From cap and gown to combat gear

Tour of duty in Iraq in Winthrop student's post-graduation plans

By Jessica Schonberg - Jessica Schonberg

After Winthrop University senior Andrew Hicks walks across the stage at commencement Saturday, there won't be time for a party.

That's because he has until 5 p.m. to get to Greenville, where he will fill out some paperwork, then hop on a plane headed for Quantico Marine Corps Base in Northern Virginia. Hicks, a 24-year-old U.S. Marine Corps reservist for the past five years, is going to Iraq.

The other 12 members of his unit being deployed will report for duty that morning, but Hicks was granted about a 12-hour extension to attend his graduation ceremony.

"Until last week, I didn't know if I was actually going to be able to walk across the stage for graduation," he said. "I was kind of like ... I'd love to be able to have a graduation party and all that kind of stuff. But at the same time, this is what I've wanted to do, and this is a great opportunity. I couldn't ask for anything better. I graduate, and I immediately have something to do."

When other students were studying for final exams, Hicks was preparing his gear and making sure his will and power of attorney were in order.

He will spend a couple of weeks at Quantico, then he'll be back in South Carolina until reporting to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in June. From there, he expects to leave for Iraq at the beginning of September.

Hicks joined the Marine Corps Reserves right out of high school. He first got the idea from his dad, who fought in Vietnam, but he hadn't given it much thought until he met a shy student in a weightlifting class at Northwestern High School his junior year. The next school year, that same shy student, then a graduate, came back to Northwestern as a recruiter.

"He was a little more punctual, and he knew what he was going to say," Hicks said. "He was just a completely different person."

Hicks said he was inspired by the recruiter's newfound confidence and thought the Marines was an organization he would like to try out. The events of 9-11 were fuel to the fire.

Throughout college, Hicks tried to stay healthy, regularly running and lifting weights.

He spent one weekend a month on duty in Greenville and two weeks a year training and refreshing his skills and knowledge. His unit specializes in everything involving ammunition -- storing it, distributing it and destroying it as need be.

The experience, he said, has brought him closer to his dad, an active-duty marine in the late 1960s.

Donald Hicks, junior past commandant of the Olde English Leathernecks chapter of the Marine Corps League, said he hadn't really thought of himself as an inspiration to his son.

But Andrew Hicks said being in the Marine Corps Reserve made him realize he and his dad have a lot in common.

Donald Hicks is proud of his son's accomplishments but sad that Andrew won't get to celebrate Mother's Day.

"I'm somewhat apprehensive, but I know he's been enthusiastic about it, and I know his teammates are well trained," Donald Hicks said.

Andrew Hicks, who majored in sociology with a focus in criminology, said he will use his seven-month tour to decide if he likes active duty or if he would rather pursue a career in some type of federal law enforcement.

He volunteered for the overseas deployment, along with his best friend, Alex Jackson. Jackson is Hicks' little brother in their fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha.

"He's probably one of the most reliable people I know, within school and in the Marines," Jackson said.

Jackson said Hicks helped him through the pledge process and through joining the Marine Corps Reserve. Now, they'll be there to help each other in Iraq.

Hicks said he hasn't had a chance yet to process the fact that he's graduating.

"I'll probably realize I finished college in about a year when I finish active duty and I come home and have nothing to do," he said.