to do that than providing medical care? It seemed like the perfect job for me.”

As a corpsman, Lattimore has been able to work both as a “blue side” and “green side” corpsman. “Blue side” corpsmen primarily work with the Navy at military hospitals and clinics, while “green side” corpsmen work alongside Marines.

“I was blue side, and during that time I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, working at the naval hospital. I loved it out there -- the environment and the people were so nice,” Lattimore said. “After I was done, I had the choice to go on a ship or go green side. I didn’t want to really go on a ship, and getting the chance to work with Marines kind of intrigued me.”

Since coming over to the green side, Lattimore has been working with the Marines from 2nd Tank Battalion.

“I love tanks. I’ve gotten to learn a lot about them just from being stationed with them,” Lattimore said. “Being with tanks on this deployment has been very interesting. I mean, there might be a firefight or something going on, but once the insurgents see the tanks, they usually cease all hostile acts. I’d rather not go anywhere else. I’d like to just stay with tanks the whole time on I’m on the green side.”

To deal with being separated from his loved ones, Lattimore said, he takes time to relax while listening to music.

“The best way that I’ve found to cope with being away from my friends and family is just to find a nice little space where I can listen to some music and kind of zone out for a few minutes,” Lattimore said. “I like to just forget everything that’s happening around me, and everything is usually all right after I do that.”

Since enlisting in the Navy, Lattimore said, he has wanted to deploy. “I’ve always wanted to go to Afghanistan just so I could say I served my country and did my part,” he added.

Lattimore’s daily tasks include caring for and looking after the Marines in his platoon and going on any combat operations where he might be needed.

“Doc Lattimore is pretty laid back. He knows his job real well, and he’s a great mentor. He definitely looks after us and makes sure we’re all doing all right,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Guensly Dorisca. “In the Marine Corps community we have corpsmen, but I’ve never worked with a corpsman like him before. I mean he’s part of the platoon. Everything we do, he’s always a part of it.”

Face of Defense: Marine Improves His Life Through Service

By Marine Corps Cpl. Mark Garcia

Regional Command Southwest

COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, Afghanistan – Marine Corps Cpl. Charlemagne Jennings was one of four children who grew up while his father was in prison and credits the enlisting in the Marines with changing his life.

“I had it kind of rough growing up as a kid with my dad being locked up for 13 and a half years, and my mom struggled to find work for a little while during that time,” said Jennings, from Athens, Ga., who is a maintenance management clerk with Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 6. “The rough times I went through as a kid, though, definitely shaped me up. From an early age, I knew life wasn’t going to be easy, but I decided to just straddle up and go along with the punches.”

Jennings played football and ran track in high school, but he decided not to pursue that in college and enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 2008.

“I wanted to do things that my family hadn’t done before,” Jennings said. “I wanted to become the first person in five generations of my family to serve their country. I liked the challenges the Marine Corps offered me, and I realized the life lessons that can be learned through being a Marine were invaluable. I mean, the Marine Corps helped shape me into the man I am today.”

While Jennings is proud of his time in the Marine Corps, he does not plan to re-enlist.

“I plan on becoming a barber and going to college. After I’m done with that, I’m going to get a resume put together to become an actor,” Jennings said. “I want to play some roles in comedy movies at some point.”

Jennings came into the Marine Corps with an open contract not knowing what his job would be, but doesn’t regret the decision.

“I love my job. I mean right now in Bravo Company, these 14 tanks are mine along with all the other vehicles,” Jennings said. “It’s a lot of responsibility making sure all the vehicles are running smoothly, but it’s a good job.”

Jennings is married and has a 3-year-old stepson and a 1-year-old son waiting for him back home.

“It’s hard being a new father and having to be on a deployment, because you have to miss your kids growing up and the early moments in their life,” Jennings said. “My 1 year old grew his first tooth two days after I left on this deployment and just started to walk on his own. It’s rough, but it’s also nice having that to look forward to when I get back home.”

To cope with being away from his loved ones, Jennings listens to music.

“Music has helped me a lot during this deployment,” Jennings said. “In my off time at night, I usually go sit by the tanks and listen to music for about three hours. It’s my time during the day in which I devote to back home. I just think about everybody and what’s going on back there.”

His daily tasks include keeping track of all repairs on tanks and vehicles.

“He’s unique and a hard worker. He really is the guy in charge of all the maintenance,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Joshua Whiting, Bravo Company’s maintenance ramp chief. “He’s the guy that makes sure we get all the parts we need and keeps the vehicles going. Jennings is the only guy in his job we have with us on this deployment. It’s essential he does a good job, and he has throughout the deployment.”