Louisiana native, U.S. Marine deploys to Australia

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ashleigh Eckert, Marine Corps community services, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, is one of 1,200 Marines supporting this year's annual rotation. A New Orleans native, Eckert provides exchange and retail services for the Marines and sailors deployed to Australia.

“I was bar-tending at the time, and I was set on joining the Army. One day, I had a Marine come in who had just gotten off of recruiting duty. He was just stopping by for a bite before going on his way, and we got to talking about joining the military. He asked why it was taking so long for me to join the Army. After explaining why, he made a bet with me that he could get me to sign with the Marine Corps in 30 days. I met with the recruiter the next day, and 30 days later, I was signing the papers. Through it, I’ve now gained more confidence in myself. I’ve gained a sense of leadership that I didn’t even know I had in me. Being able to mentor junior Marines is the absolute highlight of my Marine Corps experience so far. Being older, I get to become a big sister to them. I can help them, Marine Corps wise, and also with their personal lives because of my life experiences.”

The MRF-D rotation demonstrates the U.S. commitment to combined readiness and shared regional security in the Indo-Pacific region.