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 CAMP
LEJEUNE, N.C. - One year ago, Hunter Bynum had been
living with his family in the largest city of Alabama. He
hadn't yet experienced stepping on the famous yellow
footprints of Parris Island, South Carolina, never mind
conquering the vigorous 13 weeks of training that would make
him into the Marine he is today.
Bynum is a native of
Birmingham, where he was raised by his mother, Kelly, and
his father, Curt. He is the oldest of five children.
“My family owns a big farm,” said Bynum. “I loved working on
my own land and the freedom that came with it.”
Even
with the physically taxing and rewarding work at home, Bynum
wanted a change of pace. He decided to contact a recruiter
and continue his family's legacy in the United States Marine
Corps.
“My dad and my granddad both served,” Bynum
said. “I grew up seeing pictures of them in their dress
blues, and hearing their stories. I decided I wanted to get
up and get my own [stories].”
He describes himself as
someone who enjoys standing out and being different. During
his free time outside of work, he practices deep-sea
fishing, hunting and hiking.
“That's definitely one
of the reasons why I chose to become an infantryman,” Bynum
said. “I love camping. I don't mind staying out in the field
for one or two weeks at a time.”
Bynum reported to
Parris Island on Sept. 15, 2014. Since then, he's graduated
from boot camp and the School of Infantry, and has become
proficient with a wide array of weapons, such as the M249
Squad Automatic Weapon, M240 Bravo medium-machine gun, and
M67 fragmentation hand grenades. As an infantryman, and a
SAW gunner with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine
Regiment, Bynum practices his trade daily, through exercises
supporting urban environment training, clearing buildings,
maneuver under fire, and combat hunter skills.
Among
the many challenges and new adventures he'd overcome in such
a short amount of time during his career in the Marine
Corps, Private First Class Hunter Bynum was faced with a
unique opportunity.
More than 200 Marines from 1/6
traveled to Norfolk, Va., to board the USS Kearsarge, April
9-13, in support of Combined/Joint Operational Access
Exercise (C/JOAX) 15.1. Bynum stood ready for this new
amphibious experience.
“I don't really mind being on
ship,” said Bynum. “This is my first time ever being on one.
It's a good change of scenery, and it's a great experience.”
Bynum was open-minded about being aboard ship, although
the sleeping quarters were cramped and the lines for chow
were long. His non-commissioned officers stayed busy giving
professional military education (PME) to their junior
Marines, as well as leading exercises in the mornings and
preparing them for the beach assaults they would be
conducting via Amphibious Assault Vehicles and CH-53E Super
Stallion helicopters just a few days later.
“We are
always training to be ready,” Bynum said. “I love being in
the Marine Corps. I get to handle all kinds of weapons
systems, and I love being able to travel like this.”
His battalion is gearing up for deployment in 2016 as part
of a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Bynum is confident that with
each new obstacle he faces, he will only be more ready for
upcoming challenges.
“I'm ready for it,” Bynum said.
“As infantrymen, we train to address the enemy head-on.
Throughout our training, and tackling every situation that
we usually wouldn't encounter, we will be better prepared
for whatever will be thrown at us.”
Article and photo by U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Kaitlyn Klein
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
The U.S. Marines
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