MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- The crowd goes wild as a 6-foot-5-inch, 190-pound Marine charges down the basketball court, quickly dodging his opponents.
He elevates in the air as the crowd goes silent. The look of intensity on his face grows stronger as he slams the ball fiercely into the hoop while his opponents stare in awe.
This is Nathan McQuirter, a 24-year-old artilleryman for Bravo Battery, 1st Bn., 12th Marine Regiment at MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, in action during a basketball game.
He began playing at age 9, since then it has been a passion and a dream for him.
"I started playing basketball in the 3rd grade," said the Mobile, Ala., native as he brushes dirt and residue accumulated on his face from firing a 155-mm Howitzer. "I had dreams of playing in the [National Basketball Association] since that age."
McQuirter's first organized team was in the 8th grade.
"Basketball kept me out of trouble when I was a kid," he recalled with a smile, as artillery rounds fiercely exploded in the background. "It was all I did in my spare time."
After completing middle school, McQuirter became the youngest student on the varsity basketball team for Ben C. Raines High School in Mobile. The majority of the players were juniors or seniors, 17-18 years old.
McQuirter was a young freshman and only 15 when he was selected.
"I felt even more motivated to play, because no other freshman was good enough to make the team," he remembered.
By the time McQuirter completed 9th grade, he and his teammates had secured a state championship under their belts.
"I grew a lot between my 9th and 10th grade years. My skills were improving, and in the 10th grade, I was put on the court even more," McQuirter explained. "I was learning not only to play, but to be a leader."
After again winning the state championships in the 10th and 11th grades, McQuirter found himself helping the coaches and a few of the seniors running the team.
"In my senior year, I was managing 20 points a game. I had several colleges calling me to play for them. I didn't know which one I wanted to play for, all I knew was I wanted to get away from Alabama."
After winning a fourth state championship before graduating in June of 1998, McQuirter proceeded to the College of Eastern Utah where he continued to play ball.
"The College of Eastern Utah was only an average team. We didn't do very well as a whole," he recalled, with a light chuckle. "I was just glad to be away from home."
McQuirter finished the two-year school with an associate's degree in sports medicine. It was then that he decided he needed further challenge. He returned to Alabama, went to the Marine recruiter and asked for a challenging career.
McQuirter's father had been in the Navy and his brother had served in the Air Force. Both played a role in his decision to join the Marine Corps.
On Sept. 10, 2000, McQuirter left home for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, S.C. Upon completing boot camp and his military occupational school, he received orders to his present duty assignment here.
Later, while on a deployment in Okinawa, his chain of command recognized his skills and approved participation on the All-Marine Team.
He has "a lot of potential," said Master Sgt. Guy Woodard, battalion field artillery chief at Bravo, 1/12, and MCB Hawaii's assistant basketball coach. "He is an explosive basketball player and an excellent Marine."