The vigorous training pales in comparison to the current reality for 25-year-old Demmar Williams, Jamaican-born, who was recently appointed as a marine security guard at the United States Embassy in Mbabane, Eswatini, formerly Kingdom of Swaziland, in southern Africa.

Williams, who grew up with his grandmother in Norwood, St James, joined the US Military in 2017, and has also been promoted to the rank of sergeant, and named a field artillery section chief.

“My recent appointment as marine security guard has been really great. You get to travel around the world and experience different cultures and lifestyles as well as meet different people. When I migrated in 2016, I had plans of going to college and completing my degree. My best friend from primary school was in the military, so I asked him a few questions to kind of familiarise and see if it was something I also wanted to do,” he told the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

Williams made the decision to join the marine based on a variety of factors, but one held a lot more weight.

“The biggest one was taking away the burden of having my mom worrying about paying for college, as joining the Military would cover that,” he said, noting that his mom had been living in the US.

Around grade five, Williams and his grandmother moved from Norwood to Spot Valley. There, he attended Corinaldi Avenue Primary School, until he matriculated to Calabar High School.

At that point, he had to leave St James for the Corporate Area, where he lived with his father in Ackee Walk, a volatile community located between Queensbury, Queensborough, and Valentine Gardens in St Andrew.

Williams left Calabar with eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, and went on to Herbert Morrison Technical High School, where he sat and passed eight Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) units. Afterwords, he emigrated.

“I have been in the marine six years so far. The only sacrifice there is for me, is being away from family for an extended period of time. As it stands right now, the situation will dictate my plans going forward as to whether I want to reenlist or if I’m getting out. If I do get out, then I plan on working on my bachelor’s degree in computer science and working for the Federal Government,” Williams told the Sunday Observer.

He said his biggest achievements to date were being sergeant and field artillery section chief, but he holds the latter closer to his heart.

“I get to be directly in charge of my section which can consists of anywhere around six to 10 marines. As a section chief, you’re in charge of properly training and guiding your marines whilst also verifying everything on the gun line to ensure the safety of everyone around you. My family is very proud and supportive of me. It gives me a sense of calm knowing that, as during the tough times, I can look back and remember why I did this in the first place and know that no matter what, they have my back,” he related.

Williams recalled going to basic training (boot camp) in March 2017, which lasted three days.

“Those 72 hours, we didn’t sleep, as we all had to be up collecting our gear issued for training. It was mentally draining as it was also cold and that was, in my opinion, the first taste of what was to come in the next three months before graduation. My day typically, was waking up at 4:00 am, cleaning the squad bays and making our racks then getting in formation to practice our drill movements en route to the chow hall (canteen).

“We would then come back and exercise, and then get ready to receive classes about the marine corps. We would break from classes to go grab lunch then go back to the classroom after or go exercising. Our days usually end around 5:00 pm.”

Williams said in those three months, he learned how to be discipline, that he could actually get things done in a faster manner than he had thought, and that he could count on the person to his left and right to have his back.

“Overall, it was a humbling experience and one that made me look back and appreciate the little things in life like actually having a phone to send a message or call, as that wasn’t available to us in boot camp,” he told the Sunday Observer.

After boot camp, Williams went to combat training for a month, and then to the Military Occupational Specialty School for artillery, where he learned what artillery is and how they are supposed to shoot.

After MOS school, he transitioned to the fleet, and was placed in his unit.

“In the fleet, we go to the field once per month to practice shooting and the duration could range anywhere from one week to a month. At times, it was hectic being in the field, but it really helps to polish your skills as an artilleryman, being in the field a lot,” he noted.

But before the marine corps, Williams was on a path to study information technology and become an IT specialist. He said his career path hasn’t changed much, up to this day.

“I’m currently taking classes to work towards my associates degree, then to pursue my bachelor’s degree. With being in the marine corps, I don’t have to wait until I get out to achieve this, as I can take classes online using tuition assistance which is totally free without having to use my G I Bill, and I can pass that onto my child in the future to cover his or her college tuition.”

The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G I Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans, commonly referred to as G Is. The original G I Bill expired in 1956, but the term “G I Bill” is still used to refer to programmes created to assist some of the U S military veterans.

In addition, Williams said joining the military has opened his eyes to a lot of things as it relates to life.

“I’ve learned to look more logically at things as well as taking a step back and look at things from many standpoints instead of just the one. Boot camp made me physically and mentally stronger as things I thought I couldn’t do before, I’ve learned to do with ease. Being a section chief and in charge of other marines made me not only a better person, but also a better mentor.

“I’ve also had great mentors while being in the marines that have groomed and helped me develop into the person I am today. If you asked me back then if I could’ve seen myself leading others in that way at the age of 22, my answer would’ve been no. To conclude, being a part of the military was one of the best decisions of my life as it made me stronger — physically and mentally — and made me into a better person.”