MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Butler, a native of Monrovia, Maryland, and an F-35B Lightning II jet airframes mechanic, joined the Marine Corps in 2020 because of his family’s military history. His great-grandfather served as a Marine rifleman during World War II and fought in the Pacific theater, another family member served as a U.S. Army officer, and another as a Sailor in the U.S. Navy. Because of this heritage, he decided to enlist into the Marine Corps with an aviation maintenance contract.
"My grandfather was an 0311 [rifleman] in World War II. I was told he got shot or took shrapnel to his neck, which ripped up his vocal cords,” said Butler. “He passed when I was five months old, before I could meet him or talk to him.”
Butler is immensely dedicated to what he does, all while carrying his family’s legacy on his shoulders.
“I take pride in every part of the job,” said Butler. “From getting up in the morning, putting on the uniform, to going out there and maintaining the aircraft. It’s a very detail-oriented job. I’ve got to take pride in every aspect of that.”
Butler's military occupational specialty (MOS) 6258 airframes mechanic was identified as a selected retention bonus MOS, leading him to reenlist and maintain that MOS and also to receive a monetary bonus. Butler is a first-term, high-performing Marine that met eligible criteria to receive a bonus in his primary MOS. He takes great pride in being Marine; however, Butler’s career has not been without challenges.
“Occasionally someone will want to cut corners, and I do not like to do that," said Butler. "I overcame those challenges by sticking to what is right while learning from the good and bad leadership, using my past experiences as motivation to lead Marines correctly in a manner that follows Marine Corps orders and be the leader I wish I had.”
Butler is faced with the crucial task of instilling attention to detail into the Marines under his supervision, especially as future generations of F-35 maintainers enter the fleet Marine force.
“The mission of the airframer in [Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542] is to keep the aircraft up and safe for the pilot to fly so they can complete their mission,” said Butler. “For me, that entails supervising the junior Marines as they do their part and working with them so we can all come together to accomplish our mission.”
As Butler continues to move through his Marine Corps career, he closely observes the leaders around him to develop his own leadership style. Butler notes that respect is a key characteristic he looks for in a leader and aims to emulate. He also learns from the experiences of fellow Marines who have transitioned to the F-35B Lightning II from other jet platforms such as the AV-8B Harrier II or the F/A-18 Hornet.
“Treating everyone with respect and leading by example is huge for me,” said Butler. “There is a well of knowledge all in a melting pot in which we all learned to work together. We’ve got the F-35 now, and we need to learn how to maintain them as well as the other platforms.”
As the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing continues to refine its aviation concepts, Marines such as Butler will continue to lead at the front of that progress, instilling Marine Corps values in their subordinates and accomplishing the mission one day at a time.