Getting Fired As Squad Leader Was The Lesson

She wanted overseas orders and got Camp Lejeune. She wanted aviation and landed in engineering utilities. And somehow, that’s exactly why this conversation works: it’s an honest look at how a young Marine turns disappointment into direction without losing her edge.

We’re joined by Ashley Smith aka "Smitty", one of my former NJROTC cadets, calling in from Marine Corps schoolhouse as a water purification specialist. We talk about switching schools, finding the right NJROTC program, getting reset in rank, and learning to earn trust the slow way through standards, boards, and showing up when it counts. If you care about leadership development, military mentorship, and what it actually takes to stand out without burning bridges, you’ll hear the real stuff, not the highlight reel.

Smitty also breaks down Marine Corps boot camp takeaways you can use right now: why running endurance matters more than you think, how breathing can make or break your pace, and why mobility and functional strength are not optional when you’re trying to stay healthy. We get into the mental side too, including the hard lesson that sometimes the best leaders get pulled from leadership roles so they can learn followership, patience, and discipline.

From there we zoom out into Marine Corps career planning: promotions, retention, pride in “unsexy” jobs that keep units alive in the field, and her long-term goal of doing 20 years with a possible drill instructor tour and maybe ROTC instruction down the road. If you’ve ever questioned your path, this one will help you tighten your plan and keep moving.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a future recruit or a former cadet, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of the transition from student leader to service member do you want us to talk about next?

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Transcript

Greetings And Duty Station Update

Gary Wise 0:27

All right, everyone. Hello, good afternoon, good morning, half a day. Aloha. All the other good things that people say when they like to see one another. Thank you for joining us once again. It's Gary Wise, Words from the Wise Podcast. And today, special guest. I got another one of my former students, my second student, or former student, I guess I should say, jumping on the podcast. And she goes by the name of Smitty. Smitty, what's up? Hello, how are you?

Smitty 0:56

I am doing great.

Gary Wise 0:58

I took my glasses off so like the light's not like reflecting off of the glasses. Because I hate when I look at those videos of myself. I'm like, oh my god, look at that light glaring in his glasses, dude. Oh, Smitty, so where are you at right now?

Smitty 1:13

I am currently on Camp LeJune in Courthouse Bay.

Gary Wise 1:16

Okay, so that's North Carolina, right? Or South Carolina. North Carolina. Okay. And Camp Lejeune. How is how's that?

Smitty 1:27

Uh it could be better. It's very boring here. Not a lot to do, but we make the most of it.

Gary Wise 1:33

Did you ever get your truck there?

Smitty 1:35

No, I'm not allowed to drive yet because I'm still in schoolhouse, but I hit the fleet in 19 days, I think.

Gary Wise 1:44

19 days.

Smitty 1:46

Yes.

Gary Wise 1:47

Hit the fleet in 19 days. I like the sound of that. Do you know where you're going now?

Smitty 1:52

Campus in North Carolina.

Gary Wise 1:54

That's where you're staying?

Smitty 1:55

Yes.

Gary Wise 1:56

Shut up.

Smitty 1:57

Yes, I am staying over on Main Side.

Gary Wise 2:00

Oh man, we were hoping for Guam. We were hoping for the overseas.

Smitty 2:05

Only two people out of our 31 students got overseas.

Gary Wise 2:10

So that's crazy.

Smitty 2:13

The rest of us got there was one that is going to San Diego for the uh MCRD. There's one that's going to Beauford. There's one that's going to Washington State. And then the rest of us are either Pendleton or North Carolina outside of Hawaii.

Gary Wise 2:30

And this is out of all the Marines that were with you in your pipeline for your training, right?

Smitty 2:35

Right. This is the 31 that is in my class right now for water uh water purification.

Gary Wise 2:40

Wow. That's you know, I would have thought they would have had in the Navy, it feels like they send everybody overseas. That's crazy. So staying in camp position. Are you upset about that? Are you okay with that?

Smitty 2:53

Uh I'm a little upset. I went to Japan really bad. But yeah. North Carolina though, I lived here for six years. So like I'm pretty I'm okay with the weather and how there's seasons and everything. We just had snow a little bit ago. So like it's not the worst thing in the world.

Gary Wise 3:08

Right, right. Yeah, no, definitely it's not the worst place in the world. You get all the seasons there. And your first tour, so where are you gonna be attached to a where where are you going to? Is to a marine division?

Smitty 3:22

To a second MLG, so a logistics unit, but I'm gonna be an 8th ESP, which is an engineering battalion.

Gary Wise 3:30

Got it. Okay, and so uh and they deploy on board ships, I would imagine, coming out of Norfolk or whatever it is.

Smitty 3:38

I've also heard that I might be going to Yuma, Arizona on the border to help the combat engineers set up like um what's it called? Sea wire.

Gary Wise 3:47

Nice something to do, right? Something to go through. Something to do something to conjure.

Smitty 3:56

So I'm water purification, so all I do is just kind of distribute water every now and then, which doesn't happen too too often. But whenever I go, I might be able to help the combat engineers post security and put up stuff. I might be able to help uh ELEC do anything that they're doing or work on generators, anything like that.

Gary Wise 4:15

And I'm sure the more you get to know, the more of a well-rounded uh engineer, I guess you would be. And as you get up to the ranks, right, as like a gunny, would would a gunny be over like a whole group of different flavors of engineer type marines?

Smitty 4:31

Um sometimes they're able to help out with the advanced courses, which is just coming back and learning the better version of what we learned as basic marines. But more often than not, it's kind of just tries to stick to them because you do need to still have like that specialty.

Gary Wise 4:52

Okay. Well, let's get back to uh or let's go back

Choosing NJROTC And Starting Over

Gary Wise 4:56

a little bit. So when we first met, right? I remember I still remember the first day we met. You had come to the school to Vanguard with your mom, and you guys were checking out the schoolhouse because you were looking for a navy junior rotc. You remember that?

Smitty 5:11

I do.

Gary Wise 5:12

So you had come down from up Georgia or wherever you were living before, you lived in Florida, went to a different high school that we're not gonna throw them under the bus, nothing against them, but they it was not a Navy program, and you were looking specifically for a Navy program. Uh, why why was it why were you looking for a Navy program? Do you remember?

Smitty 5:34

Well, so whenever I was in Georgia, I was in a Navy JRTC, and that's where I started, and I just had already known so much with it. And then whenever I went to Air Force, uh the people weren't as friendly, and then also it just didn't seem like they were involved in enough stuff for me, especially drill because that was my thing. And they they didn't even have a drill team, all they had was color yards, so I wanted to get out of there and back to my Navy route.

Gary Wise 5:59

So, were you excited when you did some research and found out that there was a Navy JRTC nearby?

Smitty 6:05

Yes, I was so excited. I knew that I would be able to come back and get back into the swing of things and actually be able to do something with it, other than just sitting there and like being confused the whole time.

Gary Wise 6:16

So, how did you find out that we were a Navy GRTC just through word of mouth, like people talking? Or did you like actually have to look it up and like research it?

