Molly Marine PFC V.D.Odell

Molly Marine

Platoon 4015

Private First Class Odell

PFC Victoria D. Odell
PFC Victoria D. Odell

United States Marine is a title that is “earned, never given.” The journey to earn this honorable title all begins with the first steps on the yellow footprints. It is not a path that many people choose, but those who do, find themselves pushed past their limits physically and mentally. Inspiration, dedication, and motivation are three of the characteristics one must possess to be successful throughout Marine Corps recruit training. A Molly Marine does not always have to be the strongest or the fastest of those around her but she develops these qualities and is able to apply them in everything she does.

A Molly Marine is a leader of her peers. She understands the importance of when to lead, yet knows when it is the right time to follow. She inspires those around her not only by her actions, but also through her words. When they feel as if they can’t go another inch, she helps push them past their limits. When a recruit feels like quitting, a Molly Marine keeps them going and inspires them to strive for their best and never give up.

Dedication is a quality I feel all Marines should have. A Molly Marine is always there to ensure her fellow sisters are taken care of before herself. She is dedicated to the mission accomplishment of her platoon as a whole. Not only is she willing to put her fellow recruits before herself, but she is willing to help others for nothing in return. She is selfless in everything she does.

In recruit training it is inevitable for a recruit to struggle with something, but a Molly Marine gives that extra motivation needed to get her sisters through another day. When things begin to get tough, which occurs often during recruit training, she is able to find something positive in every situation. When her sisters begin to doubt their capabilities and forget why they came, a Molly Marine is there to motivate them to not give up on themselves and to remind them of the bigger picture. She consistently sets the example for her sisters as a means for them to want to strive to do and be the best that they can.

Although a Molly Marine possesses a lot of good qualities, she is not perfect. She, like everyone else, makes mistakes. But instead of letting them bring her down she is resilient and uses those experiences as motivation to do better. Through her experiences she is able to push her sisters in the right direction which results in a stronger, tight-knit platoon and inevitably aids in mission accomplishment.

My experience through recruit training has been a very unique one. As the honor graduate of my first platoon, I thought I made it. On training day sixty three I let myself lose sight of the values that had been instilled in me since I arrived. I let anger and frustration take over, and because of my actions, I was sent back in training to forming day two. My motivation faltered. The opportunity to give up and go home presented itself, but I knew that is not why I came here. I chose to stay and try to make a difference. I wanted to show recruits in my new platoon that they could do it and that resiliency is key in recruit training. Instead of giving up on my goal, I strived to be an inspiration to help them through their tough times. At points, I could see them struggling and on the verge of giving up. As someone who had been through that, I tried to be the “big sister” they could always come to.

To have been through so much here and to remain motivated has been very difficult, but I am honored and humbled that my fellow recruits saw me as their motivation to keep pushing forward. I am grateful to have joined this platoon, because in the twelve weeks since I was dropped, I gained fifty six new sisters. They will forever be my family. I believe they will make the best Marines and I am proud to say I will be fighting side by side with some them in the future.