MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- In a recent instance of what must have seemed like déjà vu, Terri Piekosz, an officer with the Marine Corps Police Department at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., accomplished another of her childhood goals when she was accepted to attend Officer Candidate School, the first step in becoming a Marine Corps Officer.
Nearly four years earlier, however, when the Chicago native was hired as a working dog handler for the K-9 Unit at MCLB Barstow, she was living out a dream she pursued since she was a little girl.
“I always wanted to go into law enforcement and become a canine handler because I grew up around my uncles and they were canine handlers,” she said. “It was always a dream to be a dog handler and succeed in a male-dominated field.”
Never one to shy away from a challenge, the star high school athlete still pursued her professional career goals while attending Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., on a softball scholarship.
Piekosz mentioned that unforeseen circumstances in both high school and college prevented her from training to become a Marine sooner.
“In high school I fully intended to enlist in the Marine Corps,” the 26-year-old said. “But then I received a scholarship, so I took advantage of that. During college, the [Marine Corps Officer Selection Officer] visited my campus, but there was a scheduling conflict at the time.
“I didn’t give up on my dream to become a Marine though,” she explained, “I just had to put it on hold.”
Following graduation from Carthage, Piekosz jumped at the opportunity to work as a dog handler in the federal law enforcement system, which brought her to Southern California in 2007 and allowed her to participate in unique and potentially dangerous work as part of the MCPD.
“I’ve been on Secret Service missions and assisted with civilian bomb threats off the base,” she remarked. “I have experienced a lot in the four years I’ve been in Barstow.”
Not surprisingly, her time at MCLB Barstow around the Marines who are stationed at the installation rekindled her desire to become one the Few and the Proud.
“I wanted to live a regimented lifestyle,” Piekosz said. “Being in Barstow, around them really made me start thinking about becoming a Marine again.”
After contacting Capt. Cicero RunningCrane, OSO, Recruiting Station San Diego, to inquire about joining, the enthusiastic distance runner set a timeline of October 2011 to be selected, which was achieved Aug. 5 when she received confirmation of her acceptance.
“I got very excited when the captain gave me the call to let me know,” she said. “Going to OCS is a nervous excitement because there’s a sense of the unknown and a journey of self-discovery.
My parents, supervisors and co-workers have been my main supporters,” she added. “Especially [MCPD Police Chief Darwin O’Neal and Danny Strand, MCLB Barstow Director of Security and Emergency Services]. Mr. Strand wrote a letter of recommendation for me and was very proud and choked up when he found out.”
Strand, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and native of Deer Lodge, Tenn., was clearly pleased with the good news. “Officer Piekosz has everything it takes to be a successful Marine Corps Officer,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her right now if she were my own daughter.”
“In the short time I’ve known her, the thing about Candidate Piekosz that has impressed me the most is her professionalism and desire to improve to be prepared for the physical and mental rigors of OCS,” added RunningCrane, a native of Great Falls, Mont. “Her best qualities are her dedication and motivation and those are characteristics which will allow her to go on to be successful and do great things.”
As usual, the ambitious Windy City native has already begun setting her sights on an entirely new set of goals.
“One of my goals is to be a role model— not just for Marines— but for females who are looking for something more,” Piekosz said. “Wearing the uniform is my passion and I want to wear it with pride.
“As the saying goes,” she added, “Your name is on the right side of the uniform, but U.S. Marines is over your heart.”