Smitty 6:25

So at the time, we really weren't that big of a unit. So whenever I was looking up like Vanguard, like RTC, I think I actually went to y'all's page, like that you had set up at the time, and I noticed that it was Navy, but I didn't really see much else. So I was like, okay, at least it's navy, so then I can go there and like talk to them, see what's happening. And well and behold, it's actually the best, best one.

Gary Wise 6:53

It worked out, yeah. It definitely worked out. I mean, uh, let's be

Learning To Earn Leadership

Gary Wise 6:58

honest, you did the dirt and thing, man. You came to Vanguard and you you just you kicked it into high gear. But if you remember, I think one of the first things we did is when you got there, we actually lowered you in rank and made you earn it back a little bit. What did you think about that process?

Smitty 7:14

Uh, I was heartbroken. Like at the first, I was uh, I I had so much like I just hated it because I went from an instant, so an 01. Yeah, and I was like, okay, cool, I'll get my rank back. And you're like, yeah, that doesn't really exist. We don't just have random instants. So then you're like, all right, I'm gonna put you down to a P01. I was like, whoa. And you were like, we're gonna go to the chief process and everything. And I'm like, I don't want to be a chief, I want to be an instant. But then it ended up turning out to be like the best possible route for me because I loved being a chief and being in like the chiefs method and everything.

Gary Wise 7:48

Yeah, well, and I think the other thing was to show all the other cadets, because remember, you were coming into an organization that was you were coming your junior year, right? It was like my I think my second year there was when you came in, and then you did your my third year there was when you did your senior year, but you came in halfway through your junior year, I believe it was, or beginning of the junior year, and I think it was a chance to show everybody else that you were gonna earn your rank and not just come in as an officer right away because you did exactly that. Like you, you I remember the because we do boards at Vanguard, and you stood tall at a promotion board and just smoked the whole thing, and then you made chief with like what was it, Misty and Naomi and Archer, right? Yeah, like that's a freaking amazing group of people to go through Chiefs initiation with, too, right? So you came to the school junior. Were you skipped? Were you nervous about changing schools again in high school, though? Because you had changed school from Georgia to Florida, then again. You didn't even do that one high school for a whole school year, right?

Smitty 8:56

No, I was there for two months, three months.

Gary Wise 9:00

Oh, it's only two, three months.

Smitty 9:02

Yeah, I by Vanguard, I had been at 13 schools before because my family had just moved around a whole lot whenever I was a kid. So moving schools wasn't really like the worst thing in the world. It was just ROTC that I was worried about.

Gary Wise 9:15

Got it. And I can relate to that. You know, I moved a lot growing up as well. When you look back on your life, just now here you are, you know, young adult, marine, getting ready to move out for the rest of your life. How do you think that moving affected you? Have you really sat down and thought about that yet? Or did or was it a positive? Was it a net neutral negative? Have you have you considered it yet?

Smitty 9:38

I feel like it has it has both ends to it. It was a good thing as far as like, especially now as being in the military where we move around a lot, we leave, people come back, whatever. It makes it a lot easier for me to be able to just be like, all right, cool, I'm leaving now. Bye. You know, it's yeah, but at the same time, that can also have its downfalls because it's harder to make friendships because they just know that you're gonna leave and come back, and you know, you're never really in one place. So I guess it it has either end to it, but it could be so much worse.

Gary Wise 10:04

It can be so much worse. And I agree with you, you know, I didn't really think about it too much till I got older, and I started doing it to my kids where I was moving them around and they weren't really making these connections with people. Um, that all that moving, then in contrast to kids that have like lived in the same place their whole life, and like they you remember being in our RTC, and kids would like have pictures of each other from like kindergarten on their cell phones, and you're like, You guys knew each other in kindergarten? That's that's weird, right? Like, how that's but I that's not our experience, right? Our experience was that resilience where you've got it, we're moving and you got to make the best out of it because you can't you don't control that move. Um, but I do agree that it will it prepared you very well for the military uh status of moving, making the best out of it, and maybe going to Arizona, right? Because that's the opportunity to go and you're okay with that moving around thing. Um I remember when you got to Vanguard and people everyone starts jockeying for for position, right? Everyone's always worried about is someone gonna take my job? Is someone gonna take my place? Did you feel any of that when you got to the school?

Smitty 11:14

Uh I could definitely tell that there was a lot of tension between me and some people because they realized that I was a lot better than it seemed, and that I was gunning for the positions because I really wanted them. And then it started just being butting heads with a lot of people, and it turned in some some bad situations, but in the end it kind of evened out because so many people got so many different opportunities, and it kind of just it made its way in.

Gary Wise 11:41

I I gotta be honest, for me, I loved it, right? Like personally, just because number one, I like I like direct communicators, and you're a direct communicator, right? Like you're not afraid to have an uncomfortable conversation, and I feel like people start getting comfortable in their own little area, and then for they start thinking that they're really that good. And the reality is, yeah, you might be that good out of this five or six people, but there's other people out there way better. And so never forget that. Don't start getting so comfortable. And it was the same thing when I was in the Navy, you know. I remember I was taking the trash out one time, and here I am. First, I'm an E6, first class petty officer, sailor of the year, thinking I'm just amazing, right? And I'm throwing the trash away, and there's this female coming off of the ship right across the pier from me. I don't know who she is. She's got a red hat on, I've got a red hat on. So we're both D seamen. She's a first class petty officer. I'm a first class petty officer. So, like, you know, I'm like sizing her up, like, well, hey, what's up? How you doing? Nice to meet you. I'm DC One Wise. She told me her name, DC1 So and so. I was like, oh, cool, you know. And then, you know, I just casually drop that. I'm Sailor of the Year. She casually dropped, so was she. And and I'm just thinking to myself, like, what were the odds of this other person of the same, essentially, job field as me, right across the pier, probably kicking my butt, right? Probably doing even better than I am. And that was when I realized, like, you don't got the game nearly as locked down as you think you do. Don't start believing you're that great. Start working harder. Like, don't ever get so comfortable that you just stop trying to grow. And so when you came into the team, it really shook up some of that, right, with people because they recognized immediately that you were able to do things. And then for me, it was I was already looking forward to the future, and I was how best to put you in a position to be successful, but then also be loyal to all the people that had already been showing uh support to the team. One of the biggest challenges I had was the you did not get selected for one of my CO, X, or CMC jobs your senior year. Um, when you look back on that decision or that process, what what did you think was going on? Do you remember?

Smitty 14:05

Um, I remember I was I was very hurt because I I had had a conversation with you before and it was talking about how like what positions I wanted, and I was like, I'd love to be CO or XO, but you know, company commander would I'd I'd be very okay with that because I'd be even when I was at my old unit. And you you had said, like, you know, I I see so much better than that for you because you you're so good with leadership and stuff like that. And then whenever I got company commander, I was like, he was saying that I was so much better than it, but then I got it. So I was like, I I don't understand. But then as as I look back on it though, I realized that me as a CEO or an exo wouldn't fit as well because I like to be very inquitable with the people. I like being able to talk to them and have like everyday conversations with them and then come to me for anything. So being a company commander kind of made more sense for me because they are very people inclusive and like to be out there with them.

