MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- The 20-year mark is a destination for many Marines, they seek to reach that plateau and retire. For some Marines, the last couple of years may be the golden opportunity to relax and reflect on a career that lay behind them.
For Gunnery Sgt. Solomon J. Reed, lead series gunnery sergeant, Mike Co., 3rd RTBn., the challenge to stay active was never more prevalent in his mind. He still had goals to accomplish, things that he had wanted to see ever since he was a corporal.
So, after 17 years of serving his country and at the age of 35, Reed saw what was his last chance to reach for that dream and enrolled in drill instructor school.
"It was something that I always wanted to do before I retired," said Reed, who is also a grandfather of three.
The opportunities had been few and far between for him to go to Drill Instructor School and when the time came he jumped at it. Much to his surprise, he was successful in an endeavor that seemed mad to some of the people whom were in the school with him.
"When I got there everybody thought I was crazy," he said. "[People would say,] 'You have 18 years in, why would you want to do this.' Usually, gunnies with 18 years in try to coast and ride a retirement out, but they realized that I was not going to let anybody take away my dreams, and I was going to do this. I tried to show them that if I can make it, and I'm the oldest one in here, then you should be able to make it. I think that is why I got the leadership award coming out [of drill instructor school.]"
Anyone of his age and experience that still has the desire to come here and take the challenge at drill instructor school and then work his way up through the ranks, that kind of character is highly commendable, said Capt. Walt Messick, lead series commander, Mike Co., 3rd RTBn.
"I think it was more mental because [I was] 18 years in and set in my ways," said Reed. "I'm used to giving orders vice receiving orders. I have got another gunnery sergeant in my face yelling at me, he only has 12 years in and I'm getting ready to retire. So for me the mental part was the hardest, and once I got over that, it was no problem at all because it was all professional."
It just shows the type of person that he is and the type of Marine that he is, added Messick.
Displaying the character that was driving him to accomplish his goals, Reed said he felt a sense of redemption in accomplishing something that he had always wanted to do.
He also attributed much of his success to his family.
"Family support has been outstanding," said Reed. "I mean just from my family, my wife and my dad, he's retired Navy. He came out for my graduation because he knows that it was something that I always wanted to do. So it was always there...that support."
There was always tremendous support from the family, said Solomon Reed, father and retired command master chief petty officer.
"It was such a difficult task for him, but he was so enthusiastic that we supported him unconditionally," said the senior Solomon, who also has two daughters that went into the Navy as commissioned officers, one daughter who went into the National Guard and one son who is currently in the Army. "It was like his brass ring that was coming around one last time."
He was always so gung ho and he was always so committed, that once the opportunity came, he jumped right on it, he exclaimed.
"He didn't lose sight of what he wanted to accomplish, said Solomon. "I have a special [place in my heart] toward him because it mirrored my own career in many ways."
The Navy was his life in much the same way as the Marine Corps is for his son, said Solomon. Where it felt like reaching command master chief was a pinnacle in his career, in that same way, reaching the drill field was a pinnacle for his son.
With his placement on the drill field, he has had more of an opportunity then ever to mentor and have a larger impact on the Marine Corps than he ever had in the fleet or throughout his career.
First of all, making recruits into Marines has always been ultimately rewarding, said Reed. The recruit's parents often wonder, "how could you do that in three months and we couldn't do it in 18 years," when they see their Marine walking across the parade deck.
"I think one of the things that stands out to me, as far as the drill field is concerned, is having Marines who were your former recruits still contacting you via e-mail," said Reed. "I have a couple [of former recruits] that are stationed at the Air Station and still come by."
Even though the age barrier was there for Reed going into drill instructor school, he has been a success at achieving his dreams. From this day until the day he leaves the Marine corps, he will be able to carry on with the tradition of mentoring and guiding both Marines and recruits, by leading through example during the challenge of recruit training.