Michael Scott Sickles, age 34, a beloved father of three, husband, and Captain in the United States Marine Corps, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on January 31st, 2020. He was a 2004 graduate of Mark Morris High School in Longview, Washington. Looking to make a difference in the world, he decided to enlist in the USMC. He received top scores on all entry tests taken and was told by his recruiter that he could do any job he wanted to do in the Marine Corps. He said he wanted to be in the infantry, because he felt like he could make the biggest difference. After basic training at MCRD in San Diego (the place where Michael became a Marine and also sent his girlfriend Cherise massive amounts of love letters), he and Cherise married quickly, and started a family (they were 19 years old). His first job in the Marine Corps was as an Assaultman in the infantry. His first duty station was with 3d Battalion, 7th Marines in Twentynine Palms, CA, which was a complete culture shock for someone who had grown up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. In 2005, he deployed to Ramadi, Iraq for six months, and a week after he came home, he became a father to his son Kaeden. After this deployment, Michael had felt inspired by the EOD techs he had seen while deployed and wanted to become one. He really felt they had made a difference to everyone while he was deployed with 3/7. He applied to become and EOD Tech and got accepted. Soon, the family moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where Michael went to one of the most difficult schools in the military, NAVSCOLEOD. After this rigorous yearlong school, he was then stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA where he was a member of 1st EOD Company for four and a half years. He deployed twice to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2010. These deployments were especially formative due to the daring nature that EOD techs face every day they simply do their job. His daughter Quinn was born in between deployments in 2009. After these EOD deployments, Michael again asked himself how he could make a difference in the world. He felt eventually he would like to enact policy change within the Marine Corps, to make the organization that he loved stronger as a whole. Michael was an extremely gifted intellectual. He always found solutions to problems that were put in front of him in logical ways. He had a knack for being able to recall information easily and had the ability to solve complex mathematical problems and was an expert when it came to using critical thinking. Hoping to again make a difference in the world while simultaneously affording his family the opportunity to advance their own career aspirations, Michael applied to the MECEP program within the Marine Corps, a program that allows enlisted people to become officers in the Marine Corps, by affording them the opportunity to earn a college degree while still being active duty in the military. His daughter Emorie was born in 2011. Michael got accepted into the MECEP Program, and in 2012 went to Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA. He completed the training, and the family moved to Charleston, SC for four and a half years. Michael and Cherise both went to college while raising three small children. In 2015, Michael had a life changing experience when he got the opportunity to do an internship at Starr Marine on Park Ave in New York City for a summer. This experience greatly changed him, introducing him to lifelong friends and expanding his mind to future goals and career aspirations. In 2016 Michael obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in finance from The Citadel, with a 4.0 GPA while being a member of the honors college. Shortly after, he was commissioned as an officer in the USMC. Michael, then moved his family to Quantico, VA for seven months while he went to The Basic School. Michael was selected to be a supply officer, and the family moved to Camp Pendleton, CA for a second time in April of 2017. While at Camp Pendleton, Michael, always a perfectionist and problem solver, reached heights unexpected for someone who worked in the supply field. His ability to recall information easily, to analyze problems and solve them, and experience in combat situations made him uniquely qualified to anticipate the needs of others within 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. He achieved much in this field and was amazing at his job, eventually moving up to the regiment level and helped explain a lot of the ins and outs of the job to other supply officers in his field. Michael received various awards throughout his military and academic career, notoriety, and accolades throughout his short life. However, these awards did not mean much to him. Michael was selfless and truly humble. His entire world revolved around his children and his wife. He was devoted fully to their well-being and loved them deeply. He will be missed greatly, but while he was here, he loved those he cared about well, and we still feel it so deeply. That is something that not many people can say about a person. We are all forever changed for having known him. He is survived by his Wife of nearly 15 years, Cherise Sickles; Son; Kaeden Sickles, Daughter; Quinn Sickles; Daughter; Emorie Sickles; Mother; Mary Handley; Step Father; Terry Handley; Father; Allen Sickles; Sisters; Heidi (Alex) Bradley; Sarah Carson; Brother; Kent Graves, and numerous friends, and extended family.
Posted in: pbiinfo.com
Posted on: 2020-03-09
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