2012 Marine of the Year
honorable
1stSgt David Compton
Married for about five years with three children.First Sgt. David Compton doesn’t think he does anything extraordinary on the job, but those who know him disagree.
The senior enlisted adviser for Marine Corps Detachment Newport, R.I., is the unit’s family readiness officer, a position he established upon joining the unit. The job seems like a natural fit, considering the continued contact Compton keeps with Marines and sailors from a previous unit who deployed alongside him to Afghanistan in 2010. “After a long deployment, he stayed in contact with members of the team that had a more difficult time in combat,” his boss of three years, Maj. Marcus Reynolds, wrote in his recommending Compton for Marine Corps Times’ Marine of the Year. The takeaway: He truly cares about others’ well-being.
During that deployment, Compton worked with Afghan security forces and imparted lessons learned over his 18-year career.
“They had very little experience; they were a new unit,” he said. “They responded very well. They really liked the fact that I was taking the time to learn a little bit about their culture and tried to benefit them and help them out.”
Compton has gathered a group of Marines from his command to assist with Homes for Our Troops, which built a new house for a local wounded Marine and his family. He also plans cookouts and other events for his Marines to keep their morale high.
In his off time, Compton earned a bachelor’s degree in history, and he and his wife, Cinthia, raise three children. She cited among his best qualities the ability to maintain a great family life even throughout his deployments. Compton said balancing military service and family is a top priority.
“If you’re happy at home, you’re going to be happy at work, and vice versa,” Compton said. “You’ve got to keep a healthy balance to that and not ignore one or the other. You have to have a productive environment on both sides.”