Gary Wise 15:03

Well, and the other thing was I was managing, if you remember, there were two of you that came into the program and you were on your junior years, and you were both very competitive, right? I mean, equally competitive for different reasons, different, different ways, but definitely was a a challenge trying to manage these two strong personalities, right? And then I also had uh people who had been in the program for two and a half years, three years since they were freshmen, already kind of working their way up the food chain as well. So it was trying to be fair to the people who had been there, fair to these new people that had just kind of showed up, but were just they were both impressive and both super competitive. And I will tell you, as a command master chief, one of the challenges is taking care of my chiefs that have been on this ship for a couple of years, but are kind of tired. When when this new chief shows up right off shore duty or fresh to the organization and it's got all the energy in the world because everything is jacked up, but it's not their fault. So they're just gonna fix it all, right? When you've been there for two years, you can't really say it's not your fault, right? You've you've been part of the thing, so you can't just get out of jail free card and act like you have nothing to do with it. On the reverse, uh trying to be open, open-eared, listen to people's ideas, support their new vision, and get out of their way is actually hard one of the hardest things to do as a leader. If you remember, you had that vision for certain things, but you had like like gatekeepers, if you will, trying to like blocking you a little bit. I remember in particular when it came to like exhibition drill, and you'd be frustrated, like, I don't want to do this, but if we're gonna do it, I want to do it different. And you know, and it was tough to manage that. And so for me, I had all of that going on, right? And I was almost damned if I do, damned if I don't, on different positions. And your group was actually the group that I first made the company commanders, I feel like the same rank as the XO. Um and I did that purposefully though, because I wanted everyone to see like all three of these people could have arguably been the XO, right? And then and then we I also made a master chief out of a lower grade, right? Which was another challenge for later because I had to figure out what to do with him his senior year, right? But that might continue to happen because it just I think it's a good developing opportunity. What I really appreciate about that moment was you really you trusted me, you you took it on the chin, even though I knew you were disappointed, and you still kept the lead. Now, when you look back on your senior year, do you really feel like you were not in command?

Smitty 17:54

No, no, I it seems like I was CEO, and I'm not like throwing anybody else under the bus because they genuinely were doing their job and they were doing really well at it. But yeah, the amount of things that I did and had control over it, it it felt like I was CEO.

Gary Wise 18:09

That part, that's what I loved about your senior year, watching you just step into the leadership opportunities that you just kept being given because people were not doing it, right? So by them choosing to do other things, you were just always logically the senior person there, plus the leader. And I think back on all of the speeches you gave on the bus, I think back to all the times you like rallied people to do things. Uh, I remember one time I was on a ship, and my commanding officer he he he rode on everything the ship had, right? So he rode on like the small boats, he rode on like the LCACs, he rode on like everything the ship had, he did in one day. And that was how I felt like that one competition where you did like every team, right? On one competition, you performed on every team and commanded, I think most of them, right? Like, literally command that that will probably never happen again because I want to like I can't let that happen again. That's how light we were, right? You know, we're we're blessed to have a little more depth, even just a year later, but that's how light we were a year ago, where you were commanding multiple teams, competing on every team, and that's a uh it's a legendary thing, right? The cadets still talk about that one time Smitty did all everything, right? So good for you.

Senior Year Hustle And Two Jobs

Gary Wise 19:41

Uh when when you look back on your senior year of high school, uh, do you do you wish you'd done anything different? Do you look back on that yet and regret anything or no?

Smitty 19:52

No, I I think I did everything and more that I want to do. Granted, do I wish I wish I got do I wish I got a little more sleep? Yeah. I miss sleep a little bit, but um because I you know, if you look back and think about it, so uh in the morning I would go to the gym and then come back, get ready for the day. I would come to morning practice because we usually have color guard in the morning or drill, and then I would go through my school day, and then I would have after school practice, and then on days that I didn't have PT with the Marine Corps, then I would also be working. So most days I wouldn't get home. So on PT days, I wouldn't get home until roughly around seven, and then on days that I worked, I wouldn't get home until almost midnight. And I also had two jobs at the time because I just I needed to save up money for whenever I did get out of boot camp and I had money to spend. So I I wish I did a little less as far as like outside of like ROTC and whatnot, because it it wore me down a lot. But if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have had the like the knowledge that I had now.

Gary Wise 21:09

I remember you were hustling. I remember you got a couple different jobs at different restaurants. Uh the Roadhouse one, didn't you get a job at Roadhouse for a little while where you were like dang near running the place? I felt like just hearing you talk to me about it, you know. And then I ate there one time and I was like, I could totally see Smitty just running around over here in this little area, just making things happen. Um I remember that other time you got that job at the bowling alley, and I remember you were getting excited because all the tips that you got from working there at the bowling alley. And I was that's a good place, I think, for a young person to work, right? Because it's family friendly, people aren't gonna be too crazy. Uh, and they were good tippers, right? So there you go. And I remember you were like, I need gas money, I gotta pay for my phone, I got bills. Yeah, but what I But what I loved about you is most kids, especially senior year, when they get those jobs, they do lose focus on the commitments that they made also to their team for like ROTC. And you didn't, you never did that, right? You always made that a priority, even though you were, like you said, very busy. Um now, when you are getting ready to go to boot camp to basic training, dude you wish you had done anything different in your preparations to get

Boot Camp Prep And Injury Recovery

Gary Wise 22:27

ready to go? Or was everything you thought you did get everything good? Like, would you give it? I've got some cadets that are getting ready to go to basic training. You know, I've got one that's going to the Marine Corps this summer. I've got one going to national, actually, two going to National Guard this summer. Uh, any advice you give to them?

Smitty 22:44

Um, run a lot. Run because I realize now, because for the Marine Corps, we have to run three miles. I know Army's a little bit different, but um, obviously they do build you up a little bit. They start with a mile and a half, which is the IST or ISA, it goes either way. Um, but it's it's a pretty big jump from a mile and a half to three miles. You're already doubling it. So as far as like you might think you're doing really good, and then you run that three mile, and you're like, dang, that was kind of hard. Because I went there doing about a 30-minute three mile, which is not good at all. Um, that's barely passing. And whenever I left there, I was running roughly a 26, which still isn't great, but it's better, obviously. Um, and another thing I would say is work on any sort of mobility or any sort of like just functional strength because I ended up getting injured because of my mobility.

Gary Wise 23:50

Well, yeah, I think that's interesting about the running thing because you were a you're a runner. Like you you you run, you just don't think you have you don't have the sense of urgency to run a little bit faster, or what is it there you think?

Smitty 24:03

Uh usually your lungs get really tired really quickly. Got it. Because once you start breathing a little too hard, then your lungs start hurting, then you start to panic, and then you breathe in an abnormal way. So then it just causes you to just tire out.

