Interview with Thai Le, January 30, 2020

Partial Transcript: Uh, if you could start by...

Segment Synopsis: Thai Le, from Lawrenceville, GA, served active duty in the Marines for four years and was promoted to E-4 (Corporal). He discusses joining the military because he didn't know what to pursue after high school and the transition of such. Le shares his experience of Parris Island.

Keywords: United States Marine Corps; military recruit training

Partial Transcript: So, what was you, what job...

Segment Synopsis: Le explains joining the Marines as a basic infantry rifleman and going to School of Infantry (SOI) in North Carolina. He discusses going to Camp Lejeune for his permanent duty station and the adjustment period as someone with no prior background knowledge.

Keywords: 1st Battalion, 8th Marines; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune; United States Marine Corps; boot camp

Partial Transcript: So, you're training...

Segment Synopsis: Le spent the four years of his service after boot camp and SOI at Camp Lejeune, deploying twice. He shares his time in the Black Sea for his first deployment and Okinawa for his second deployment.

Keywords: Donald Trump; Kim Jong-un; Korean Demilitarized Zone; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune; Okinawa, Japan; Republic of Korea (ROK) Marine Corps; Sicily, Italy; Unit Deployment Program (UDP); United States Marine Corps; West Africa

Partial Transcript: So, after the deployments...

Segment Synopsis: After his second deployment, Le worked on transitioning out of the military. He discusses applying for tuition assistance as soon as it was available, starting college at Georgia Gwinnett College after being in the Marines for two and a half years. He later applied to the University of Georgia.

Keywords: Transition Readiness Seminar (TRS); United States Marine Corps

Partial Transcript: That's how I got into...

Segment Synopsis: Le mentions the certifications he has received from a few companies, including Cisco Systems, Inc. He discusses his plan to complete an internship every summer and his work at UGA. He explains why he feels his transition out of the military was easier than some.

Keywords: Georgia Gwinnett College; Information Technology; University of Georgia (UGA)

Partial Transcript: Alright, well, like I told you...

Segment Synopsis: Le shares about his time in Korea as an example of lack of communication in the world and wasting time.

Keywords: United States Marine Corps