Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C./ ERR -- Corporal Ryan Hanes, military dog handler with the Depot Provost Marshal?s Office, has done it again. At the completion of Corporal?s Course at MCAS Beaufort, he was awarded the ?Motivator Award? by his peers. The students subjectively choose the award for the Marine who most motivates his classmates with no input from the instructors. Hanes received 23 of 28 votes.
?This award meant more to me than any of the other awards,? said Hanes. ?If I helped one person, that means a lot.?
Hanes received the award for many reasons including his willingness to help his fellow corporals with uniforms and military knowledge, subjects he has become familiar with during his brief time in the Marine Corps.
Although Hanes has only been in the Marines for two years, he is no stranger to awards or special recognition boards. While at Military Police School in Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., Hanes received the Iron Marine award for achieving the highest PFT score. He was then selected to attend the prestigious military working dog handler?s school at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he received a Certificate of Commendation and designation as Top Dog Handler for taking a ?green dog,? a dog who is completely untrained, and training it to be a Marine working dog.
His selection to attend the handler?s course was his first of 12 consecutive board victories. Hanes is yet to stand before a selection board that he did not win.
?I don?t know how I win all the time,? he said. ?I guess I?m a lucky person. I?m no better than anyone else. I just do my job.?
The H&SBn. Marine of the Year selection board disagrees. Immediately after taking Marine of the Quarter, Hanes won Battalion Marine of the Year. Following his success with battalion boards, he earned promotion by winning the Meritorious Corporal board.
With all his success, Hanes takes his lofty accomplishments in stride.
?Selfishness will get you nowhere,? he said. ?If I can help people out, that?s enough reward for me.?
Helping seems to come easily for Hanes. Finishing 6th out of 28 Marines in his class at Corporal?s Course, he still found the time to help his classmates excel. He personally helped the top three finishers in his class prepare for inspections and testing.
Corporal?s Course was a nice switch from the every day routine, according to Hanes.
?Sometimes you can get out of Marine standards in your work section,? he said.
?Corporal?s Course puts you back in focus with what the Marine Corps expects of you.?
Hanes has been a dog lover all his life. The opportunity to work with military dogs is one he doesn?t take lightly.
?I have a great job,? he said. ?All these dogs would die for you in a heartbeat. You give a command and they?ll rush the hill.?
A career in dog handling is certain for Hanes while a career in the Marines is one that may facilitate other opportunities.
?Marines typically only work with dogs until they become sergeants or staff sergeants before they?re pulled to fill other billets and perform other tasks,? said Hanes. ?If I can train dogs until I?m 100 years old I will.?