MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- An event that may be history setting took place at the Depot's Peatross parade deck Aug. 19.
For what may have been the first time ever, a new Marine walked across the parade deck as a third generation female Marine.
Private First Class Rebbecah Robles, 19, secured her position in her family's history and what very well may be Marine Corps history as she followed in the footsteps of her grandmother and mother before her in becoming a United States Marine.
Shortly after June 12, 1948, Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act and made women a permanent part of the regular Marine Corps and shortly after that Rebbecah's grandmother enlisted in the Marine Corps.
Marlana Robles, Rebbecah's mother followed her own mother's example by enlisting and eventually retired as a master sergeant.
Throughout their time as Marines both women served aboard Parris Island. Marlana on more than one occasion, as a drill instructor and in disbursing where her mother before her also worked.
"I had heard it a lot," Pfc. Robles said. "My mom talked about it...I thought it was cool. When I would go from place to place [in recruit training] I would think to myself, wow, my mom was here and my grandma was here and it was really neat to think about it like that."
The thought provided her with a little motivation as she went from place to place, seeing more clearly than most, the history that comes along with Parris Island and the Marine Corps.
In fact, her entire family has been deeply entrenched in the life of a Marine as 10 family members have or are currently serving to include her father and uncle who are both active duty Marines.
The family spoke with the Women Marine Association about the possibility of Pfc. Robles being the first, third generation female Marine in the Marine Corps and found that there was no one to discredit this thought yet.
There are plenty of mothers and daughters and grandmothers and granddaughters, but no positive response to a trifecta so to speak, said Marlana, beaming.
On the subject of the precedent that could be set by his daughter going to recruit training and becoming the first, third generation female Marine, Master Gunnery Sgt. Rene Robles, a career recruiter at Recruiting Substation, Phoenix, said the thought had not occurred to him.
"It wasn't what came to my mind, it was just [the thought of] her having the desire to become a Marine," he said.
Working with the future recruits on a regular basis, the career recruiter explained that he thought only of motivating his daughter to succeed in her endeavor.
"I'm sure I was hoping that one of them would go," he said, about his siblings. "To tell you the truth I didn't think that Rebbecah would, because she was going so strong and getting good grades in pursuit of college and education."
Though he may have been surprised by her decision, Rene showed enormous pride as he spoke about his daughter.
Now that she has completed recruit training and begining to complete her obligations as a 92-day Reservist, Pfc. Robles has a long and tough road to follow as she upholds the standards set by her family. Even though she faces that tough challenge, she now has insight and a bit more understanding when spending time with her family.
Rebbecah had spoken with the other recruits about conversational military jargon in the squad bay and how it can make some non-military people feel a little out of the loop. They asked her about it when she got back after spending time with her family, "were you in."
"Yesterday, on family day we were sitting there and we were all talking and it was just neat to be a part of it," said Pfc. Robles. "I could understand their stories and they could understand mine. I was in."