MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jose R. Crosby is a finance technician with Headquarters Marine Corps Finance Branch at Quantico. Born in Puerto San Jose, Guatemala, Crosby was adopted at the age of four and moved around the United States throughout his childhood.
After spending a few years in college, Crosby decided to follow his childhood dream of serving in the military. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 2020.
“All the things I've done in the past never really satisfied my hunger for self-growth and desire for serving,” Crosby said, “I always wanted to join the military when I was little, but I never took the chance. Instead of regretting later down the road, I decided I’m not getting any younger and went for it.”
As a finance technician, Crosby works in the military pay section, primarily focusing on filling out waivers to make sure Marines aren’t charged with debt to the government due to mistakes in their pay. His job is to make sure that Marines receive their correct pay.
“I enjoy knowing that I’ve made a difference. We see a lot of numbers every day and there’s a bigger story behind those numbers,” Crosby said, “These are people that we deal with…I get satisfaction knowing that with what we do, we make sure Marines get paid and keep them out of financial hardships.”
Outside of his work, Crosby’s hobbies include running and volunteering. He volunteers every weekend at Quantico’s main side USO and is a member of the All-Marine Running Team. The team selects runners based on the times they make by running on their own. They only meet to compete in races against other branches of the armed forces. Most of his schedule revolves around his running and training schedule. Recently, his training paid off as he finished first place in the Marine Corps Marathon Crossroads Trail 15k. His goal is to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year and qualify for the Boston Marathon next year, as well as earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Crosby is dedicated to achieving both his personal and professional goals, “I want to be the best Marine and non-commissioned officer that I can possibly be,” said Crosby.