MARCH 12, 2025 – After spending five years aboard a ship manned by only Navy Sailors; the last thing this Sailor expected was to be stationed with Marines, whom he once feared. After a few months at his second duty station, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, he came to realize that Marines were not as terrifying as he initially thought.
U.S. Navy Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class (IC1) Nathan Cobb was taken aback when he received orders to report to Armed Forces Network at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan in June of 2020. This is a unit comprised of Sailors and Marines and his trepidation of Marines began when in his early teens.
Cobb was born in North Carolina in 1991, where he was raised by a single mother until she remarried in the fall of 2005 to his stepfather. When Cobb was in high school, his stepfather enlisted as a Marine and was deployed to Afghanistan. When he returned from his deployment, he would tell Cobb stories from his time in Afghanistan, both good and bad.
Cobb had some friends who were Marines that came back from Afghanistan and who faced difficulties due to the high stress environment and the hardship born of their deployment. This gave Cobb respect for Marines and yet, a fear of what he believed could happen to Marines in the line of duty.
Although Cobb developed the utmost respect for Marines, the stories he heard from them scared him. The stereotypes he developed in the early 2000’s prevented Cobb from ever wanting to be one or even work around them.
“I thought they were jarheads…all they did was work out and go to war,” said Cobb.
Due to the War on Terror and fighting in both Afghanistan and Iraq, Cobb’s mother was also strongly against Cobb joining the Marines. She was afraid of the potential danger at the time.
After graduating high school in 2009, Cobb went to college to pursue his love for dentistry, and after graduating college he enlisted in the United States Navy.
“I went to college at the University of North Carolina Pembroke, I got my bachelor’s degree in biomedical science and after that, I went and enlisted into the Navy in June 2015,” said Cobb.
When Cobb took his first step into joining the United States Navy, he attempted to use his degree to become an officer. Unfortunately, Cobb didn’t meet the requirements at the time, so he enlisted instead.
The Marine recruiters next door noticed him wanting to become a military officer and reached out to Cobb in the hopes that he would join the Marine Corps instead of the Navy, but Cobb was against the idea due to his preconceptions.
Cobb embarked on his journey into the Navy with his first duty station in San Diego, California on the United States Ship Mobile Bay. There, his work mostly consisted of making sure systems such as alarms for smoke, fire, and flooding were in proper working order.
“I think people underestimate the values of us IC’s, especially dealing with alarms,” said Cobb. “With making sure the alarms are fully operational; we can stop an emergency before it gets worse.”
After five years aboard The USS Mobile Bay, Cobb received orders to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. Upon hearing the news of where he was going to be stationed Cobb felt nervous; he still held his negative bias about Marines.
“It was kind of like I’m going into new territory and into the unknown,” said Cobb. “I was doubting myself into thinking that I probably wouldn’t be up to the Marine standard of what military personnel
should be.”
Cobb’s first few months on MCAS Iwakuni were a culture shock. Everything felt different, from the leadership to the way of living. However, once he had the opportunity to work with the Marines on the air station, he noticed that they weren’t what he had previously envisioned.
“When I participated in Stem Day, when the kids were coming out, I saw some Marines get along with them and realized they weren’t the monotonous robots that I thought they were.”
While Cobb was developing this newfound bond with Marines, his perception changed dramatically. Spending time with Marines both in and out of work allowed Cobb to better understand who they truly are.
Within three months on MCAS Iwakuni, Cobb started to be familiarized with Marines and their culture. Seeing the way Marines bond with the local community and act as a family during events like
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays changed Cobb’s perception entirely.
“I really like the close bond that Marines have and it’s kind of like I share the bond with them too,” said Cobb. “I love how prideful Marines are.”
From being afraid of what he thought Marines were, to knowing what Marines truly are, Cobb is confident working side-by-side with them.
Although his time with the Marines of MCAS Iwakuni is coming to an end, Cobb looks forward to his next opportunity to work alongside Marines.
“After being here at MCAS Iwakuni for 3 years, I’ve grown in camaraderie and admiration with the Marines here,” said Cobb. “The way that they approach missions and goals and complete them is how I look at life. We jump in head strong and won’t stop until the mission is accomplished.”
Story by Lance Cpl. Siwan Lewis
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni