Hoping to see a different part of the world than Afghanistan and Iraq, Sergeant Philip Noble, a Marine with Regimental Combat Team-7 from Twentynine Palms, hopes to move out of the infantry and into the field of counter-intelligence. Sergeant Noble has seven deployments under his belt, six of which have been combat tours. On this deployment to Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Provice, Afghanistan, Noble is the non-commissioned officer in charge of training new arrivals in country, as well as Georgian soldiers and private security contractors. Managing editor Tami Roleff spoke with Sergeant Noble recently about his job…
“When any Marine, or any Army, or the Georgians, and private security contractors come in to Afghanistan and Camp Leatherneck, they have to receive certain training before they leave the base. There are classes they get; classes they get, the rules of engagement, the laws of war, they go to the range, counter IED lanes, all kinds of things.” While Noble doesn’t train Afghani soldiers, he thinks they’re doing a good job. “We’re putting them up front and they’re getting the job done right now; there’s not many Marines actually getting out and leaving the base as there were two years ago, three years ago.” Noble said he enjoys being an infantryman and training others on various weapons. “‘It’s one of the highlights of what I do, getting out going to shoot machine guns. I do enjoy that part of being a Marine. I find myself going, ‘Wow! I’m getting paid to do this.'” The highlight of his deployment so far? “The other morning I got to sit and have breakfast with the Secretary of the Navy. He sat next to me.”
