MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Kaneohe Bay -- The sergeant major looked out across the parade deck on Dewey Square at MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, surveying his mustered troops for one last time with the clear, commanding gaze so many Marines have come to know as a source of fire and compassion, intensity and conviction.
The eyes belonged to Sgt. Maj. Juan F. Sandoval, the former senior enlisted leader of Combat Service Support Group 3. He surveyed his troops for a final time before passing on his post to Sgt. Maj. David Strowmatt, former 9th Marine Corps District sergeant major. Those eyes have seen deployments to more than seven countries in support of countless operations, overseeing the lives of hundreds of Marines and Sailors here at Kaneohe Bay.
Sandoval departed to his next assignment as base sergeant major of Camp Pendleton, Calif., which will be his last tour as a leader of Marines.
From Texas, Sandoval was born with a twin sister into a family of six children, where he was raised with emphasis placed on the importance of education.
"My dad really pushed education on me, so I went to college to get an Associate's Degree in Education," said Sandoval, who would like to go into to teaching or social work after he retires from the Marine Corps.
Sandoval, the only member of his immediate family to join the military, said that after he graduated, he decided that he wanted to join the Marine Corps mostly for the challenge.
"I thought it would be tough, and that was appealing to me."
Sandoval reported for recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif., in April of 1976. After graduating, he attended maintenance administration school at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, Calif., with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
"My first four years were great, and they just flew by," said Sandoval of his decision to re-enlist for the first time.
Sandoval said that he was having so much fun with his job and enjoyed being a Marine so much, that he never really thought about getting out.
"Before I knew it, I was a career Marine," he laughed then continued, "It's the people in the Corps that kept me in. Being a Marine isn't like a job at all, and the Marines working with me made it clear that I never wanted to get out."
From a tour on the drill field of MCRD San Diego, where he held every billet up to series chief drill instructor, to his first tour on Kaneohe Bay as first sergeant of Marine Attack Squadron 211, the "Avengers," Sandoval has had a storied career full of the kind of experiences that build a resourceful Marine Corps leader.
"You've got to stick with it and trust the Marines around you if you're going to be successful," said Sandoval when asked how young Marines could emulate his success.
Sandoval has served as sergeant major of both Headquarters Battalion, MCB Hawaii, and CSSG-3 here at Kaneohe Bay; however, as the base sergeant major for Camp Pendleton, Sandoval sees his responsibilities changing from his last three posts.
"I think it will be different in that I will get to work more with the civilian community of the base and also the outside community," he explained. "I'm just really looking forward to the opportunity to keep on working with Marines."