Face of Defense: Marine Employee’s Path Leads Him Back to Birthplace

By Monique Randolph, Marine Corps Systems Command DoD News, Defense Media Activity

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va., December 30, 2015 — On the day before the U.S. Marines Corps celebrated its 240th birthday, one Marine Corps Systems Command civilian employee -- and former active-duty Marine -- celebrated his own birthday in a very special place.

Kevin Scott was born on the second floor of Naval Hospital Quantico, located on historic Hospital Point and now headquarters to the Marine Corps acquisition workforce. Today, you’ll find him working two floors below that birthing room as the head of manpower, personnel and training for Program Manager Combat Support Systems supporting program teams in the development and evaluation of acquisition training products against service standards. Scott never imagined his career path would take him full-circle to where he was born.

“I find it neat to say that I was born in this building and now I work here,” Scott said.

Idolizing Dad

When Scott was born, he said, his father was a first lieutenant in the Marines and a combat engineer on base.

“Growing up, I remember going to the emergency room and the pediatrics all the time to get bones fixed,” he said.

The former hospital was built in 1939 and commissioned as a Naval Hospital on July 1, 1941. During World War II, the hospital expanded with an inpatient capacity swelling to over 600 beds. Today, the old emergency room is the Riverside Café.

As he got older, Scott said he followed his father’s example, receiving a commission as a Marine Corps infantry officer in 1980.

“I can honestly say that my father was my idol growing up,” he said. “Not a sports legend or sports guy or anything. My father was my idol. I always wanted to do better than he did.”

Transitioning to Civilian Life

While serving thirteen years in the Corps, Scott, his wife Lisa, a former Navy nurse, and their two children saw the country, living in such places as Hawaii and Maine. After years away, he said he completed his service in 1993 and returned to Northern Virginia to be closer to family. Scott said he eventually rejoined his Quantico family as well, taking a position writing training standards at Marine Corps Training and Education Command.

In 2004, he accepted a position at MCSC and has served the past 11 years as a Marine Corps civilian employee in the very building where he was born.

Scott said he seldom thinks about the fact that he now works in the same building listed on his birth certificate, but his lifetime in the Marine Corps -- both as a child and adult -- left a lasting impression.

Nova Scott, his mother, said she is proud of the man her son has become.

“When we were raising our children we wanted to instill in them to be truthful and respectful,” she said. “But it had to be a learning experience. I think we did a good job.”

As the Marine Corps' only systems command, MCSC oversees the development, acquisition and lifecycle logistics of Marine Corps ground weapon and information technology system programs.