Marine Overcomes Odds

Your Military News

Overcoming the odds: the decision, the change, the Marine

Pfc. Craig Green, a motor vehicle mechanic with General Support Motor Transport Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, relaxes inside the GSMT Company vehicle compound here July 29. The 23-year-old from Bluffton, Ind., has come a long way to where he is now, defeating alcohol and marijuana addictions that nearly ruined his life.

7/30/2008 By Cpl. Aaron Rooks , 2nd Marine Logistics Group

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Pfc. Craig Green had no intentions on joining the military when he accompanied a friend to a local armed forces recruiting office in his hometown of Bluffton, Ind., more than a year ago. But for some reason he did.

He said that after waiting outside for awhile, he decided to check out some of the recruiting offices for entertainment. He looked at them all, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, but only one branch of service stood above the rest.

It wasn't the exorbitant enlistment bonuses and job guarantees offered by the Army, the endless opportunities to travel the globe with the Navy, or even the laid back lifestyle of the Air Force. It was simply a poster and what the image said.

"No compromises, no short cuts, no promises except one: you'll be a Marine," Green said, reciting the words written on the poster he saw. "People like to say that a picture is worth a thousand words... that picture really was. It showed me that Marines are proud of who they are and what they do."

However, the decision to join the nation's elite fighting force did not come with ease for Green, as his past posed more physical and mental limitations than one could ever imagine.

The graduate of Bluffton High School was never the physical type, but not to the extent of the average young video gamers we see today. Instead, he often found himself either working in the local grocery store, or excessively drinking and smoking marijuana.

The lifestyle he led was the exact opposite of what is recommended for most young adults to say the least, and as a result of that, he found himself at a physical deficit at one point, weighing as much as 330 pounds at 5 feet 7 inches tall, and taken over by addiction. With the stakes stacked high against Green, the idea of becoming one of the country's finest seemed rather dim. Luckily enough for him, he chose to change his life long before this day came.

"If I didn't choose to change my life, I would've probably ended up in prison, become a zero who couldn't hold a job and simply would've gone nowhere in life," Green said. "I would've become that old man sitting at the end of the bar for the rest of my life."

Green was first introduced to alcohol at the age of 15, and to marijuana at the age of 16. He said he found himself delving into the older social scene at the time, stating that it was what the others were doing, therefore, not seeming so bad. He weighed only 220 pounds at the time.

Years went by and his problems continued until he hit rock bottom with his final arrest in October 2006. Green said he stopped at a local gas station that night just to pick up cigarettes. He said he saw it coming, as he remembered noticing a police officer waiting for him to drive away, so Green proceeded to call his family to tell them that he would be going to jail that night.

"That same night I had a cousin check into jail for a sentence of six months," Green remembers. "He said to me, 'you will probably be in here before I get out, actually, you're probably going to be in here tonight.' About six or seven hours later, I got arrested and went to jail."

Green was arrested for possession of marijuana, a minor possessing alcohol and driving with a suspended license. He was sentenced to a total of 270 days in prison, plus 180 days of house arrest. His saving grace came only one month later.

Green said he voluntarily checked himself into the Trinity House of Hope in Fort Wayne, Ind., which is a non-profit center that welcomes those who wish to change their lifestyles. He said he spent six months in the rehab center before going back to court for further sentencing. After the six months, he was sentenced to serve out his term with the addition of work release, but this did not bother him as he knew he had become a different person already.

"My relationship with my parents got a lot better," Green explained. "I wasn't always trying to hide something, and I never had a problem telling them where I was going or what I was doing. Work also became something important, not just something I was involved in. My life had changed for good."

After developing a quality physical fitness regiment and focusing on proper nutrition habits, Green weighed less than 180 pounds and was addiction free, Green had the rest of his life in front of him, as well as the possibility of a career as a U.S. Marine. Staff Sgt. David Sykora, a recruiter from Fort Wayne, Ind., still remembers Green and the hard work and dedication he put forth to accomplish a feat only so few could actually do.

"He did the work on his own," Sykora said. "He got up and had that self motivation to change his life. I don't take any of the credit for him dropping that weight. I just wish more people would step up like he did."

Now, more than a year later, Green serves as motor vehicle mechanic with General Support Motor Transport Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. Additionally, he has gained an improved physical stature, strong ambitions and has been labeled as a role model in the eyes of his fellow Marines.

"He exemplifies the Corps values that make Marines who they are," said Sgt. Steven Duncan, the maintenance shop chief for GSMT Company. "He represents himself and the Marine Corps very well, from his work ethic to his conduct and appearance outside of the work environment. He shows the Corps for what it really is."

"I'm extremely humbled," Green said of being labeled as a role model for Marines. "It really flatters me, and sometimes even scares me to think that I can live up to that image."

Duncan said that Green has quickly become one of GSMT Company's best mechanics, saying that his work ethic is non-stop and purely incredible. He said that once Green starts a task, he wont stop until he's done.

As far as Green is concerned, the fact that he's serving his country as a Marine is more than enough to be proud of.

"The nation is at conflict and I'm involved in a force that has a stake in the outcome," Green explained. "It will go down in history, so knowing that I had my hand in that makes me feel a lot better about the things I did in life."

For those who know him, the 23-year-old has come a long way. Sykora said that because of Green's attitude, his hardships and his discipline, it's no surprise that others view him this way.

"I'm not at all surprised that he has become as successful as he has," Sykora said. "He kept that hard working ethic going, and that has helped him get to where he is now."

Green has many goals and aspirations at this point in his life, a drastic difference from a few years ago. He plans to reach the rank of sergeant in less than four years, become a Marine Corps fireman and attain the rank of sergeant major one day.

The career he is most passionate about though, involves substance abuse counseling, his current major in college. He said that after experiencing what he went through during the low point in his life, he wants to help others overcome their demons and live a healthier life.

"I could see how hard it was to deal with people with problems like I had," Green said. "I hated seeing people go through that. I'd feel great just to get one person to turn their life around. It's fulfilling to know that someone changed their life around and that you helped them.... I'm living proof."

MilitaryNewsNetwork.com (MNN): Global military news, photos, videos, information, discussions and more for military people worldwide. Serving army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, reservists, veterans, spouses, brats, contractors, dod and civilian employees, supporters, and interested individuals located in the U.S. and around the world.