Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Marines’ shines a light upon arguably one of the toughest branches of the military. It follows members of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in the Pacific Ocean as they undergo rigorous training and testing in the hopes of qualifying for combat certification. Among them is Daniel Owens, who was introduced to us as the Staff Sergeant of the Scout Sniper Platoon, only to have the battalion itself later replaced by a new program.
Daniel Owens Came Into Being a Serviceman by Chance
A native of the Southern United States, Daniel Owens reportedly grew up in an environment where ideas and visions of heavy-set guns, the military, patriotism, and toughness were common. However, while they intrigued him, he believed he had already found his calling in another field – he wanted to help youths with disabilities reach their full potential through education. Therefore, upon finishing his studies, he kick-started his career as a Special Education teacher, unaware that it would turn his whole world upside down both personally and professionally.
That’s because not only did Daniel learn the true meaning of empathy, humanity, and patience while serving as an educator, but he also first came across his now-wife through the industry. It was seemingly not long after that the couple chose to settle down and start a family, driving him to shift gears in a different direction so that he could provide his loved ones with a better life. He worked at an industrial cleaning company for a while before taking on similar jobs. Still, due to the unsatisfactory benefit plans, he said joining the military was the best option for him.
Daniel Owens Remains Dedicated to the Marines
According to Daniel’s accounts, he had “always been” interested in the military, but the Marines intrigued him the most owing to their tag of Devil Dogs and all the stories of camaraderie. He enlisted at the age of 28, quickly realizing that he was the oldest among his peers, as most recruits usually enter boot camp by the age of 18 as recent high school graduates. Instead of letting this adversity affect his determination, though, he used it to his advantage and quickly climbed the ladder to become Staff Sergeant of the Scout Snipers in the 31st MEU.
Stationed at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, before taking on the ocean, Daniel understood that his new role wouldn’t allow him to “kick in doors and squeeze triggers as much anymore.” However, while he loved training young soldiers who could potentially be on the frontlines one day, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was babysitting during missions and not doing enough. The internal conflict of his only intensified when the higher-ups announced they were replacing the entire traditional Scout Sniper battalion with the larger Reconnaissance Sniper program. In the original, he asserted that while he knows combat and war are never good, a big part of every Marine craves the m so that they can prove themselves, and he feels as if he is missing out.
“You wanna know that you have what it takes…,” Daniel said. “It’s not a matter of a scoreboard; it’s not bragging rights; it’s who gets to live and who dies.” Yet, things completely changed for him during an official event to pay respect to the now-replaced battalion as he found his purpose after speaking to some veterans. He now realizes that being a Marine isn’t about him, but about those who came before and made the organization what it is, those who still serve to protect the nation, and those who will come after to carry on the legacy. Therefore, today, he considers himself fortunate to be a small part of the Devil Dogs and is dedicated to doing his part by facilitating and training future servicemen. He wants to maintain a culture that proudly will live on.
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Daniel Owens is a Devoted Family Man
Since it was essentially for his family that Daniel enlisted in the Marines in the first place, it’s no surprise that he is still an affectionate, loving, and supportive husband and father. Unfortunately, we do not know many details of their private experiences; the parents prefer to keep them well away from the limelight, but we do know they remain a tight-knit unit. Their entire situation likely becomes challenging from time to time due to his deployments, but they manage to move past it thanks to the unwavering level of love, trust, and understanding they share. It’s evident that all Daniel wants to do is protectively provide for his wife and three daughters, whom he affectionately refers to as his “three little birds,” whereas they just want to support all his dreams.
