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3 November 1975

BIOGRAPHY OF MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT DOUGLAS G. EBENAL, USMC

Master Gunnery Sergeant Douglas G. Ebenal, the son of Earl and Annetta Ebenal, was born on 6 June 1956 in Casper, Wyoming.  He graduated from Natrona County High School in 1974, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 15 September 1975 on the buddy program with Steve Huckfledt.  Upon arriving at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California on 3 November 1975 to begin Boot Camp, he was placed under the care, charge and guidance from Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Williams, Sergeant Lopez, Sergeant Anderson, and fellow recruits of Platoon 1125.

Upon graduation from Boot Camp, Private First Class Ebenal attended the Administrative Clerk Course 0151 at Del Mar, Camp Pendleton, California.  Upon being assigned the MOS 0151, Private First Class Ebenal reported to his first duty station with the I Marine Amphibious Force, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, located at Camp Pendleton, California where he served initially as a Files and Directives Clerk.  Upon promotion to Lance Corporal, he was reassigned as Orders Clerk, and upon being promoted to Corporal, he was assigned as the Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge of the Classified Material Control Center.

Upon reenlistment in 1979, Sergeant Ebenal received orders to report to the Fleet Intelligence Center, Pacific located at Pearl arbor, Hawaii.  Sergeant Ebenal served with a handful of Marines at a Navy installation where he was assigned as the Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge of the Pacific and Indian Ocean Fact books, Pacific and Indian Ocean Port Directories, Intelligence Center Map Room, Aerial Photography Library, and Soviet Ship/Submarine Recognition Guides.

In 1983, Sergeant Ebenal was assigned as Administrative Chief for the Marine Detachment, U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CV-67).  The aircraft carrier was home ported out of Norfolk, Virginia.  While serving in this billet for Captain John J. Hogan and First Lieutenant Dwight E. Trafton, Sergeant Ebenal was afforded the opportunity to visit such places as Portsmouth, England; Barbados, Virgin Islands; Haifa, Israel; Naples and Rome, Italy; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Boston, Massachusetts; and Cartegena, Columbia, which also allowed him the experience of becoming a “Shellback” by crossing the Equator.  During the ship’s continued support off the coast of Lebanon during a troubled time, Sergeant Ebenal was promoted to Staff Sergeant.  In 1985, Staff Sergeant Ebenal extended his tour of duty and was allowed to attend the Career Course in Quantico, Virginia.

With the completion of the sea duty billet, Staff Sergeant Ebenal requested and was approved for Inspector-Instructor duty in Manchester, New Hampshire.  It was then that he and Miss Diane DeAmicis exchanged marriage vows at South Weymouth Air Station, Massachusetts on 31 August 1985.  Upon completion of a successful tour of independent duty as the Administrative Chief, Staff Sergeant Ebenal was transferred to the School of Infantry, Camp Pendleton, California.  Originally assigned as the Staff Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge for Student Pay and Service Records, he later became the Student Administrative Center’s Administrative Chief upon receiving promotion to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

On 1 April 1992, which turned out to be no “April Fool’s” joke, Gunnery Sergeant Ebenal was orders to Drill Instructor School, Class 3-92, Parris Island, South Carolina.  Upon completion of the course, Gunnery Sergeant Ebenal serves as a Drill Instructor for Alpha Company, Senior Drill Instructor and Chief Drill Instructor for Delta Company, 1^st Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment; and Senior Drill Instructor, Chief Drill Instructor and Staff Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge, Recruit Casual Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion.

On 1 July 1994, with the completion of a required “B” billet, Gunnery Sergeant Ebenal was assigned as the Adjutant Chief, 1^st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, California, and was placed under the supervision of Captain Sanzi and Captain Seaman.  Gunnery Sergeant Ebenal attended Class 3-95 of the Staff Noncommissioned Officer’s Academy Advance Course from March 1995 through June 1995, where he was promoted to Master Sergeant.

During October 1996, Master Sergeant Ebenal was transferred overseas with his family and assigned as the Adjutant Chief for the 1^st Marine Aircraft Wing located in Okinawa, Japan.  During October 1997, it was discovered that Master Sergeant Ebenal had Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cancer of the lymph nodes, tonsil, throat, palate and tongue).  He was medivaced from Okinawa, Japan to Hawaii for treatment.  Upon completion of his surgery and radiation treatment, Master Sergeant was assigned as the G-1 Chief, Marine Corps Base, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii where he was nominated as the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Government Employee of the Year (Enlisted Member 1999).  Upon the stand up of a Consolidated Administrative Center in Hawaii, he was reassigned as the Administrative/Personnel Chief, Personnel Support Center, Hawaii.

On 6 June 2000, Master Sergeant Ebenal was transferred back to Okinawa, Japan where he was assigned at the Officer-in-Charge, Manpower Information Support System Office-27.  He received his final promotion to the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant on 1 August 2000.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Ebenal’s awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (fifth award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation (third award), Battle “E” Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (eight award), Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal (second award), Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (second award), Overseas Service Ribbon (third award) and the Drill Instructor Ribbon.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Ebenal and his wife Diane (the daughter of Rocco and Lily DeAmicis) have three sons and a daughter (Douglas Jr, Brian, Nicholas, and Amanda).  They plan to retire in the Beaufort South Carolina area.