Gary Wise 24:19

Yeah. When you said you got hurt, how are you doing now? Are you all healed up?

Smitty 24:24

Yes. Actually, on my birthday, January 28th, I got fully cleared from my light duty and everything. Um, I was told that my injury is probably a lifelong thing and I'm probably gonna deal with it most of my life. But it's easier to take care of now because I learned a lot of like uh ways to strengthen it and ways to move it about so that it's not always hurting.

Gary Wise 24:50

Good. And the reality is you gotta take care of your body the way that your body needs to be cared for, right? Like I just can't do certain things because I'm not six foot tall, right? It's just how it is, and so I have got to take care of my body and make my body do what it's got to do and be successful at my job as a part of the team, right? And then you go from

Boot Camp Mindset And Followership

Gary Wise 25:11

there. Um when you look back on the training you went through in basic training, what what were like your big do you have three big takeaways from boot camp or from basic training?

Smitty 25:23

Um in many situations, there's there's a lot more leadership than there needs to be. There are people trying to be in leadership that doesn't need to, and it can get really frustrating. And uh in many situations, I got fired from being squad leader or a guide for people that didn't need to be in the situation of leadership. Um, and it irritated me a lot because they just wanted to feel that sense of power and didn't actually know what to do leadership was. Um, so that um it's not always about physicality and it's a lot of mentality. Uh if you think that you're not gonna get through, you're probably not gonna get through. And if you if you think something is too hard for you, then it probably is gonna work up to where it is too hard for you because you don't think that you can actually do it. You're not gonna give it your all. Um it's I mean boot camp is a lot. It's uh even though sometimes I am like, oh yeah, boot camp's easy. I go back and do it because I would. But it's it's hard.

Gary Wise 26:36

Yeah. Well, you you have the right mentality though for it, right? And I do think that the challenge for you, for example, is people that are in places of leadership ahead of you, senior to you, whatever it is, that are unfortunately not successful or not being as good as you know they could be or that you could be, but that you don't get the opportunity for whatever the reason, right? Because I who knows why somebody makes the choices that they do. I mean, for me, personally, I would not give you the leadership position just because part of learning how to be the best is learning how to follow people, even though when they frustrate you, right? And I know that's one of your challenges. And I think someday you're gonna be the head person wherever you want to be, but you will have also learned that grace of being able to work with people in a lot of different areas. Uh do you looking back on boot camp or basic training or whatever it was, who was removing you from positions? Was it other recruits or was it actually the instructors?

Smitty 27:38

No, it's my my senior drill instructor, which so there's uh you have your normal drill instructors, which is your kill hats, knowledge hats, and uh your EDI, so your experience drill instructor. And then over them is your senior drill instructor, they're kind of just like the they're the parent that saves you from a lot of situations if you know something bad's happening. Um but more often than not, she would see me in the position and she she said I was doing exactly what she said that you know I I need to learn how to follow before I can lead. And she said that in a lot of situations, it would be like I was trying to show out and I was trying to be leader, but then during downtime or anything like that, then I would be doing my own thing. And she just saw that and wanted to correct it in the best way possible, and the best way possible is taking me out of the leadership position.

Gary Wise 28:32

And you and you, but then you think back on that, and that was in your top three memories, right? And you'll never forget it, you'll never forget that. And I remember when I went through Chiefs initiation, uh, there was nine of us, and I never one time got to be in charge, not once. This is like a six, seven-week thing, and you know how we kind of did you guys a little bit in school about who's in charge. Well, for us, it was like a full everyday, full day thing where we're serving meals, we're all together, doing all these different things, and I never got to be in charge, and I was so frustrated because all these other people were in charge, and I was never me and this other young guy who also was uh the we were the two youngest selectees. And after I made chief, I asked him, I was like, you know, why did I ever gonna be in charge, man? I was so pissed, like I want to be in charge, and they were like, because we knew you could lead, that wasn't the problem. It was could you follow? Could you and that was a lesson that I never forgot, right? And you just have to kind of learn to play your position and figure things out, and timing plus preparation equals destiny, and you know, just keep working it out and and you know, play the long game, right? Because sometimes it's just like that, and there you go. So you came home after basic training.

Coming Home And Leave Culture Shock

Gary Wise 29:54

What was it like coming home? Was it just was it home? Was it the same, or did it were you able to come back home and it just felt like you'd never left, or was it different, a different feeling?

Smitty 30:05

It was very different because I had just spent my last three months living in the same room in a squad bay as 90 other people, and we were all showering together, and you know, there was no sense of privacy, there was no sense of like a an actual personality because that's what they do at boot campus stripper personality. So whenever I came home and I had a had a shower to myself and bed to myself, and I could talk to people like normal people, it was it was definitely really hard to adjust that to. I I found myself calling my mom ma'am, and God did she hate me for that because she's like, I'm not old. You're not calling me ma'am, I'm your mom. So more often than not, and I catch myself standing at parade rest, even though I I'm home, I can relax. Um, or I'd still use the same like terminology that we would use, like, you know, go touch the bulkhead, or we're going to the head, making a head call, or you know, on the deck or anything like that. I I found myself still acting as if I'm in boot camp, but I'm home.

Gary Wise 31:13

Yeah. Well, and you got to come home really quickly after basic training, too. Like you were home like two, three days after graduation. You got to be home. Uh in the Navy, I felt like it was it was not that fast for us. We would always go to some school right away and then be able to go home later. But for you, it was like literally you graduated like on Thursday and you were home like on Saturday. Like, did you ride back home with your mom and dad? I did. See, right? Like they came, they came to graduation and they brought you home with them. Like that's that's crazy. And you've now been home twice since you joined the Marine Corps because you came home for Christmas as well, right? I did. When you look at the two leave periods you had so far, had was there any differences between the two?

Smitty 32:00

Yes, um, because I being here in schoolhouse, you get to be a civilian on the weekends, and you see I'm in civilian attire. Uh you're allowed to go back to your normal life, and you have like after work, you can do whatever you please. So it's much easier to go back home and be a civilian. Granted, I still get pissed off at a lot of things that civilians do. Like I'm used to moving fast everywhere I go. So if I'm in the grocery store or something and somebody's walking really slow, I'm like, Long caster. It you know, it's stuff like that. Is it's harder to adjust back to, but it's much easier than straight out of boot camp. Because boot camp, you're still brainwashed, you're still like getting back to normal life. But in schoolhouse, I was I was already getting back to it.

Gary Wise 32:52

Well, and and I think uh for me, for me, I would use the term individual vice civilian, right? Because individual, like you said a minute ago, they take away your individuality and they put you in this position where you're part of this collective, and then when you get out to the fleet or when you get out to the schoolhouse, you you're part of the collective during the workday, but then after work, you get to be an individual until you do something wrong. And then then all of a sudden they remind you, nope, you're still part of the collective, dude. Like you don't get to do that, right? And that's where we're different from civilians because but it's really not even just civilians, because if I go out and do something that publicly humiliates my job, my school, maybe they don't want me to keep working there as a teacher, right? So that thing never really goes away. Uh, but it's understanding that the this thing that we are is is really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but you have this individuality opportunity to express yourself. Uh, for me, I always had this challenge when I'd go home on leave of people never had time for me, it felt like, because they all had lives going on, and I was like this new addition that none of them calculated in their plans. Did you find that when you came back with friends and all that, or was that not really a problem? And friends dropped everything and all came running to hang out with you when you were there.

