User:Chris Updegraff

Christopher M. Updegraff was born on June 15, 1993 (age 26) in Barrington Illinois. He lived there until the age of four when his family moved to Phoenix Arizona when his father got offered a job. As a child he loved all things military and would watch war documentaries. His mother was supportive and took him to a local recruiting office where the soldiers hooked him up with posters for his room, while at the recruiting office a Marine told Chris "you dont want tot be one of those guys, you want to be a Marine". After graduation from Pinnacle High School in 2011 Chris joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 18 after the advice from a recruiter all those years prior. He elected to join the Infantry and was assigned to a Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion called 3rd LAR based out of 29 Palms California, He served as a driver and later gunner for the LAV-25. Shortly after joining the battalion he was deployed to Okinawa Japan where he worked with the Japanese soldiers on the art of jungle warfare. A year and a half later he was deployed for a second time to Japan, Okinawa and South Korea training with the ROK Marines in South Korea. After four years of service he was honorably discharged at the rank of Corporal and decided to attend college. He moved back home and attended Scottsdale Community College earning an Associates Degree then transferred to ASU working towards a Bachelors degree in Political Science. After college he hopes to work for the state department as a DSS officer. He likes to work in changing environments and loves to travel which the DSS provides. In his spare time he enjoys concerts, playing sports, hiking, and hitting the town for a night out with his friends.