An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Photo Information

Lance Cpl. M. Diane Garcia, an administrative specialist with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, works out at the Devil Dog gym May 6.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Glen E. Santy

Flyby: Lance Cpl. M. Diane Garcia

9 May 2013 | Lance Cpl. Glen E. Santy Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

Lance Cpl. M. Diane Garcia can literally run circles around most Marines. But the administrative specialist with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 isn’t finished striving toward her ultimate fitness goal.

Once a couch potato whose strongest muscles were in her thumbs, the former gamer has her eyes set on a new high score – a 300 on the male physical fitness test.

“Before I joined the Marine Corps I never physically trained, never played sports, I just sat around and played video games,” said Garcia. “People tend to do what they really like or are naturally good at; I am naturally good at physical fitness.”

Still relatively low on the totem pole, Garcia is developing her leadership style.  Leading by example is among the tenets at the forefront of her approach.

“One of my personal philosophies is that if I can’t outperform male Marines, then how could I lead or advise them on what to do?” she said.

Living by that mindset, Garcia constantly pushes her own physical limits.

“Every other night I do more than 400 pushups throughout the night,” she said. “Running is more of a game, and I do that for fun anyway.”

Garcia has already taken her physical fitness test this year. Scoring well over the perfect score of 300 points, she completed 10 pull-ups, 100 crunches, and a 19:30 run.


Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point