Veteran for Life:
Bobby Rushing

U.S. Marine Corps
1986-1991
Combat Engineer

When it gets tough, you just have to push through and keep going.

I began my military career in December 1986 as I left for Marine Corps boot camp. I would not forget this experience. In high school, I had been in Marine Corps ROTC, so I had some ideas of what it would be like. Even with the knowledge and experience I had in ROTC, it still was different. When it gets tough, you just have to push through and keep on going.

After boot camp, I spent time in Okinawa, Japan. While in Okinawa, I went to South Korea twice on deployment. We built temporary flight lines for helicopters. Camp Pendleton Bridging Platoon was my next duty station. While at Camp Pendleton, I was moved to Charlie Company and also worked as a supervisor in the base brig.

Once reassigned to Charlie Company, we all flew on commercial jets to be a part of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. We arrived there in the first part of August and did not leave until about May or June. We flew into Saudi Arabia with rifles locked and loaded. We cleared the minefields when we went into Kuwait.

My stay in the Marines was extended for six months; then, when we got back, they rushed us out.