Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- Some say leaders are born. Those in the Corps know they are forged through adversity, chaos and the underlining willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of others.
Private First Class Angel S. Ortiz, Platoon 2121, Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, took on the difficult task of squad leader throughout recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and experienced firsthand the sacrifices many before him had to make.
Ortiz was born in Upland, Calif., and raised in San Bernardino, Calif., where he lived with his mother and older brother. He and his brother enjoyed playing baseball as children and it became an activity they bonded over. Ortiz continued playing during high school and when he became the co-captain of the team, he started developing his leadership skills.
His Marine Corps journey began one day during his senior year of high school when a recruiter came to his school and talked to him about his interest in joining the Corps.
“My friend, who was two years older, joined the Corps and was doing well, so I wanted to see what the Marine Corps had to offer me,” said 18-year-old Ortiz. “I filled out the form, which led to the next step and further down the process. I learned more about what the Marine Corps had done for other people and thought it was great and something that I wanted to try out.”
Ortiz decided to enlist in the Marine Corps and was ready to take the next step in his life.
“I didn’t have the greatest job after high school and didn’t have money for college, so I thought it was a great way to help get me to where I wanted to be,” said Ortiz, who was recruited out of Recruiting Station Los Angeles. “My mom was working a lot of hours to support us, so I didn’t want her to have that burden anymore either.”
As he sat on the bus and waited to get off and step onto the yellow footprints, Ortiz had one last moment to prepare himself for the long road ahead.
Ortiz remembers thinking to himself, ‘all right, here we go; this is it; there’s no turning back now.’
“I’ve been determined my whole life,” said Ortiz. “Once I commit to something, there is no stopping me.”
In his platoon, Ortiz asserted himself and stood out from the rest of the recruits. His drill instructors took notice and selected him to be one of their squad leaders. Quickly, Ortiz was accomplishing what he set out to do.
“I wanted to come in and be a leader,” said Ortiz. “At my recruiting substation, they told us about being a squad leader and a guide, and how they were the most difficult positions. They said ‘if you don’t accept any challenges higher than general population, then why be in a program that trains leaders?’”
Ortiz stated that being the squad leader was like being a co-captain for his baseball team, because the guide is the captain and his co-captains are his squad leaders. He came in wanting to have the most responsibility he could, and squad leader was one of the positions that fit him well.
Ortiz had the difficult task of not only trying to learn and navigate his way through the chaos of recruit training but he also had the difficult task of leading others through it as well.
"I was overwhelmed at first,” said Ortiz. “None of us are used to this environment of constantly being yelled at because of the mistakes or corrections that first phase recruits make.”
Ortiz recalled struggling in the beginning with how many recruits he was in charge of.
“Having to be the leader of the squad was difficult because you’re not used to being in charge of so many people,” said Ortiz. “I have 18 recruits including myself, so being in charge of 17 others was pretty difficult with trying to make sure their mission was accomplished while at the same time trying to accomplish my own. Their mission being accomplished is my mission being accomplished. Being on a baseball team, you’re in charge of the other eight starters on the field, but in here, there are no bench players. You have to pay great attention to detail, which is what will end up catching you off guard. One slip up can mess up the entire platoon, even though it was just from one squad.”
Surviving the gauntlet of the first phase of training, Ortiz and his squad made their way up to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., for the next obstacles of training.
“Being up north at Camp Pendleton during the second phase got easier, yet harder at the same time,” said Ortiz. “It was easier because I got used to the squad, and they got used to me. We also had started to bond as a platoon as well, so it became easier to communicate. My squad listened well and paid attention to detail, so it made things easier for me. They knew what they had to do.”
Second phase focuses on rifle and field training, something most recruits didn’t have any experience with, including all of the gear they would need and utilize along the way.
“It was difficult because you’re not used to the new surroundings and had to re-adjust,” said Ortiz. “For the hikes, we weren’t used to having so much gear accountability, so I had to make sure each recruit had all their items and knew what they needed. I had to go through all the packs and make sure each was prepared for the next day every night. Doing all of this took away time for me to make sure I had all of my gear accounted for and ready for the hikes.”
Coming back down to MCRD San Diego as rifle qualified and with basic field training, Ortiz and his squad could start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Ortiz, however, made sure his squad was ready for the challenges that laid ahead of them.
“The one thing I wanted to focus on for my squad was for us to not get complacent,” said Ortiz. “Everybody in the Marine Corps says it, but complacency kills. It will get you injured and possibly dropped.”
Ortiz had his mind set on preparing and overcoming the final recruit training challenge, the Crucible.
“If you fail to prepare then you’re preparing to fail,” said Ortiz. “My baseball coach told us that, and I’ve tried to live my life utilizing it. I keep making sure they’re prepared. The Crucible will be our biggest challenge. It’s the last obstacle in our way of becoming a Marine.”
Ortiz reflected on what made him a successful squad leader and gave advice as to what others should try to emulate.
“Have a positive mental attitude, don’t be complacent, practice your drill, know your squad and maintain your squad before you maintain yourself,” said Ortiz. “The squad comes first. If you only have one (Meal-Ready-to-Eat) and one person in your squad doesn’t have one, then you’re going to give yours up for him. That’s what being a leader is.”
Early in recruit training, drill instructors look for those eager to lead, and along the way, push their boundaries to try and mold and prepare them for the difficult task of leading Marines.
“My first impression was that he was going to be a good recruit,” said Gunnery Sgt. Bruno M. Nascimento, senior drill instructor, Plt. 2121. “As the training progressed, he stayed hard on the other recruits, but also took the time to get to know them personally. He was one of the recruits that I relied on and leaned on to assist with getting the task and missions accomplished within the platoon.”
Even though he is a recruit, Nascimento saw qualities in Ortiz that mimicked those of seasoned Marine Corps leaders.
“Despite us being in a recruit training environment, he still managed to be able to conduct himself in a professional manner and I would take him as one of my Marines right now in the Fleet Marine Force as is,” said Nascimento. “Unaltered, right now, I would put him in my platoon in the fleet, and I would have all the faith in him that he’d be able to help task all the other Marines.”
Ortiz charged into the Crucible, leading the way for his squad, earning the title Marine. He will continue his training at Camp Pendleton in the School of Infantry and then on to his military occupational specialty, though he is currently open contract.
“If you know how to lead you’ve got a slight advantage, but being in a leadership position in the Marine Corps is difficult, no matter what,” said Ortiz. “You have to care about your troop welfare.”