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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 19, 2016 — A star athlete found success on the
field and the basketball court, but he joined the Marine Corps to
find success in life.
“I just realized I wanted to do
something bigger for myself,” said Pfc. John R. Porchivina, Kilo
Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion here. “I was just sitting
around doing nothing. I could go to school and play football, but
how is that benefiting anybody else but me?”
The 20 year old
grew up in Novato, California, with a loving and supportive family
that included his mother, father, brother and sister. He played
football, baseball and basketball, but decided to commit most of his
time to football, his favorite sport. He played in the Pop Warner
league and at Casa Grande High School.
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August 25, 2016 - Private First Class John R. Porchivina, Kilo
Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, stands outside his squad
bay at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Porchivina served as
his platoon's guide during recruit training. Following recruit
training, Porchivina will report to the School of Infantry at Camp
Pendleton, California to become an infantryman. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Anthony Leite)
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“Football was what I excelled in,” Porchivina said.
“It was pretty much my entire life. When I was a kid, I
realized I wanted to play football in college and later join
the Marine Corps.” After graduating, he attended the
University of California Berkley on a football scholarship.
Hand Injury
He
intended to transfer to San Jose State University after
playing at Berkley, he said, but shortly after he arrived
there, he suffered an injury at football practice that
changed his path completely. “I broke my hand the weekend
before the season started,” he said. “I was put on the bench
the entire season.”
As he
watched his teammates play, Porchivina said, all he could do
was sit and wait to recover as he continued to take classes.
Joining the Marine Corps was something that had been on
his mind since childhood, and when he was 19 years old and
sitting on the couch watching attacks and terrorism on the
news, he knew it was the time to join before it was too
late, he said.
“I wanted to go fight for my country,”
he added. “I was watching the news a lot and saw what was
going on with [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant],
and that's what got me thinking.”
Family Support
His
brother was the first person he approached with the idea to
enlist. “We kind of had a heart-to-heart,”
Porchivina said. “That's when I realized now was the time to
join and hopefully make a difference in this world and this
country.” His father, who previously had served with the
Marine Corps, also was supportive, and so was his mother, he
said.
Porchivina went to the recruiting station and
about a month later departed for Marine Corps Recruit Depot
San Diego to take the challenge to become a United States
Marine. He served as the guide for his platoon, and during
phase one of training, his platoon felt discombobulated
while trying to adapt to a new lifestyle, Porchivina said.
Toward the end of phase two, he continued, he had gained
enough confidence to lead his platoon. Phase three of
training was the toughest for him, he added, as it required
more leadership from him.
“The lifestyle has been
different, and was a culture shock,” he said. “Instead of
being the best football player, I have to be the guide and
lead from the front and be a good example.”
While
most recruits find their training difficult, Porchivina said
he found motivation by striving to be better than his
father. “I've always wanted to outdo my father,” he said
with a smile on his face. “He was never the guide, so I
wanted to be guide. He shot expert, so I had to shoot
expert.”
Porchivina said he is expecting his parents,
siblings and extended family to attend his graduation.
Following recruit training, Porchivina will report to the
School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, California, to become
an infantryman.
By U.S. Marine Corps Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Anthony Leite
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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