Smitty 34:11

Well, it kind of helped the fact that it was Christmas break. So a lot of things that I was still in contact with, they were also out on break. So it was easier to get in contact and hang out with them, but it was also I was doing RA, so I had to go into the office and help with recruiting. So some days they're like, Oh yeah, I can hang out, and I'm like, I'm at the office, or if I'm like, Oh yeah, I'm office day, they're like, Oh, I have family over. So going home during holiday is definitely a lot harder to see family and friends because they're always trying to see each other as well.

Gary Wise 34:49

So, yeah, yeah, that's a good point. I will tell you that as you guys all get older, if you guys, you and your friends or whoever it is, the best ways I've found to have good good visits with people is to meet at like a separate location, that we're all going to the same place together to be together, right? And we're not because when like when I'm at home, I've got all this stuff going on already day for day. If you come visit me in Ocala and you want to come stay in my house, it's like I didn't, I didn't just take off a whole bunch of time to do not do a whole lot, right? Um, which because no one knows no one people rarely just give themselves permission to chill and like just be on vacation, right? Which is what it feels like for us we go on leave, except for like you said, you were working in the recruiting office, which is part of the deal for you to get to come home on that time period, which is smart on their part because you get to get people to recruit to join the Marine Corps. Um, but I I love meeting friends, meeting family at like a like we want to go to Dollywood, right? Like we all want to go to Dollywood, go see Dolly Part and stuff, get an Airbnb, and then just get to be together and hang out and have some chance to really catch up and have quality time, right?

Smitty 36:07

Right.

Gary Wise 36:07

Um, yeah.

Water Purification Job And Promotion Path

Gary Wise 36:09

Well, I mean, looking at how you feeling about the job you got now after you've been doing it for a while longer. Because when we first met, you really wanted aviation, you really wanted to get involved in the aviation field. How are you feeling now about getting into the engineering field?

Smitty 36:25

Um, still not exactly what I wanted. Um because I am so we're called the water dongster, water purification specialist. So we learn how to do plumbing, how to set up like field showers, field laundry, as well as purifying water. And I've already gone through, like in my course, I've already gone through all the field stuff, and now we're actually on purification. And um it's definitely a really cool job because you get to see the process of everything, you get to be able to be the one to do the process. But in the end, you kind of sit back and look at it, you're like, This is all I'm doing. I know this purify one. What is my job? But yeah, you're also greatly appreciated by the infantry people because obviously, if they're in the field, they want to take a shower, they want to do their laundry, they're stinking, you know, they want some nice cold water, and we're allowed to be up, we're we're able to bring that to them. And so they obviously if they're going on like a two-week field op or something, they don't need the showers or anything, but they still need the water. So, either way, it's it's nice to be able to be needed.

Gary Wise 37:40

Yeah, I I would tell you, every job plays, every job matters, right? I remember on the ship, you'd you we would I would tell people, you know, whether you're the guy that's loading the sodas in the soda machine, the the the sailor that's getting church services ready to go and get so the so everybody can go to church on Sunday, the person scooping green beans out in the chow hall, like every job matters. We all play a role, and we all just need to be proud of what we're doing to contribute to the team. And let's hope that we never got to get into a position where we're all just fighting for our lives, right? Like let's let's let's hope we don't get into that position. Because if we ever get into that position, we're all gonna really rely upon each other to figure things out. And then for us in the Navy, it was like fighting to put the fire out on the ship or not go into the water in the middle of the night. Or for you guys, it's gonna be possibly, God forbid, you know, you're you're out somewhere and it's an attack, and what are you gonna do? Right. And just figuring that out. Uh, and let's hope we never have to cross those bridges, you know. And I think finding pride in what you bring to the fight and to the team will go a long way because at some point you're gonna blink and you'll be a staff sergeant, and you'll be a staff sergeant, water dog, and you'll have some young water dog fresh out of school, and they're like, All we do is make water, and you'd be like, Listen, Marine, let me tell you, here's how it goes, bro. Like, and you're gonna you're gonna teach them how to find pride in what they do, you know. When I was a firefighter in the Navy, not all my sailors loved being damaged control men, right? They all it wasn't you were not flying the the fire planes, right? You were not working on the flight deck, you know, you were not doing this grand, you know, super electronic warfare, pressing buttons to launch warheads. We're the guys fighting to fight a fire that we hopefully never have, right? And you have to learn how to keep each other motivated and and then remember all the other things you're getting for your time in the service because there's a lot of other benefits that can come with it if you if you strategically leverage it all the right way, you know. Um, have you changed any of your plans? So you've been in now the Marine Corps how long? What is it almost a year?

Smitty 39:47

Coming up on it, I joined June 24th.

Gary Wise 39:51

Okay.

Smitty 39:52

So I've been in eight months?

Gary Wise 39:56

Eight months. And are you in E3 now?

Smitty 40:00

I'm an E2.

Gary Wise 40:03

Okay, when are you up for E3? Uh March 24th. Okay. And what do you have to do to get that promotion?

Smitty 40:12

Um, it was mostly just time and service for me because uh it's uh I believe nine months that you get it. Um however, it is possible for you to go get uh two referrals like on recruiting assistance, and if they dep in, then you can get the promotion, but I wasn't able to do that.

Gary Wise 40:31

Okay. So in March, mid-March, you're gonna promote to E3, right? And then so in the Navy, it's also nine months, E2 to E3. And then it's it was it's six months for us, E3 to E4. Do you know what it is for the Marine Corps?

Smitty 40:48

E3 to E4 is it's hard because you're going up for an NCO. Um I'm pretty sure it's another nine months, but I'm not sure. It's mostly based off of like if you actually are eligible to promote throughout your JPES, which is like our uh promotion system and like all the requirements that you need. So it's not so much of time and service, but more of just if you're actually ready for it.

Gary Wise 41:16

Okay. And I knew, you know, I was there uh when they would teach the corporal's course on board the ship, and I would see them teaching all this leadership training to the young Marines coming up, and it's a big deal for the Marine Corps, so that's awesome. And the for the Navy, it's the same thing, make them petty officer, right? Because we're not NCOs, we're petty officers, even though it's very similar, right? Um, so almost a year now in the service. Have you adjusted any of your plans yet? Or is everything still according to like are you still going for what you'd already started out to plan for?

Smitty 41:51

I'm still going for the 20 years. I I like the way that it's going for me. It hasn't been too many hiccups or anything other than my hip injury. Um I'd still like to be a zero instructor once I get sergeant. Um I might lap move eventually to 64, but it's not so much of lap move for me because it's still within the utilities. Um, it would be more of just go take their advanced course, which a 64 is like HVAC or Ginny. Um that's originally what I wanted when I got engineering, but ended up with larger pages. Um so if I could go take the advanced course, then I would just for the search. Um everything else though is still pretty in the air.

