Face of Defense: Marine Works Hard to Stay Fit at Sea

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jonah Baase 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

ABOARD THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD, Sept. 20, 2017 — Marines and sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Navy’s Expeditionary Strike Group 7 crowd this amphibious assault ship’s gym at all hours of the day and night.

Still, some faces in the gym are more common than the rest. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Cary Chase is one of those faces.

“I needed to change my habits,” said Chase, the disbursing chief of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Combat Logistics Battalion 31, who hails from Bonire, Georgia. “I wasn’t happy with where I was physically, but now the gym is my home away from home where I can tune the world out for a while.”

Rigorous Gym Schedule

Finding that a rigorous gym schedule reinforced the discipline required to manage financial accounts for the 31st MEU’s Marines and sailors, Chase goes to the gym twice a day, every day, and studies nutrition to focus her food intake.

Chase’s ambitions did not stop with becoming more fit. Her passion for weightlifting continued to grow as she won three bodybuilding competitions in gyms from Tokyo to Okinawa, Japan.

“Competitions were the next step to prove to myself that I was making progress,” Chase said. “You don’t see results overnight, and this was how I wanted to test my strength.”

Keeping Fit

The demands of life in the Marine Corps make physical fitness vital to any Marine’s success. At any time a Marine may be called to get the job done no matter the mission, whether it’s combat or humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

“It’s more than a routine,” Chase said. “It helps me prepare physically and mentally to support my Marines whether it be in a combat zone or day to day operations.”

Once Chase started working out with Sgt. Theresa Batt, a finance technician with CLB-31, from Cleveland, Ohio, Batt said she learned how to be a stronger leader, inside and outside the gym, taking her time to provide mentorship and guidance to her Marines to support their personal and professional goals.

Teamwork

“We became frequent gym partners,” Batt said of Chase. “She corrected my form and wouldn’t let me off the bench until my sets were completed. She doesn’t quit on her Marines, she’s full of energy and always motivates Marines she works and trains with.”

Chase continues to stick with her rigorous workout schedule, training with Batt to ensure they’re ready to meet any challenge.

“We need to be prepared for anything with the world we live in,” Chase said. “A Marine needs to be proficient at their job, and that includes pushing themselves and their peers to be the best they can.”