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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Brotherhood, loyalty
and commitment may just be words to most, but for Sgt. Jeremy
Anderson, they are a way of life.
“I have always felt that it
is my duty to take care of Marines,” said Anderson, an athlete from
Wounded Warrior Battalion – East competing in the 2015 Marine Corps
Trials. “Coming up through the Marine Corps I had leadership, but
they weren't really fully engaged so now that I am in the position I
am in, I want to help as much as possible.”
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March 3, 2015 - Sgt. Jeremy Anderson, from Birmingham, Alabama, encourages his teammate at a wheelchair basketball practice during the 2015 Marine Corps Trials Competition provides opportunities for the Marines to train as athletes, while increasing their strength so they can continue their military service or develop healthy habits for life outside the service. The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment enables wounded, ill, or injured Marines to focus on their abilities and to find new avenues to thrive. The fifth annual Marine Corps Trials
was held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 3-11,
2015. Athletes competed in archery, cycling, shooting, swimming, track, field, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jared Lingafelt)
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Anderson has served numerous job titles and billets
throughout his career including barracks manager, training
clerk and staff judge advocate clerk, but it was the
injuries he sustained while serving as a field artillery man
that eventually landed him at the Wounded Warrior Regiment.
Deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan took their toll on
Anderson's mind and body, but despite the challenges he
faced, his focus remained on helping out his Marines.
“When I sit down and talk to a Marine and know that I
have helped them out, even if it is just talking to them and
letting them vent, they walk away feeling better and it's a
great feeling to know I was a part of that,” said Anderson,
a Birmingham, Alabama, native. “I may have lost a little bit
of sleep or it may have taken a couple hours out of my day,
but I know that the Marine will be ok and that is what it's
all about. I wouldn't let anyone in my family go without
something so why should it be any different for fellow
Marines?”
Anderson's physical injuries make
conducting daily tasks a challenge. Using a cane to aid even
the simplest movements, Anderson never lets his injuries get
in-between him and his Marines.
“I will do whatever I
can to help someone out,” said Anderson. “I If I just sat
around all day and didn't put myself out there, I wouldn't
be taking care of Marines. It's our brothers and sisters in
arms that matter.”
Cpl. Barney Oldfield, a friend of
Anderson, says Anderson's devotion and loyalty to his
brothers and sisters in arms isn't limited to the workweek –
he's available to lend a hand or an ear whenever a Marine
needs it.
“There was one incident when I was in
Chipotle, I was having a hard time because there were so
many people,” said Oldfield, a Longmont, Colorado, native.
“He was there with his family and he saw that I was having
trouble and that was all it took. He came over to me, stayed
with me in line and talked to me in my car to make sure I
was ok because he has that brotherhood mentality. Just
because you are another Marine, you are already a brother or
sister to him.”
Upon completion of the Marine Corps
Trials, Anderson hopes to return to Camp Lejeune with more
experience and knowledge to help new Marines transitioning
into WWBn. - East.
“I'm still in the process of
learning how everything works there so when someone new does
come in, I can be there to help,” said Anderson. “As leaders
we have to pass on the knowledge and information that we
have to our Marines because the more knowledge they have,
the more successful they will be and in turn, the more
successful the Marine Corps will be.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jared Lingafelt
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
The U.S. Marines
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