When only a young girl growing up in Mid-Missouri, Carrie McIlwain was often awestruck when her father, who had served as a U.S. Marine in the Vietnam War, wore his dress uniform with great pride to participate in firing details with the local Marine Corps League. Years later, this early impression solidified her own determination to someday follow in his footsteps.
Graduating from Jefferson City High School in 1999, McIlwain initially attended college but soon shifted direction after visiting with a Marine Corps recruiter. In March 2000, she enlisted and was soon on her way to the East Coast to embark upon her own military adventure.
"I was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina for 13 weeks of basic recruit training (boot camp)," McIlwain said. "At the time, the training was segregated, and although it was all women in my platoon, we did the same training as the male recruits."
The young Marine was then sent to Camp Geiger, North Carolina, completing nearly four weeks of Marine Combat Training, which, although still segregated, introduced her to various combat maneuvers and skills. From there, she was transferred to nearby Camp Johnson for her military occupational specialty training as an administrative specialist.
"That specific training lasted about two months, if I recall correctly, and consisted of data entry and learning their computer system," she said. "Most of the specific types of administrative support we were to provide was taught to us through hands-on training once we arrived at our units," she added.
Following completion of her initial slate of training, McIlwain transferred to her first duty station on the West Coast when assigned to the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton in California in January 2001. She provided administrative support to the school that included issues related to pay, promotions, transfers and updating the individual service records of Marines in training.
"While I was stationed there, 9/11 happened, and after that, we became quite busy processing paperwork for Marines in training who were going to be sent off for various deployments," she explained. "Also, every six months or so, we were rotated onto a schedule for funeral details and would support the funerals of active-duty and retired Marines."
In 2004, she re-enlisted and was transferred to a reserve unit - 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, Charlie Company in Lynchburg, Virginia. McIlwain explained she was one of eight active-duty Marines who were assigned to the Marine Corps Reserve unit to assist in maintaining readiness levels.
"The company was in a building within a fenced-in compound right in the middle of the city. On one side of the building was us while the Army had the other side of the facility. At one time," she added, "there were 160 Marines in the company and I was the only female there."
Although she possessed both the passion and willingness, women Marines at that time were not allowed in combat. However, McIlwain recalls she often enjoyed being able to participate in the company's training exercises at such Virginia military sites as Quantico, Fort AP Hill and Fort Pickett.
Similar to her many responsibilities at Camp Pendleton, McIlwain assisted the company in preparing for two separate overseas deployments. Additionally, she remarked, while in Virginia, she again helped perform funeral details, a task that included the burials of five of the company's Marines who were killed in action in Iraq.
"When the end of my second enlistment approached, I started to experience some medical concerns that caused me to be intermittently ill, which really made it all the more difficult to continue with the physically demanding aspects serving in the Marine Corps," she said. "I made the decision to leave the service and received my discharge in March 2008 after having made the rank of sergeant."
Returning to Missouri, her medical condition was diagnosed, and she eventually had her gall bladder removed, returning to the healthy condition she had previously enjoyed. Due to the illness, she wanted to help others remain healthy and completed her license as a massage therapist and certification as a personal trainer. She went on to work several years at Anytime Fitness and Riversong Spa in Jefferson City.
More recently, she and her boyfriend have moved to New Jersey, where she continues her employment as a massage therapist and enjoys running and spending time outdoors with her two boisterous German shepherds.
Discussing her service with the U.S. Marine Corps, McIlwain remarked it was inspiring characteristics demonstrated by her father that became the greatest influence in her own resolve to enlist. Furthermore, she added, it has led to experiences that forged a strong bond between all Marines.
"I was certainly following my dad's example because I always wanted to have that pride and confidence that he had," McIlwain said. "It was important for me to be able to serve my country, and doing the funeral details, I learned that freedom is never free since there are many who had to pay the ultimate price."
She added, "My time in the Marine Corps also revealed that family is very important because you often miss events such as Christmas and birthdays. Those absences taught me that you should treasure that time with your family and always be there in the moment.
"I never thought I could have that much pride, and it all started when I stood on a pair of yellow footprints when I got to boot camp at Parris Island on June 26, 2000."
Jeremy P. Amick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America.