Photos

Cpl. Joshua Paul Hilsgen, a 22?year-old Watkins, Minn. native, holds up the award he received for graduating top of his class February 18, 2006 at a corporals course held at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq. Hilsgen's average was 93.8%. Unlike most corporals courses which are held in a garrison environment where supplies and course materials are readily available, this one was held as the Marines were deployed to a combat zone and mirrored some of the challenges inherent to being far from the homefront. Throughout the course, the corporals learned a variety of subjects they could use to be better leaders such as legal processes, administrative procedures, leadership studies and uniform regulations.