MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, Calif. --
It
is undeniable that the billet of team leader requires a high degree of
responsibility and decision making skills, earning this billet as a lance
corporal, Cpl. Dustin B. Moore has diligently given his unwavering resolution
to catapult himself to the next level, he is a leader who is prepared to
fulfill the responsibilities of his role and then some.
“I have worked my way from private to corporal of
Marines,” said Moore. “What I’ve learned, growing through every rank, is that
you need to act two ranks above your own. You must believe you are, and take
the initiative to make it happen.”
Having recently reenlisted, Moore is currently in
the midst of cold weather training in the Sierra Mountains, and is slated to
deploy with a Marine Expeditionary Unit later this year. He reminisced on the
first interaction he had with the Marine Corps at his high school more than
five years ago.
“My freshman year, I was in the lunch room doing
extra push-ups as a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, and a Marine
Corps recruiter happened to be visiting the school that day,” explained Moore.
“He saw me, took my name down and said he would call me in three years. He
never got the chance to do that though because I called him first.”
Moore enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2012 and has
since been a part of numerous training exercises, including local field
operations, multiple machine gun ranges and mixed climate training.
“The Marines are a forward deploying force that need
to be able to go anywhere in the world at any moment and I want to know
everything there is to know about anything that can aid in my combat
readiness,” explained Moore.
Moore attributes his earnest dedication to personal
and professional development to being raised by his single father who preached about
self-improvement. Along with his father’s advice, Moore has given credit to the
positively influential noncommissioned officers he has been led by, including
Sgt. Aaron Burke, section leader for 1st platoon, B Battery and mentor to
Moore.
“I have worked with him since the day he stepped
into the battalion,” said Burke. “I’ve witnessed him go from a regular driver,
to an A gunner, to a team leader and now looking to be a section leader in the
near future.”
According to Burke, Moore was assigned a team leader
billet as a lance corporal as a result of his hard work and demonstrated
leadership abilities. Team leaders are normally a sergeant’s billet.
Burke recalls a defining moment, early in Moore’s
career that instantly set him apart from the other junior Marines.
“The battalion went out to Weapons and Tactics
Instructor Training one year while he was still a driver and one of our team
leaders got hurt,” said Burke. “The leadership got together and said ‘Hey let’s
see what this Moore kid is made out of.’ Moore completed the mission
phenomenally and we have never entertained the thought of putting him in a
lesser position ever since.”
Moore leads from the front and never thinks he is
too good to do any task, explained Burke. He guides and assists fellow Marines
and always keeps an open mind.
“I show the junior Marines that it is okay to make
mistakes,” said Moore. “As long as my Marines take initiative and learn from mistakes,
that is really what counts. I want them to know that nothing is going to get
handed to them so they need to go and earn experience.”
2nd LAAD Bn.’s primary mission is anti-air warfare,
also specializing in ground base security. They partake in field operations in
all climates, including the treacherous terrain and cold weather at the U.S.
Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.