Gary Wise 42:40

Okay.

Drill Instructor Goals And Drill Changes

Gary Wise 42:42

You said you want to be a drill instructor. I think I think that'd be amazing. I always wanted to be a drill instructor too. They said no because my tattoos, and then the Navy went and authorized all the tattoos in the world after that, right? Um, but that that'd be a good one. I some of my favorite guys that I watch on like YouTube or like on social media. Uh like one of that one guy, he's his name is Bull. He's a retired Marine Corps sergeant major, and he's he was a big time drill instructor, and I like watching his content, right? I think that because one thing a lot of the drill instructors they do more than one tour as drill instructors. It looks like they go do it once and they go back to the fleet, then they go back and do it again. But you also got to really like it because I feel like it's a lot of time away from home.

Smitty 43:25

Oh, it is 100%. Because as a drill instructor, you have to do 36 months, it's not like you can just, you know, go do a year and then get off or whatnot. You have 36 months straight of being a drill instructor, and you get I think it's two weeks in between each cycle for you to just have a break, which is really hard because you're basically just living with the recruits at that point. Because I don't think there was a single time that we saw a drill instructor for us away from us for more than a day.

Gary Wise 43:55

Right. Yeah, so then imagine if they got wife, kids, husband, whatever it is, and that's Trying to balance all that out. And they're like, and you're not supposed to be on deployable duty right now. This is like shore duty, bro. Like, what are you doing? Right. Yeah. But I mean, it's a I will tell you for at least for the Navy, it's a very career enhancing job, right? And and I would tell you, my recruiting tour was also career enhancing, in that you get leadership skills from those positions that you just can't learn anywhere else, right? Going through those things. And and just so you know, I'm sure the drill instructor qualification school is hell on wheels. Like, I'm sure. Oh, it is.

Smitty 44:35

I'm sure we saw so actually, uh, there was one time that we were, I want to say we were in phase two, we were just getting ready to go to range. And uh all of a sudden we saw these two drill instructors that we had never seen before, and they didn't have a campaign cover, they just had their eight point. And we were so confused because they started yelling at us and we were like, I'm like, what is happening? Um, and we learned later on that they were actually in the drill instructor school and they were learning how to become drill instructors, and their little like test that they had was to go into a company, and they had to act as a kill hat and you know, go yell at people and see how they handled it. And uh they came and gone, like nothing ever happened, but we were beyond confused that they were like, What is happening? Who are these people?

Gary Wise 45:28

They were just coming to practice their their their their extreme communication skills with you guys, right? Yes, you know, the other thing that they've changed, if you guys if you ever are interested, and when you get older as well, is they now hire NJRTC instructors that only have had eight years, I believe, of experience in the military, right? So that's just so you know, that's another thing that's available nowadays, but you've also got to be able to find a program. Like if you did 12 years in the Marine Corps or 10 years in the Marine Corps and then got out, uh, you could possibly get a job as a teacher in a high school as a GROTC instructor. But the problem there is uh I don't that pay for me wouldn't I don't think that pay would be enough. If I if I didn't have my disability pay and my rather retirement paycheck, I don't know that I can afford to do it on the pay of just what they give me. You know what I'm saying? So that's something to think about. But I know that some of you guys that I was a third class petty officer, E4, five, so four years in the Navy, when I first thought about becoming an ROTC instructor, right? And I just kept touch with the program throughout my career, just kept watching it and thinking about it and watching it and thinking about it. And you know, you got the chance to be with me there, like it's freaking an amazing place to serve, right? But you and we also but you but you can't you can't hate kids, right? You just because you talked about wanting to do that, maybe someday too was uh you said you might want to be an ROTC teacher when you grab when you got out of the military, right?

Smitty 47:09

Um I just like I think I'd like the opportunity to be able to help students get through what I did and share my experiences with her, and I think it'd be so cool. But at the same time, like you said, if if you don't have the retirement and all the other stuff, it's not the most, you know, it's not the greatest paying job in the world.

Gary Wise 47:30

Yeah, you gotta really, really, really not be worried about money, like as a priority. And and I know some people that do that. I mean, and I try not to do it too, but I also have enough money coming in that I don't have to worry about the money. But sometimes people don't have enough money coming in that they can't help but worry about it because you know, big bills or hope wanting to do things in your life and being frustrated. I feel like that's a challenge, but definitely keep that on your uh and your in your thought process because having been a drill instructor, I would say that would be a huge advantage to becoming an then a ROTC instructor and having that background of Marine Corps drill instructor. Of course, like you said, they drill different, right?

Smitty 48:12

Like you said, they march, they taught you to march differently than going to boot camp after doing like JITC drill for three years, it was the biggest learning curve. I think out of everything I did, that was the hardest thing because I would do a drill movement and then they would yell at me because I did it wrong. But it's what I've been doing the past three years. So, like, right, um like if even just how you march, whenever we did it, we'd slap our toes on the ground. But in Jerry C, you'd roll your heels. So everywhere that we would go, you they'd say point your toes, and I'm like, This is the weirdest thing I've ever done. Because you're pointing your toes in big combat boots that your ankles don't move, so then you're just like in the most awkward position, and then they tell you to put a pack on and do a column right, and it's like I no, I don't like this.

Gary Wise 49:11

Do you guys do a lot of marching or drilling there at your schoolhouse now?

Smitty 49:16

At the schoolhouse, we do still have to do like uh just marching from place to place information, but we don't do any like columns or to the rears or anything like that, it's just normal forward march and hold.

Gary Wise 49:29

Got it. Well, and and I would say, because for me, after basic training, I I literally did not march ever again until I was in RTC trying to figure it out. You know, it's not like you, it's not like we just all do those things all the time. So I think uh maybe once you become a DI, you'll have a better idea as to why they wanted to do it a certain way, or you'll have a better understanding as to what they were looking for. Because I think the only one that can ever answer that question would be a Marine, you know, but then we have Marine Corps GRTCs that compete against us and they march the same way that we march. So it doesn't really it does, yeah. I'd be interested to know like what was the difference there. Uh there with your leadership in your schoolhouse, what what is that

Schoolhouse Leadership And Finding Friends

Gary Wise 50:14

like? You have like instructors that are like over responsible for you guys as as like students.

Smitty 50:19

So we have uh our instructors, which are called our class advisors. So we have one specifically for our class, which is Sasson Raw, but we do have like other instructors around that help us, and then they have course chief, which is over them. But it's kind of funny because our uh class advisor got put up for course chief, so now he's both our advisor and our course chief. It's very confusing, but and then within the actual platoon, we have a uh class leader, which is one of us that leads the class, and then we also have guide and squad leaders.

Gary Wise 50:55

Okay. Uh and and then your c your course chief, as you said, is a staff sergeant. Yeah, so you don't have uh really, you're not so staff so staff sergeant's really the senior NCO that you guys are dealing with day to day or or frequently, right?

