1-2-3-4, I Love the Marine Corps!

           

Sitting on a jury deciding the fates of terrorists, combing the desert for IEDs and training Afghan soldiers is just a day on the job for Captain Leslie Harkness. For Leslie Harkness, being a captain in the United Sates Marine Corps is more than just a job it is a way of life.

             This Pennsylvania native who grew up with three younger brothers had always thought of joining the military. “Ever since childhood, I had always wanted to join the military,” said Captain Harkness. Her goal to of joining the military was always at the forefront of her mind and when she started thinking about college she was determined to either attend the Naval Academy or join ROTC in college. For Captain Harkness, the ROTC program seemed to fit her perfectly. The program paid for her to attend school and offered her a position as an officer as soon as she graduated.

            Shortly after Captain Harkness graduated from Villanova University, she attended officer’s training school in July of 2006. After her time in school, she was sent to Camp Le Jeune in North Carolina for her first assignment. While working in Camp Le Jeune, Captain Harkness was assigned to the combat arms unit, a unit predominantly run by men, as an Adjutant for her battalion. “I was the only woman in the battalion and I loved it,” said Captain Harkness. “Leslie had a personality for working with those guys. That’s just me saying nicely that she’s ruthless and demands a lot from the people around her,” said mother Cecelia Harkness. Captain Harkness was always tough and she had the ability to “instill the fear of death in men,” said cousin Gina Barnes.

 Following her job as the Adjutant for her battalion, Captain Harkness was deployed to Iraq in 2008, where she was then promoted to Adjutant Regiment. In 2011, she was promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain in Afghanistan during her second deployment. While in Afghanistan, she worked at the NATO headquarters and was in charge of training a group of Afghan soldiers. Recently, Captain Harkness was promoted and will be working with an elite unit tied to the white house. Captain Harkness is currently stationed at the New River Air Base in North Carolina, where she works as an administrative and legal officer for the base commander.

             When asked about Leslie’s job, her family remarked that nobody could be doing a better job than what she is doing now. “Leslie has accomplished so much and defended this country in ways unimaginable to an individual who is not in the service,” said father Bill Harkness, who is also a captain in the Navy. Captain Harkness’s job requires her to deal with matters that do not concern most Americans, but she performs her job with great poise and perseverance. “Leslie is such a good Marine, but nobody would ever know because she is so humble about everything,” said cousin Meghan Doyle. Despite all of her accomplishments, Captain Harkness does not parade around asking for recognition, but unwaveringly continues to serve her country.  

Captain Harkness’s service to this country is something that is taken for granted. A simple thank you will not even begin to express the gratitude that her family and friends have for her and what she is doing. Captain Harkness is one of the finest young women serving in the Marine Corps and I wouldn’t want anyone else defending our country besides her.