Keizertimes., May 14, 2021, Page 19, Image 19

McNary alum fi nds new role among
the U.S. Marine Corps faithful
MAY 14, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A19
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
It can be diffi cult for many teenagers to
fi gure out what they want to do after high
school. But after graduating from McNary
High School in 2017, Noah Kileenackerman
had a plan for the path he wanted to even-
tually take.
With his grandpa being a World War II
veteran and his dad a former member of
the Naval Academy, Kileenackerman knew
from a young age that he wanted to be in
the military.
“I have always wanted to be in the mili-
tary. I really looked up to my grandpa when
I was growing up, so after high school,
joining the military was the fi rst place I
looked,” Kileenackerman said.
In February, Kileenackerman fi nished
the Marine Corps 12-week boot camp pro-
gram and is currently in Marine Special
Operations School (MARSOC) — the
Marine Special Operations School trains
and educates personnel “in order to meet
MARSOC’s requirement to provide capa-
ble personnel to conduct special opera-
tions,” according to the school’s website.
“It is defi nitely a relief to be done with
(boot camp),” Kileenackerman said. “It was
a diffi cult three months.”
Marine boot camp is considered to be
tougher than the basic training programs
of any of the other military academies.
Kileenackerman was sent to San Diego,
Calif. to go through the physical and men-
tal rigors of boot camp and form the core
values of being a Marine — honor, courage
and commitment.
“There is a lot of
team-building activities
and learning how to follow
orders,” Kileenackerman
said. “Everyone needed to
work together on every-
thing we did.”
Marine boot camp is
divided into three phases.
In the opening phase,
recruits are educated on
core values, history, cus-
toms and courtesies and
leadership
principles.
Recruits will go through
marksmanship training
and qualifi cation, as well
as martial arts training
and swim qualifi cation
in phase two. Phase three
consists of fi nal drill,
knowledge and physical
fi tness tests as well as an
event called ‘The Crucible’
— a survival exercise that
takes place over the course
NOAK KILEENACKERMAN
of three days.
For Kileenackerman,
the most diffi cult aspect of boot camp be,” Kileenackerman said.
After he completed boot camp,
wasn’t the early hours or the many physical
challenges he had to endure as a recruit, Kileenackerman was enlisted in Marine
it was that for three months, he had abso- Combat Training (MCT) — a 29-day course
where entry-level non-infantry Marines
lutely no personal time.
“The hardest part for me was waking up are taught the common skills needed for
and not being able to do my own thing. We combat.
From there, Kileenackerman was
constantly had a place where we needed to
Speed Bump By DAVE COVERLY
Feel -Good
STORY
Saluting the people that make
us proud of our community
presented by
sent to Pensacola, Fla. and enrolled into
MARSOC, where he is learning more
about cyber intelligence security.
“I have always been interested
in technology and computer stuff ,”
Kileenackerman said.
Kileenackerman will likely be in
MARSOC for nine months before taking
a lower-level position within the Marine
Corps. But when Kileenackerman begins
his paid position, it will be more than a job
to him, it will be a continuation of his fam-
ily’s legacy.
“It sounds super cheesy but it’s an
honor to serve. I feel like I am honoring my
family legacy,” Kileenackerman said.
Top of
his class
McNary High School alum Brock
Wyer recently graduated from the
U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Program
in Goose Creek, SC. Wyer graduated
at the top of his class and will be
stationed in Bangor, Wash.
Brock and wife Ivy (pictured left).