DVIDS – News – Sgt. Michael Benson Flightline Friday 1

Gunnery Sgt. Michael Benson sits tall and silent in his office chair. His eyes tell stories of
leadership experience and knowledge. Every crease in her face has a story to tell about the last 18 years of
service that Benson provided to the United States Marine Corps as a combat engineer.
“I have always had a fascination with the military, my father and I went to air shows when I was a child”
Benson said, smiling as he recalled his childhood. “My grandfather was a Marine back in the world
WWII in the South Pacific, so I think that’s one of the reasons I became a Marine.
Benson grew up in Ray, Ohio. He described it as “Your typical small town experience in the United States.” Ray has a
population of approximately 1,530 people. “My father was a civil engineer and my mother was at home
mom. “Benson said.” They worked hard to make sure we always did something like vacation,
camping or fishing. It was your normal family life in South Ohio.
“I enrolled right out of high school in 2003,” Benson said. “When we got to that age, of course the
recruiters were always coming, and I think honestly, as cliché as it sounds, made me want
joining was just seeing the recruiter in his dress blues and thinking, “I want it for myself.” »Benson
went on to say that he was not confident and had low self-esteem at this age and had seen the Marine
Body as an opportunity to change that.
Benson said his father was the main motivation he wanted to join as a combat engineer.
“Somehow I thought being a civil engineer and being a combat engineer would be the same thing, but it’s
certainly not, ”he laughed. Nonetheless, you can tell Benson has a passion and motivation for the role.
his Military Professional Specialty (MOS) plays in the Corps. “Personally, I think the fight
the MOS engineer is one of the most important in the Marine Corps, ”said Benson. “We are a wide range of
things the Marine Corps needs to accomplish its mission. He went on to list all the ways engineers are
effective in all missions and described the Marines with the job as “Jacks of all trades”
Benson has had an interesting career in the Corps. Its highlights include; two Iraq back to back
deployments in support of Operation Phantom Fury, a tour of Afghanistan, leaving the Corps and
reinstate and become a recruiter. “I walked out after my second deployment to Iraq thinking that the grass
was greener on the civilian side, ”Benson said. He added that the jobs he held in the civilian sector
sector did not attract him in the same way as a Marine. “I was just not happy to be a civilian and I
I knew the amount of experience I had gained in my first four years was going to be wasted. said Benson.
“My boss at the time was a retired gunnery sergeant. And he kept telling me and motivating me to come back
and so one day I decided it was time and I went home.
“I would say to the young men and women who want to join the Marine Corps that this has been by far the
easiest job I have ever had, being in the civilian world and being on a recruiting service showed me how
it is difficult to make a living right out of high school. The Marine Corps made me the man I am today.
Don’t be afraid to talk to a recruiter and at least see what opportunities are available to you, ”Benson said in
his closing speech.