Paying It Forward: Marine Receives Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --

Sgt. Dakota Linker, administrative chief, Inspector-Instructor (I&I), Communications Company, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal on Feb. 20, 2025, for his efforts in recruiting four Marines from the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) into the Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR). To date, he has successfully brought eight Marines back into service, with one following his lead by joining the Active Reserve (AR) program.

Sgt. Maj. Christopher Adams, sergeant major of 4th Marine Division, recognized Linker’s contributions and reinforced the division’s commitment to the initiative set by Brig. Gen. Kevin Jarrard, commanding general of 4th Marine Division: Every reservist is a recruiter. Adams emphasized the importance of Marines staying connected with one another to ensure readiness for future challenges.

“I just look for people who need help like I did.”Sgt. Dakota Linker, Communications Company, 14th Marine Regiment

For Linker, revitalizing careers in the Reserve Force is personal. In 2021, he found himself far from the Marine Corps, working at a shoe store to make ends meet. He had long envisioned a career as a chief warrant officer, a goal that began during his JROTC days. However, faced with a choice between continuing his service or pursuing a promising civilian career, he left the Corps—only to encounter an unexpected hiring freeze. With bills piling up, he was at a crossroads.

Then, a call from a prior service recruiter (PSR) changed everything. Rather than simply re-enlisting, Linker made a proposal: if the Marine Corps could offer him six months of active-duty operational support (ADOS) orders, he would return through the SMCR. The PSR secured an opportunity for him with a unit in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, allowing him to temporarily return to active duty.

That second chance gave Linker a new perspective on the flexibility and opportunities within the Marine Corps Reserve. Now serving as an Active Reserve Marine, he continues to pay it forward, helping others rediscover their path in the Corps. “I just look for people who need help like I did,” Linker said. “Everyone gets out of the Marine Corps for a reason, but sometimes it’s not greener on the other side. It works out for some, but not everybody.”

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WHO WE ARE: The United States Marine Corps Reserve is responsible for providing trained units and qualified individuals for mobilization to active duty in time of war, national emergency, and crisis or contingency operations. On a day-to-day basis, Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) consists of a talented and dedicated pool of nearly 100,000 Marines able to augment the Active Component in a myriad of ways, to include operational deployments, support to training, participation in bi/multi-lateral exercises with partner nations and allies, and service-level experimentation in support of Force Design 2030 and refinement of new concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures.

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