Tarleton’s Shanna Moody attends Marine Corps workshop

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STEPHENVILLE (June 30, 2015) — Shanna Moody, assistant director for fitness and wellness at Tarleton State University’s Recreational Sports Center, recently participated in the 2015 Western Recruiting Region Key Leader and Educators Workshop hosted by the U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC).

Held June 22-26 in Quantico, Va., the workshop provided Moody and 43 others an opportunity to see what it takes to become a Marine officer. The five-day workshop highlights the education and training men and women undergo to become capable of leading Marines in combat.

Moody participated in events such as the Leadership Reaction Course and took a ride in an MV-22 Osprey Tiltrotor Aircraft with an Marine Helicopter Squadron One. She also attended briefs at Officer Candidate School (OCS) and The Basic School (TBS). The attendees said they learned that they key to success in being a Marine officer is having the initiative to rise above challenges and lead.

“I’ve really been blown away this week. It has been a fantastic experience,” said Moody. “Witnessing firsthand the intense training, dedication, leadership and sacrifice that goes into training our Marine Corps officers in their effort to serve and protect our country’s rights and freedoms as well as those around the globe evoked a strong sense of pride and gratitude.”

Moody said the No. 1 thing she took away from the workshop is how much Marine officers stress the importance of portraying leadership principles at all times, giving her a better understanding of how university students can transition into Marine Corps life.

From top: Educators visited the Marine Corps War Memorial at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery dedicated to all personnel of the USMC who have died in defense of the United States. Shanna Moody participates in the Marine Corps Martial Arts program at the Martial Arts Center for Excellence under the direction of Lt. Col. Shusko. In a visit to HMX-1, attendees were given a ride on a V-22 Osprey and learned more about the Marine's aviation unit from Presidential Helicopter Squadron pilots. — From top: Educators visited the Marine Corps War Memorial at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery dedicated to all personnel of the USMC who have died in defense of the United States. Shanna Moody participates in the Marine Corps Martial Arts program at the Martial Arts Center for Excellence under the direction of Lt. Col. Shusko. In a visit to HMX-1, attendees were given a ride on a V-22 Osprey and learned more about the Marine’s aviation unit from Presidential Helicopter Squadron pilots.

“I hope to incorporate what I have learned from this unique experience into my professional interactions with both Tarleton personnel and students alike,” she said.

The educators spent part of a day at a live-fire range. There they observed newly commissioned lieutenants performing live-fire drills and were shown how to properly prepare and eat a Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE). Marine instructors included TBS staff and officer selections officers (OSOs.) The OSOs traveled to Quantico with the educators as their escorts to help answer questions and build lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships.

“Coming through an event like this and being able to field and answer questions from minds that haven’t had much exposure is truly eye-opening and a little bit refreshing as well,” said Marine Capt. Phillip Tate, OSO from Recruiting Station Houston.

For many of the educators, this was their first exposure to military life. Witnessing firsthand the training officer candidates and newly commissioned officers go through to develop the skills they need to be successful leaders was eye-opening for some of the educators, they said.

MCRC hosts two Key Leaders and Educators Workshops each year, one for Eastern Recruiting Region (ERR) and one for Western Recruiting Region (WRR).

Moody was nominated by Capt. Khalil C. Guest, Marine Corps OSO out of Fort Worth, to participate in the MCRC’s Western Recruiting Region Key Leader and Educators Workshop.