Marines

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Staff Sgt. Adam J. Chase, a counselor with the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Brig, won the American Correctional Association, Military Corrections Best of the Best Committee’s Corrections Specialist Award for his outstanding actions as a watch supervisor and while on deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan in 2009. Chase is scheduled to be presented his award ACA Summer Conference in Chicago, July 30 – Aug. 4.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Damany S. Coleman

Brig Marine wins ACA Corrections Specialist of the Year Award for actions in garrison, on deployment

29 Jul 2010 | Lance Cpl. Damany S. Coleman Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

Prior to his deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade from June 2009 to December 2009, Staff Sgt. Adam J. Chase, now a counselor at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Brig, wowed his colleagues and superiors with endless dedication to duty and service.

While on the deployment, Chase served as the noncommissioned officer in charge, Detainee Operations Team, Military Police Company, Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Afghanistan. He took the initiative to start multiple courses and professional military education classes to train and teach more than 25 members of the Detainee Escort Team and Temporary Holding Facility Staff, 35 members of the of the Female Engagement Team, 180 Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and more than 220 members of the Afghanistan National Army.

These extraordinary achievements, as well as many others, were more than enough reason for Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joseph Stines, commanding officer of the base brig, to nominate Chase for the American Correctional Association, Military Corrections Committee’s Best of the Best Corrections Specialist Award, which he won.

“(The award) is from 2009, and I was actually deployed the majority of it, in Afghanistan,” said Chase. “The warrant officer and the staff sergeant I was out there with, we started the detainee operations for the II Marine Expeditionary Brigade. With that being said, we did a lot. We started everything from the ground up. There were no holding facilities, no standard operating procedures; there was nothing.”

Humbly, Chase added that he did nothing more than what was expected of a Marine. He used his “go-getter” attitude to lend a hand in any situation he could overseas. This same attitude goes for being in garrison, as well as his personal time.

“I was just doing what I needed to,” said Chase. “I didn’t think that I was doing anything above and beyond the call of duty. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to get on to that deployment and do what I did while I was over there.”

Chase is an active member on the Marine Corps Rugby team as well as in the community. In May 2009, he served as a volunteer for the Special Olympics and has dedicated time and efforts as an assistant coach with a local little league baseball organization for young children.

“He made sure his Marines were well trained and they always had 100 percent of the training accomplished,” said Stines. “And he mentored those junior Marines – he has the ability to relate to lance corporals and corporals and teach them the knowledge that they need in order to operate in this environment. (The brig) is a tough place to work.”

Stines said everything Chase accomplished on the deployment was spectacular. This was not a surprise to Stines. Since the two first met when Chase was a lance corporal, he has always stood out amongst his peers.

“He is the Marine that goes the extra mile,” said Stines. That’s how you get noticed, its not doing what you’re told or doing the right at the right time. The recognition he’s getting from this – he has gone above and beyond. He is exceeding what’s expected.”

Stines added that Chase has the “follow me” attitude. And that is what he instills in his Marines. For future Marines who want to get noticed, he said he would be able to use Chase as an example of the steps to do so.

Now, as a counselor at the base brig, he uses his own outgoing personality to aid inmates in their rehabilitation stages. Essentially, he helps them come up with a game plan for when and if they become a part of society again.

Chase will be officially presented the ACA Best of the Best Corrections Specialist Award at the ACA 2010 summer conference in Chicago, July 30 – Aug. 4.