HAWAII KAI, OAHU, Hawaii -- HAWAII KAI - Scuba diving and the Marine Corps are the two biggest passions of one staff noncommissioned officer who went a few extra meters underwater to prove his dedication to the Corps. Gunnery Sgt. Daniel E. Blanchard, company gunnery sergeant for Kilo Co., 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, re-enlisted at a depth of 20 feet with more than 20 members of his command, as well as his son Thomas, during an underwater re-enlistment ceremony Feb. 11 at Hanauma Bay.
"The ceremony worked out really well," said Blanchard after surfacing. "I felt that after 20 years of service, I should do something spectacular to mark this occasion, and as far as I know, I don't think anyone has done this sort of thing before," he said of the monumental occasion in his life and career.
With waterproofed re-enlistment documents in hand, Capt. Rush Filson, commanding officer of Kilo Co., led Blanchard through his re-enlistment ceremony. Though the words were almost impossible to hear and all anyone could see were bubbles emitting from their mouths, the two were able to understand each other well enough to complete the ceremony.
"It is an honor and a privilege to retain one of the finest infantry staff noncommissioned officers I've had the pleasure of working with in my time in the Marine Corps," said Filson. "It is very fortunate [for Blanchard] to enjoy his service and to re-enlist in a unique environment like this."
Blanchard's son Thomas, who has been scuba diving with his father for the past two years, was also excited to be a part of such an unusual event.
"Of course it's nice to be out here in the water, scuba diving, rather than in school. But, more importantly, it's nice to be able to be involved in my dad's memorable career experiences as well," he said.
Soon to be selected for first sergeant, Blanchard will be moving on to Camp Pendleton, Calif., and according to his wife, Saudra, he will be missed by many of the Marines in his unit.
"This was definitely a one-of-a-kind event," said Lance Cpl. Stuart Rogers, a rifleman with Kilo Co. "We saw all kinds of sea life down there, like octopus, sea turtles and a whole lot of beautiful fish. When I re-enlist, I will definitely want my reenlistment ceremony to be this fun."
After the ceremony, the scuba diving and snorkeling Marines were released to enjoy the coral reefs of Hanauma Bay, which are one of Oahu's finest underwater experiences.
"I'm really pleased with the way the ceremony turned out," said Blanchard. "This will definitely be an experience I won't soon forget."