MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- In 1993, Recruit Bryan A. Kilman, Platoon 3203, Company I, 3 rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, went with his grandparents to a Marine drill instructors’ reunion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. His grandfather was a drill instructor for many years. Every Marine had stories to tell about the Corps. It was here, that Kilman was allowed to shoot a rifle on the range for the first time at age 17. Becoming a U.S. Marine has been in the back of his mind ever since.
Kilman, an Alton, Ill., native, graduated from high school in 1999 and started working for a local car wash. This turned into a nine-year career where he became the general manager of five locations.
Kilman eventually decided to change careers and enroll in a technical college to pursue a degree in information technology. He received his associate degree and found a job as an intern doing tech support for the county of St. Louis.
The job did not last long because the company was slow to hire full-time employees, Kilman said, so he decided to return to the car wash industry where he managed two locations.
According to Kilman, deciding to become a Marine was a difficult decision. He was 28 when he wanted to enlist. At the time, he felt the rigors of recruit training would wear him down more than younger recruits.
His boss pressured him to stay at his job by offering a large raise and many Recruit Quintanilla/2-2-2 benefits that would have helped Kilman to excel, but he turned it down because he was set on enlisting and was ready for a change.
When Kilman arrived at recruit training, his maturity was noticed right away by the drill instructors, so he was appointed a squad leader. Yet, being squad leader inherited some challenges.
“He was very good at understanding what needed to be done, but had trouble knowing how to get it done,” said Sgt. Brandon K. Dodson, drill instructor, Platoon 3203, Co. I.
Kilman found that it was not the physical aspect of boot camp that was giving him the most trouble. Breaking old habits that he once believed to be common courtesies, such as looking at a person while speaking to them, was harder.
Kilman was replaced as squad leader when he struggled with drill. It was then he realized that he needed to use his maturity to help lead the platoon. Not long after, he was returned to his squad leader position, said Dodson.
Kilman enlisted for a change, and is now on his way to becoming a cryptologic linguist for the Marine Corps. In this job field he will search for, monitor, record, translate, and report designated foreign voice transmissions.
“Kilman will be a great asset to the Marine Corps,” Dodson said. He has a very important military occupational specialty that will help troops overseas, he said. “I either do it now, or don’t get the chance,” said Kilman. “I have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.”