FORT PICKETT VA -- Lance Cpl. Joshua Schinlaub leads Marines, a fireteam of them.
The 22-year-old Elizabeth Town, Ky., native is a rifleman with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and has served with the unit in combat in Afghanistan. Schinlaub said a long standing history of military service plus seeing videos of Marines in action on television led him to join the Marine Corps.
"I joined and I love it," he said. "I don't regret a day."
His job in the Marines entails leading his team of Marines in combat. It also centers on ensuring the Marines know their combat tactics techniques and procedures, their responsibilities in the team, and the responsibilities of the other Marines on the team, and are able to perform them in combat.
"They need to know what their job is before they get in that building," he said. "They need to be quick with decisions because slow decisions can end badly.
"I pretty much prep my guys," he said. "I'm there to observe them, correct them and train them. I'm there to make them better."
He along with 900 other Marines and sailors are currently taking part in the battalion's Deployment for Training exercise, which is scheduled to run Sept. 6-23, on Fort Pickett. He, along with the battalion is scheduled to attach to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit a few days after the training, and later deploy with the MEU.
"I'm pretty excited about getting to train in a bunch of different countries," he said.