Smitty 51:14

We did have a gunnery sergeant, uh Gunny Beastle, but she got put to teach courts course instructors, so she just went one step higher.

Gary Wise 51:28

How how is it with making friends and all that there? Have you been have you found that to be relatively easy?

Smitty 51:37

It's hit or miss because there's so many different personalities and people from so many different places that some people see others as weird, some are just it's very much like high school all over again, where it's like you have your jocks, you have like the popular people, you have the nerds, you know, you have you have like every group. Um and it's it's weird for me because I'm a part of every group because I I don't I do everything, I try not to like stay in like one group, but um I did find like a couple people here, like I have my buddies uh Rodriguez and Sake, and we go everywhere together, but there's still some that um not too fond of me, but we we exist enough within this.

Gary Wise 52:33

It's unfortunately, dude. It's gonna be like that, right? Unfortunately, the way you are, you're such a firecracker, and you you you got the capability to do pretty much whatever you want to do, and you've got the freaking potential to do whatever you want to do. That not everyone's gonna always appreciate that. Uh, on the reverse, when I was on the aircraft carrier, one of my favorite things was that I could eat at pretty much any table, right? It wasn't just like I could eat with the nukes, I could eat with the Airedales, I could eat with the engineers, I could eat with the anybody, right? Because what I did, I ran I needed all of them to help me do my job, so I had to have relationships with everybody, and so you want to be that's a really good place to be, is where you can get along with everybody. Doesn't mean you're gonna watch go over all their houses and watch TV together and like have sleepovers, but you get along for the most part, right? And you can learn how to work with each other. And you guys are all still in this weird space where you guys are just kind of holding, waiting to move on to this next three-year hitch, right? When you go to your next job. Hopefully, when you get to now, when you get to your to your logistics battalion or your group, your MLG there in uh at Lejeune, are you able to already get to know any of them ahead of time?

Smitty 53:49

Uh so I am going with I want to say seven other people out of my class to ATSV. Oh wow. Um, because there was so many that are going there. And then also the tack before us that classes are called TACs. Um, they just graduated a week ago. And um there's several from that that are also in ATSV, and then I have some like uh my roommate is going to second med, so she'll be right there with me, and then I have a couple other people that are doing their like maintenance. So I'll have people around, and also whenever I was classing for the math platoon, um I managed to make a lot of friends that are combat engineers as well. So I have friends pretty well around me that have already been established in like whatever they're doing, and um I also have a couple of infantry friends just from boot camp and whatnot, so it should be relatively easy to blend back in. But we'll take it.

Fleet Move, Mentors, And Staying Safe

Gary Wise 54:47

Well, you have to change barracks rooms.

Smitty 54:50

Yes, I'm moving literally like 10 minutes down the road, but I have to pack everything up, move it, yeah, unpack it, plus add more.

Gary Wise 55:01

So yeah, well, one of my biggest challenges was when I was Naval Base Guam Master Chief, I had to run all the barracks rooms, and just seeing that kind of thing would be so frustrating for me because I'm like, why am I making this sailor, this marine move when I own all the barracks anyway? And the trend, but but they want you in their barracks, right? They want you in their barracks with your because they want to have a culture where everybody's living with everyone that they work with, and they don't have other people get into their stuff, so you're gonna essentially have to move into their into their barracks, right?

Smitty 55:35

Yep, and I also heard that uh so obviously females have to room with females, and there's two to a room, but I heard that there was already an uneven amount there, and then an uneven amount went, so now it's evened out. So whenever I go, I might end up by myself for a little bit, which I'm not wedding. I love being by myself, but that also means that I'm gonna get a random person that I don't know as my roommate.

Gary Wise 56:00

So that is true. You might get you might get a rando.

Smitty 56:06

I hope not, but we'll see.

Gary Wise 56:09

Well, I mean, or somebody will get will get ready to leave, and you can maybe move in this with somebody else before that happens, right?

Smitty 56:17

Right.

Gary Wise 56:17

On the reverse, if you get a random person that's new, newer than you, uh, you can kind of give them, hey, here's the way that things are going to be in the room. Hopefully we can work together on that. But um, because that's how fast you become senior. You know, you get there, and then three months later, some new Marine checks in, they just got out of school or whatever it is, and they already look up to you, like, oh, you've been here longer than me. Right? Right. And and that's just how you know. I remember I'd been on the ship like a month, and we had gone to a little underway. We got back to Sasebo and there was new sailors on the pier, and the older petty officer was like, Look at that, wise, you're not the new guy anymore. And that's how fast that was, you know, that all of a sudden I had people that were newer than me, right? And you start working with them and helping them figure things out. Um, well, dude, you know, I hope everything goes good for you. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you're gonna continue kicking butt, taking names. Do you have any concerns?

Smitty 57:16

Not really. I mean, I I am always gonna have a concern about my hip and how it's gonna do it anything. But as far as like actually being in the fleet or whatnot, I feel like it's gonna be relatively easy. I'm gonna have late nights where I'm gonna be at the shop until God knows what time. But I'm always gonna have the freedom of just hopping in my truck and going down the road to go do whatever, so it'll be nice, but I mean, let's just hope I don't get like NJP'd or some shit. Like that'd be what the hell?

Gary Wise 57:52

Why are we even gonna bring that up? But but you're not wrong. I mean, you're not wrong. What's that tattoo on your arm saying?

Smitty 58:00

Uh bahala.

Gary Wise 58:02

Ah, okay, got it.

Smitty 58:03

I designed it myself. I also just got wings on my back.

Gary Wise 58:07

Look at you. You like you like the pain, huh? I do, I love it. Yep, nope. I went through my phases too. I would go through phases getting quite a few tattoos, then I would take some time off, then I'd go through again and get a bunch more and take some time off. At least you're like artistically putting thought of yours. I used to just walk into the thing, like, give me that guy right there and just sit down. Pretty much, like, literally, it was just yeah, I went through those phases, and it I had to get my whole back tattooed because I had to cover up that much bad work, right? Because I just, you know, nothing like getting a tattoo in a foreign country that you don't know what the hell they're doing anyway. You just why not get a tattoo?

Smitty 58:51

Right.

