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March 16, 2012 - Since, Sgt. Darin Dains Jr., a combat engineer
with Bravo Company, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (Forward),
deployed to Afghanistan in September, Dains helped locate more than
65 improvised explosive devices. Photo by USMC Lance Cpl.
Bobby J. Gonzalez
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PATROL BASE ATOLL, Afghanistan (3/16/2012) — Sergeant Darin Dains
Jr., a combat engineer with Bravo Company, 3rd Combat Engineer
Battalion (Forward), relaxes on his cot, watching movies while
joking with friends. Even when relaxed Dains took the time to ask
Marines how they were doing, making sure everything was okay.
He asked one of his junior Marines if he had dinner, another if
he was missing any gear, all the while smiling, as he looked after
the junior members in his team.
Dains knows a thing or two
about responsibility. Each time he steps out on patrol, as a point
man and sweeper, he feels the weight of bringing the Marines back,
he said.
“It's the lead sweeper's job to get [Marines] from
point A to point B safely,” said Dains, also an assistant squad
leader with 1st Platoon, Kilo Company.
Since he deployed to
Afghanistan in September, Dains helped locate more than 65
improvised explosive devices, a monumental achievement.
“Sergeant Dains' significant success is a result of his courage,
professionalism, and comprehensive understanding of terrain, the
enemy's tactics, and the necessity of maintaining mobility,” said
Lt. Col. John P. Sullivan Jr., commanding officer, 3rd CEB (Fwd). |
Despite accolades, Dains, a native of Tucson Ariz., said
he doesn't measure his success on the amount of IEDs he's
discovered.
“If I go out on patrol, and I bring
everybody back successfully, with no IED strikes, that's a
successful day,” added Dains.
He is currently
attached to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and said he
attributes his success to his work ethic and love for his
job.
According to Sullivan, Dains has excelled during
planned patrols. Sullivan credits Dains' ability to
meticulously analyze terrain on his routes, intentionally
choosing the paths of greatest resistance to avoid the areas
the enemy is likely to emplace IEDs; and his keen ability to
identify any subtleties that would indicate the presence of
an IED.
“Because I love to do my job, I take pride in
it, I want to be perfect,” said Dains, who comes from a
military family, with two brothers in the Marines as well.
The rest of the Marines with 1st Platoon said they
appreciate having him with them.
“If we didn't have (Dains),
we may have had numerous more casualties,” said Cpl. Brennan
O'Boyle, a squad leader with 1st Platoon and a friend of
Dains. “I know this whole platoon is very thankful for the
pride he's taken in his work. Everyone here has a family,
and I know I speak for everyone when I say ‘thank you' for
the work that (Dains) has done.”
Dains'
responsibilities don't end once the Marines return to base;
he mentors his Marines, challenging them to take as much
pride in their work as he does.
Lance Cpl. Andrew
Ortiz, also a combat engineer with 3rd CEB (Fwd), is one
such Marine.
Dains described his relationship with
Ortiz as big brother, little brother. During the deployment,
Ortiz came to him for additional training and advice.
Ortiz took to the younger brother role, learning as much
as he could from Dains and encountering similar success.
“He's had zero IED strikes in patrols that he's been the
lead sweeper,” Dains said of Ortiz.
Ortiz credited
Dains for his success.
“Dains helped me be successful
with the preparation before we came out here, the training
he gave me back at Twentynine Palms and being here to
oversee what I've done,” said Ortiz, a native of Pueblo
Colo. “He's been here for me through the long times of this
deployment.”
Dains is not just a Marine; he's a
husband, a father, a brother, a teacher, a mentor and more.
The first thing Dains said he looks forward to when he
returns home is holding his family. He'll do so knowing that
he's one of the reasons why other Marines can hold their
families.
“I do feel like I owe part of my life to
him, for keeping me safe, as well as everyone else,” added
Ortiz. “I want everyone back home to know that Cpl. Dains,
knows his job and he's protected everyone on this patrol
base on numerous patrols.”
By USMC Lance Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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