Sgt. Major Laura L. Brown isn't one to make much out of the fact that she's the first female Base Sergeant Major in the history of Quantico Marine Corps base. But she is.
Brown will be the first to tell you that the accolades, awards and praise she's received during her nearly 30-year career in the Corps aren't the result of her efforts or hard work alone. Instead, she gives praise to the Marines she has served with over the years.
"When I came into recruit training, the reason I'm a sergeant major is, it was probably 1985 and I saw a 'Marines' magazine and I saw a man sitting behind a big old desk and he had a big old star on his chevrons and I saidI want to be that."
The San Antonio, Texas native was raised by her mother and is the middle daughter of three daughters. Brown knew there was no money for college, so as her high school graduation approached she began trying to figure out what her next step in life was going to be.
One of her male classmates told her that he had visited a recruiter. Her response: "Whats that?"
Two of Brown's uncles had served in the Navy, but nobody in the family had served closer to her than that. After thinking it over, she decided to go visit the Air Force recruiter.
"But the office was closed that day, so I went to the Marine Corps recruiter next door. He took great care of me", Brown said.
Brown enlisted in the Corps on July 9, 1984 and attended boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. That was back when recruit training for women was eight weeks long as opposed to the 13 weeks it is today.
"Recruit training was lengthened to mirror that of our male counterparts", she continued. "I didn't shoot with an M16 when I first came into the Marine Corps. When I became a drill instructor I had to go through all those things."
When Brown entered the Corps, women Marines had to run a mile and a half. Now, they run three miles like male Marines.
"I saw the changes where women just did 50 sit-ups as opposed to 100 crunches like our male counterparts", she said, adding that those changes gave women equality along the way. I'm grateful for those changes."
Brown's career has taken her from Cherry Point, N.C. to Japan and to the sands of Iraq, where she was able to go into combat with a military police company as a First Sergeant. She was also able to serve aboard a ship, which the Corps began allowing women Marines to do in 1992.
Brown replaced Leon Thornton as Quantico's base sergeant major after his retirement last year.
"My role as the base sergeant major is always first and foremost going to be the senior enlisted leader, or the voice for the community, to make sure the base commander, when he makes a decision it is based on the community"s best interests," she said.
With a smile, Brown added that base commander Col. Dan Choike knows that I'm always out and about talking to the Marines.
Brown's personal award include the Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Award); Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal with 3 gold stars in lieu of a 4th award; Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal with one Silver Star and two Bronze Stars; Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Ribbon and a Drill Instructor Ribbon (2nd Award).
She is also the recipient of the 2011 Major Megan McClung Leadership Award.