FORT LEE, Va. -- Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Lemus became the first Marine on Fort Lee to achieve Master Instructor certification Aug. 4. Lemus, a machinist instructor Marine Corps Detachment here, earned the certification in less than three years. He said that he did it for the junior Marines he instructs, as much as for himself.
"In order to educate new Marines, the instructors need to be educated," Lemus said. "I wanted to set the bar not only for the other instructors to achieve, but to set an example for the students."
Fort Lee's Marine detachment is focused on promoting the Master Instructor program to enhance its instructor's ability to instruct, thereby increasing the overall effectiveness of the student's training.
"When I took command, I said that education is a gift," said Lt. Col. Thomas H. Gilley IV, Marine Corps Detachment commanding officer. "The detachment's mission has personally inspired me to advocate the Master Instructor program and to make instructor progression my top priority."
Lemus, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native, was presented the prestigious title during a ceremony at the Marine Corps' Light Armored Vehicle Repair Course training facility. He was also awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal for his hard work and dedication.
The hardest part of receiving the certification was appearing before a panel of peers who evaluated him, Lemus said.
"They will call you out in a minute," said Lemus. "If you do something wrong, they will tell you, they are tough. It felt great when I was given a passing grade by what I call the 'old school' instructors."
There are currently four Senior Instructors in the detachment who are close to completing the requirements to become Master Instructor certified.
To earn the Master Instructor certification, a candidate must complete initial training on Operational Risk Management (ORM) and curriculum development, receive at least four favorable instructor evaluations as a Senior Instructor, complete at least two professional development courses, log at least 700 hours of instruction as a Senior Instructor and earn a score of 90 percent or better during an instructor evaluation.
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