I cannot recall the events of our first meeting, but I know with certainty that it started by gripping his hand firmly and looking him in the eyes. Then I probably asked him if he was ready to become a Marine. By his recollection, Kevin’s response to my invitation was, “eff-off!”

But I knew this kid had all the makings of a good Marine; he was outwardly confident and in good physical shape, and underneath the gruff exterior, there was someone who cared. I just needed to convince him that instead of facing the uncertainty that awaited after High School graduation, he could take matters into his own hands and fast-track into a life of self-reliance

I made a point to cross his path whenever possible; I’d look for him at the cafeteria for some small talk, show up at the school gym and challenge his strength, and make sure to be at his graduation to celebrate his achievement. Kevin eventually warmed up to me but not to the idea of joining the Marine Corps. Perhaps by fate or coincidence the movie “Full Metal Jacket” came up, he’d never seen it. I told him he should watch it, and R. Lee Ermey, in the role of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, accomplished in less than two hours what I could not do for months. Kevin would later say the “unwavering spirit of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman ignited a fire within him, a burning intention to become that very character, to embody that level of leadership and service.”

While Kevin was in the Poolee Program, a status assigned to those who committed to enlistment and awaiting shipment to Boot Camp, it was my mission to mentor and prepare him for the rigors and challenges that awaited him a Parris Island. Watching a movie is one thing, but living it out 24/7 over 13 weeks is life-changing! During this period, I started to know who Kevin was and the struggles he was battling with every day. He was fiercely loyal to his family, and he felt a responsibility to look out for them in the absence of his father. It was my pleasure to meet his mom and sister, who accepted me with warmth and graciousness.

My mission, with respect to Recruit Carleo, was to write to him during Boot Camp and keep him motivated. Once he graduated Boot Camp and Private Carleo became a Marine, my mission was complete. His mission was just starting, and it was going to occupy his life moving forward. I rarely kept in contact with those I recruited, but Kevin would reach out to me now and then for a promotion, an award, or just to check-in. After recruiting, I attended the Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Kevin was on the same base completing his Marine Security Guard School, and it was my honor to go to his graduation. This is when I noticed the change in him. He had embraced the Marine Corps ethos, and he was truly gung-ho about becoming an Embassy Marine – the protector of American outposts on foreign soil.

Kevin would later return to his primary occupation, the information technology (IT) field, which I encouraged him to pursue. He wanted to be a basic infantryman upon enlistment, but I reasoned with him and made him understand that although every Marine is a basic infantryman, down the road, he was going to appreciate a skill that had a marketable value. Again, he excelled in the IT field, and that, I believe, has been the foundation of his success as a retired Marine.

Since then, there has been another transformation, one I did not see coming. He became a husband and a father and has nurtured a wonderful family. His sons are also Marines. He scaled the corporate ladder with success and is now the author of the book you are about to read. He has matured and excelled in ways that have left me saying, I am very proud of you, Kevin!

Dear reader, just remember as you read the insights on the pages ahead that they are coming from the mind of whom was once a cocky teenager that told me to f-off when I first invited him to become a United States Marine.

 

Semper Fidelis,
Martino Testa
Master Sergeant, U.S. Marines (Retired)
Kevin’s Recruiter