Change is welcomed by Virginia native
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL. (USTCNS)— Former Eagle Scout and son of Gary and Sandra Epling of Grundy, Va., Sgt. Jonathan Epling enlisted in the Marine Corps to find the same camaraderie and teamwork he experienced as a Boy Scout. He found much more.
“I joined the Marines because the recruiter never candy-coated anything,” Epling said. “I wanted to continue working as a team with others and the Marines provided me that opportunity.”
Growing up in the coal mining community of Grundy, Va., known also for back-to-back wrestling AA state championships, Epling was itching for something new.
“I enjoy new changes rather than the same monotonous everyday activity. I like to stir things up, discover new trades and encounter different experiences.
No doubt, Epling accomplished this through his recent assignment in Okinawa, Japan. His re-enlistment also demonstrates his drive to continue a military career.
“I enjoyed my assignment in Japan. It was a ‘back-to-the-basics’ tour of duty. I performed much more fieldwork there, and it reminded me of the backbone of the Marines – hard work, sweat, and determination.”
Epling now can be found trekking the halls of United States Transportation Command helping in the war against terrorism. USTRANSCOM is the Department of Defense’s transportation center. It provides air, land and sea transportation to all areas of the world in times of peace and war.
Epling is a network administrator responsible for sustaining and maintaining automation and information technology equipment within the command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
“We are the troubleshooters” Epling said, “We ensure that applications and hardware are installed and run smoothly.”
Aside from his primary duties in the command, Epling is also a member of the USTRANSCOM Joint Service Color Guard. The guard serves the St. Louis metropolitan area.
“The color guard keeps me pretty busy. This month alone I have 5 or 6 appearances already,” Epling mentioned.
Some performances have been more memorable than others for Epling.
“I was given the opportunity to appear at the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener and the Cardinals’ Military Appreciation Night at Bush Stadium. I was also part of the opening ceremonies for the St. Louis Rams’ NFC Championship game.
“There are currently three Marines involved with the color guard,” Epling said. “As a result, we stay pretty busy”.
Since his days as a Boy Scout, Epling has accepted the challenge to willingly prove himself as self-motivated while still acknowledging the need for teamwork.
“Growing up, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t involved with the Boy Scouts,” Epling said. “For my Eagle Scout project, all the guys in my troop helped me refinish a church parking lot. We did everything from painting the handicap slots to placing waste receptacles around the site. It really showed me the importance of teamwork.”
Epling intends on pursuing his bachelor’s degree soon.
“I want to stick with computers,” he said. “However, I’m getting too comfortable with the information system side. I’ll probably concentrate on the programming aspect of computers to mix it up a little.”
“I joined the Marines because the recruiter never candy-coated anything,” Epling said. “I wanted to continue working as a team with others and the Marines provided me that opportunity.”
Growing up in the coal mining community of Grundy, Va., known also for back-to-back wrestling AA state championships, Epling was itching for something new.
“I enjoy new changes rather than the same monotonous everyday activity. I like to stir things up, discover new trades and encounter different experiences.
No doubt, Epling accomplished this through his recent assignment in Okinawa, Japan. His re-enlistment also demonstrates his drive to continue a military career.
“I enjoyed my assignment in Japan. It was a ‘back-to-the-basics’ tour of duty. I performed much more fieldwork there, and it reminded me of the backbone of the Marines – hard work, sweat, and determination.”
Epling now can be found trekking the halls of United States Transportation Command helping in the war against terrorism. USTRANSCOM is the Department of Defense’s transportation center. It provides air, land and sea transportation to all areas of the world in times of peace and war.
Epling is a network administrator responsible for sustaining and maintaining automation and information technology equipment within the command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
“We are the troubleshooters” Epling said, “We ensure that applications and hardware are installed and run smoothly.”
Aside from his primary duties in the command, Epling is also a member of the USTRANSCOM Joint Service Color Guard. The guard serves the St. Louis metropolitan area.
“The color guard keeps me pretty busy. This month alone I have 5 or 6 appearances already,” Epling mentioned.
Some performances have been more memorable than others for Epling.
“I was given the opportunity to appear at the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener and the Cardinals’ Military Appreciation Night at Bush Stadium. I was also part of the opening ceremonies for the St. Louis Rams’ NFC Championship game.
“There are currently three Marines involved with the color guard,” Epling said. “As a result, we stay pretty busy”.
Since his days as a Boy Scout, Epling has accepted the challenge to willingly prove himself as self-motivated while still acknowledging the need for teamwork.
“Growing up, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t involved with the Boy Scouts,” Epling said. “For my Eagle Scout project, all the guys in my troop helped me refinish a church parking lot. We did everything from painting the handicap slots to placing waste receptacles around the site. It really showed me the importance of teamwork.”
Epling intends on pursuing his bachelor’s degree soon.
“I want to stick with computers,” he said. “However, I’m getting too comfortable with the information system side. I’ll probably concentrate on the programming aspect of computers to mix it up a little.”
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