MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- For many people when they are growing up base their dreams and goals on their role models.
Some have grown up wanting to be fire fighters, doctors, lawyers and so on. One military policeman here is no exception.
Cpl. Paul A. Williams Sr., patrolman, Special Reaction Team, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Provosts Marshal’s Office, comes from a family with generations of military and says his family always knew he would join. But while his father and mother, and even his grandfathers, chose to join the Army, he chose to follow his great uncle’s footsteps and joined the Marine Corps to became a military police Marine.
“We weren’t the least bit surprised when he told us he was joining the Marines’, said Carolyn Omoruy, Williams’ mother. “I think he got the idea from his father and I. We would show him pictures of us all the time and we were always in uniform. I am very proud of him, he is doing what he loves.”
This Kansas City, Mo., native, hopes to complete a 20-year career in the Marine Corps. Originally, Williams couldn’t get the military occupational specialty military policeman because there weren’t any school seats open. His diligence and hard work through boot camp paid off, he graduated as the company honor graduate. His success earned him the opportunity to choose the MOS he wanted, and he jumped on the chance to become a military policeman. After MOS school, he continued to strive to be better and eventually become part of SRT.
“Becoming SRT was one of my main goals. I wanted to be on any SWAT team possible,” Williams said. “There is something about the excitement of kicking down a door or climbing down the side of a building out a window that I love.”
Being part of SRT is often an adrenalin rush and a fast paced job. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar’s SRT trains for dangerous, and potentially deadly, situations. The team trains over and over to make sure they are ready for things like a hostage situation or armed standoffs and they must perform without mistakes.
“I do get kind of nervous because I’ve got a family,” said Williams who has been married to his wife, Julie, for four years. They have two daughters Whitney, 11, Jada, 6, and one son, Paul Jr, 3. “As long as the whole team comes out together everything went right, that’s all that matters.”
Williams job requires him to face extreme situations, but this isn’t the only place this adventure-seeking-Marine gets an adrenalin rush.
Williams has played for the MCAS Miramar Falcons for the past three seasons, and also has a penchant for motorcycle riding and skydiving.
“My friends are puzzled on why I am so intent on jumping out of a perfectly good plane, but I love it” Williams smiled. “I hope to be able to go to jump school when I reenlist.”
Although Williams could be making more money out in the civilian world, his dedication to the Corps and his Marines is what makes him want to reenlist.
“I love the Marines and I love PMO,” said Williams. “I get the best of both worlds. I get to be involved with law enforcement and I get to be in the military. Either way I’m doing what I want to do.”