CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq -- When corpsman 'doc' Fleck was told he is part of the backbone of the Navy's field medical corps - he took it a little more seriously than his colleagues might have thought.
Actually, HN David J. Fleck, a Norfolk, Va. native, knows a lot about backbones. He knows about all of the human body's bones for that matter. That's because he's a chiropractor.
The fact that Fleck is an actual doctor, not just a 'doc' as the Marines affectionately call their corpsmen, makes him an obvious asset to the 2nd Marine Division Surgeon's office. And while the division is deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom, his former profession may come in handy.
But it wasn't an easy path for the 35-year-old.
"When I first showed up to boot camp, I didn't know what I had gotten myself into," said the 1987 Chincoteague High School graduate. "But now that I'm here at the division, there are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of and I'm finding new ways to show my skills."
Fleck joined the fight in the Global War on Terrorism late in his career, hindering his ability to get an officer's commission. His credentials include a doctorate in chiropractic from the National University of Health Sciences and two bachelors' of science degrees - one in sports medicine from Old Dominion University in Norfolk and the other in human biology from NUHS in Lombard, Ill.
His patriotism and dedication to service are inarguably solid. Despite his attempts at earning a commission, he says he wants to spend his full career in the Navy as an enlisted man if that's what it comes to. Nonetheless, he is making his current tour a valuable learning experience.
"The last place I wanted to be was with the Marines," said Fleck. "When I received my orders to the division, I thought I couldn't make it. I'm older than most of these guys and quite honestly, I thought I'd only slow them down.
"But as I soon discovered, I couldn't think of a better place to be. There hasn't been a Marine yet, from private to officer, whom I didn't like."
Fleck left a private practice in Portsmouth, Va. to pursue a life of travel with his wife. They found the best way to travel, get health benefits and retire was the Navy. Currently, his wife Sonia is still in the process of joining while she completes her second master's degree. Their plan is to reunite here during the operation.
"This isn't really where I intended to be, but my wife and I have been very optimistic," said Fleck. "Other than the occasional mortar fire, we have palm trees and the Euphrates river right here. It's actually kind of peaceful."
Through all of his past experiences and for those to come, Fleck lives by a newfound philosophy that has taken him far. According to him, it's not what a person merits by his occupation, but who they are inside.
"No matter what age or rank, I always treat people with respect and kindness," said Fleck. "If more people maintained that kind of philosophy, more things would get accomplished."