MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Since the beginning of the Personnel Administration School at Camp Johnson, there has not been one student to get a perfect 100 percent in the Intermediate Personnel Administration Course until now.
Cpl. Michael L. Davis, the orders noncommissioned officer in charge with Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps at Henderson Hall, graduated Intermediate Personnel Administration Course April 5 in the top of his class with a perfect grade passing the more than 10 tests that are given at the course with perfect grades.
“There are no words to explain how I feel,” said Davis.
After four weeks in the course, Davis started raising eyebrows at the school house when he continued to pass each test without getting one question wrong, said Gunnery Sgt. Steven R. Whalen, the career level instructor for the course.
“My test is hard. It’s attention to detail and you can miss any little thing,” said Whalen.
Whalen’s test is one of two four hour long tests, which are very tedious and need to be precise. Davis passed both of the back to back tests with the same result as other tests.
“There was not even a question about any errors,” said Whalen. “It was perfect.”
The intermediate course teaches the Marines to be well-rounded administrative clerks, said Whalen. Marines learn to be proficient in every aspect of their military occupational specialty, so they can perform any job and teach other Marines in their respective units.
Davis was able to master the course by remaining diligent during and after class.
Before a test, he would quiz himself using only his memory, Davis said. Afterwards, he would look at what he got wrong and focus his studying on those areas.
Davis did this before every test, but it wasn’t until after making perfect scores on the first five tests, did he make it a goal to get a 100 percent on every test.
“After about the first five, I was stressing the whole time,” said Davis. “The instructors thought I had a chance and I had a lot of encouragement.”
This is not the first time that Davis has been among the honor graduates at the Personnel Administration School, said Whalen. When Davis attended the Basic Personnel Administration Course, he graduated second in his class.
“He wanted to be number one,” said Whalen. “That’s a big goal and he did it.”