At 17 years old, Greg enlisted into the Marine Corps. While he was in boot camp, his high school class was walking at their graduation. He served 4 years from 1993 to 1997. 

Greg says his best friend influenced him to join the military, but specifically the Marine Corps. 

“I wanted to go into the toughest one, and I wanted to have something that I could carry with me, with pride.”

When describing his military experience, Greg says, “guys grew up really fast.” He says it was an experience he will never forget, and he’s grateful for everything the military has taught him.

“There’s a lot of things the military will teach you that college will never teach you.”

He has two military tattoos that are significant to him: 

• Tribal with Old-English writing that says “Semper Fidelis,” which is the Marine Corps motto for “always faithful.”

• First Marine Division Logo, with his unit designation, he went to combat with

Greg says life after the military was difficult. It took him 10-15 years to figure out how to integrate into civilian life. Now he owns his own carpentry business.