Gary Wise 58:51

Um, I I would tell you, you know, for this first couple of years, just really work hard on learning your job, learning the Marine Corps, being getting the NCO, right? Not being a problem, be very cautious around alcohol, right? Not even if you drink or don't drink, but the people that you're around, right? Just be very cautious there. Know that you can always call call, can always call me, can always call your mama, right? And talk knowing that everyone's gonna still love you no matter what. And uh I'd say after the first couple of years, definitely think about what you can do to prepare for yourself for life after the Marine Corps as well, right? I wouldn't worry about that right away. I would learn my job first, right? That's I would tell sailors the same thing like learn your job first, and once you get really good at your job, then start thinking about do I need any other, like you said, certifications or any other things that might make me a little more marketable once I retire from the military. Because a lot of times people say, like you, I'm gonna do that 20, and then you blink and you're at 20, like it goes so fast, right? And people just they they don't even they don't even they don't recognize how fast things are gonna go because you're gonna blink and be at your how long are you gonna be at with that MLG? Is that a three-year hit or is it two years with that? Three years, three years. So you'll probably do at least one to two floats in that three-year period of time, right? I would like to imagine, which is a deployment on board a ship of some sort, right? Uh at least I used to on my ship on Ashland and on Ogden, we brought MLGs on board, right? Um, and so I would, I would, I would hope you get that experience, right? Because that's in my opinion, that's where the Marine Corps really belongs, is embarked on board Navy ships, right? Going out to do the amphibious operations that the world fears, right? Um, and but the only way you can get good at that is learning if you get seasick or not, right? Learning if you get seasick or not. Um, your TSP is all squared away, I believe. So that should be good. Let that just keep that rocking and rolling. And you know, you still, I'm glad you haven't gone out and bought a new car yet. Be careful there, right? You don't need a Mustang GT convertible or whatever.

Smitty 1:01:16

No, I am getting my truck fixed up as we speak, though. I uh my parents found uh one of their buddies, he's a mechanic. So they were like, hey, we'll get your truck looked over. And then I was like, hey, what about like a lift kit and like some new tires, maybe a paint job? So now I sent them some money so that they could get it done for me. So I have it for when I'm here.

Gary Wise 1:01:37

So nice, nice. Send me a picture of that truck. I think it'd be interesting to see that little truck all jacked up on Mountain Dew. What are you gonna nickname that truck now, man? It's gonna be all freaking okay, still besting at it. All right, I'm glad you didn't get a motorcycle. I saw that one picture. You had a motorcycle helmet. I was like, no, Smitty, don't do that. Did you buy a motorcycle? Not yet. Motorcycle, okay. Look, I'm not mad at you. You love it, live it. If you like it, I love it. Go enjoy it, but just be careful. Right, just be careful. Um well,

Advice For Cadets And Farewell

Gary Wise 1:02:16

hey, if you had any information, if you had a message for the cadets that might listen to this podcast or watch this podcast, you got any advice for them?

Smitty 1:02:24

Stay locked in, keep doing what you're doing, stay disciplined. Make sure that you have things planned out, and you're not just going by, you know, whatever you think that you might want to do, and uh just just keep steady.

Gary Wise 1:02:36

Yeah, it goes by fast, huh?

Smitty 1:02:39

It does very, very fast.

Gary Wise 1:02:41

It does like these. We uh we have a drill competition this Saturday, and I don't think we're gonna qualify to go to states this year for the drill comp because we did really good this year, but they changed our area again, and so now our 11 area 11 also includes schools up in Pensacola area that are like amazing at drill, that are like they're like amazing, and they've never competed at any of our competitions, but they're getting the passes to go to states to fill our quotas. So when there were four or five spots that we would have gotten into, they put some of those schools from Pensacola in there that are winning competitions up in Pensacola, just not in our area, and but they're gonna come so area is gonna be a freaking our states is gonna be a shootout, man. It's gonna be a shootout. And if they do invite us to go, I gotta think twice about it because I don't know if I feel like going there and just getting shot up.

Smitty 1:03:40

Y'all have been doing really good this year, though. Y'all are getting a lot of hardware.

Gary Wise 1:03:44

We did really good, we did really good, but it's also like it's relative, right? Like uh depending up like yesterday we won an orienteering competition, right? But then there was only like 10 schools that went there, and a lot of the heavy hitters weren't there. So, of course, we had that was our chance to win. We went to Orlando, we went to the USF Battle of the Bulls drill comp two weeks ago, and that was like everyone is tuning up for states, not that successful. We went to one two weeks before that, and we like we did very good. We've got one this Friday in Orlando that a lot of schools are not gonna be at because they're all going to states, so they're not gonna be at this one. So I think we're gonna be fairly successful here, right? But I mean, you just got to be honest about you know where you're at and and be and be happy for those moments so you get recognition, right? Because it was an amazing feeling to actually get a trophy for drill, like that was like right incredible. You know how that pain was, right? Um trying to build that team up. Uh, but I also think it's like that's kind of where we are as a prototype. I love my program to death, but I'm also not I'm realistic, right? I never forget I'm only five foot six, like I'm never gonna act like I'm a freaking like we're but but I love what we've got, right? I love our backyard, I love our portables, I love our little family environment, and we'll do what we can do, but we'll see. So, but the cadets are kind of sad that we possibly are not gonna go to states, but because you know how it is when you're a senior and it's your last stroke comp, then it's over, right? And it's now what do you do? Now you start preparing for the next big thing. So um, well, I appreciate you taking time to join me today on the show.

Smitty 1:05:30

Of course, I see it everywhere. I love I love seeing everything that you do.

Gary Wise 1:05:34

Uh, thank you very much. I appreciate all the support. Looking to have some more of you guys on here. Uh again, dude, if you ever need anything, even if you just need someone to talk to, give me a call. I'm here for you. I like I got love for you, kid. You take care of yourself up there. Be careful with the booze. Like, I'm just telling you that. I'm sure you've seen enough already in your short little time in the Marine Corps that you understand what I'm coming from with that. And And I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just saying that sometimes people lose control of situations. And it's usually alcohol is involved, right? It's just unfortunately true. It's part of our culture, right? And it's not always one of the best parts. So just be careful with that. Don't lose focus on your priorities. Look for good mentors, right? Especially in the water dog community, because you need to find out how to be the best water dog you can be. So you can be the best Marine you can be supporting your team, right? And hopefully you can. I mean, you do you think you'll be a sta uh sergeant by the end of your three years with MLG?

Smitty 1:06:37

I'm hoping.

Gary Wise 1:06:38

I think you should be, right?

Smitty 1:06:40

We promote pretty quickly as water dogs because we don't have a very high retention rate. So um, I know I'll be corporal by the end of it, but fingers crossed I'll be sergeant.

Gary Wise 1:06:50

So what do you mean they don't have a hire do a lot of water dogs get out? Yeah. Or they lap move or they lap move. So they just don't find the fulfillment there. Well, in my mind, all I hear is opportunity then, because that just sounds like an easy. There's lots of ways to get to make to get wins in this world, right? And people are gonna get out of your way. Thank you. No problem. And you could be you could be at a drill instructor before you know it. Yeah. All right. Well, take care of yourself, man. And if you ever need anything, hit me up, okay?

Smitty 1:07:27

Yes, sir.

Gary Wise 1:07:28

All right, we're gonna wrap this up. Do you have any save rounds or alibis? None here. None here. All right, everybody. Thank you for joining Smitty and I. Uh, we appreciate y'all for listening. And if you ever have any questions or any comments, hit us up below. All right, Smitty, I'll talk to you later, sis. Bye. Bye. And I know. I'll both for that. I know. I'll go for this. It's the force that they can stop it. They just don't get it, I think they forget them. I'll both for that. I know. I'll both of it.