Before he became a captain in the Marshal’s Office, James Sabb first served 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and has always fondly remembered his years of service.
Joining in 1980, when he was 18, Sabb said his first introduction to them was through his uncle who also served as a marine.
“I was just fascinated with those dress blue uniforms he had. He just looked sharp,” he said.
Years later, Sabb, who was raised by a single mom and had three siblings, said the most shocking part about entering was having to get used to men yelling at him. Having been raised by only a woman, Sabb had never experienced grown men yelling at him and it took an adjustment period.
In the end though, Sabb said he truly believes he would not be the person he is today had it not been for the time he spent learning important life skills in the Marines.
“I grew up in the Marine Corps. It made a man out of me,” he said. “I had to learn how to do things for myself because I was on my own, and it was an opportunity I’ll never forget.”
Recalling his years of service, Sabb said he remembers the Marines as a vast brotherhood which allowed him to make lifelong connections and friendships. To Sabb, when one lives side-by-side in quarters and undergoes months of brutal missions or training, it was natural for military buddies to deeply connect and create lasting bonds.
“That’s the difference between civilian life and military life. Civilians are all out on their own, but in the military you’re one big family and everyone helps one another,” he said. “When I first got out I missed that.”
Taking part in Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield with Division III of the Marines during the 1990s, Sabb experienced harsh weather conditions and had to dig holes in the ground for his sleeping bag. But the hardest part was being away from his family, especially his small kids.
In between trips to Japan and Southwest Asia, freezing temperatures, dense sandstorms and getting creative with ready to eat meals, Sabb remembers only getting nervous once.
During the Persian Gulf War, Sabb had to trek through Kuwaiti oil fires with gear on while barely being able to see – all the while, enemies were coming straight ahead.
With so much confusion and panic, just for a moment, Sabb remembered feeling truly shaken for the first time.
“It was about 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning when we first breached through the minefields, but the soot from the burning oil wells was so thick it looked like it was midnight,” he said. “It was pitch black, and the entire uniform we had on was full of smut when we came out of it. I’ll never forget that.”
Despite his momentary fear and some of the horrible things he witnessed, Sabb said he often endured hard moments by relying on his faith.
“I trusted God to protect me through it all and he did,” he said.
Sabb later left the Marines in order to care for his ill wife and children, but leaving the military did not truly hit him until they scraped off his car’s access sticker to get on and off base.
“That’s when it really hit me and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s it. I’m out,’” he said. “My mother said to me, ‘Now when you go out of that gate for the last time at Camp Lejeune, don’t look in your rearview mirror. Just keep driving, Son. But when you do look back in it, Camp Lejeune is going to be so far behind you, you won’t be able to see it anymore. That chapter in your life don’ closed, and it’s time to start another chapter in your life.’”
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Sabb said even leaving the Marines taught him something invaluable – that life has many chapters and one has to keep moving forward through it all. Things end and, good or bad, things do not last forever, but it is important to always pick up the new things in life and move on, he said.
After adjusting back to civilian life with his mom’s advice, Sabb began work as a sales agent for a pest control company, but it did not satisfy a need inside him. So in 2000, he decided to pursue a new family and uniform – law enforcement.
Following his first spotting of a patrol car once he stopped serving, Sabb said he became enthralled with working for the Marshal’s Office after he first saw the official, shiny blue vehicle.
“At that split moment, I just saw myself in that position, and I saw myself in that car driving as a Marshal,” he said. “I just enjoy serving people and I have a servant’s heart.”
But it was more than just the car that drew Sabb in. It was the idea of continuing to help serve those who cannot help or protect themselves. For him, it has always been about making the world a better place for others.
As a drill instructor during part of his years of service, Sabb saw firsthand how it forever changed young men and helped completely change them into someone better.
“The difference between who they were in the beginning and who they were at the end is just amazing,” he said. “You’d think they were totally different people.”
Even over a decade of service and 21 years in the Marshal’s Office, Sabb still works everyday to continually make his community a better place. With the Marine Corps’ 247th birthday occurring on Nov. 10, Sabb said he still gets chills whenever he hears the Marine’s hymn play.
“The rest is history, and that’s my story,” he said. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at now if it weren’t for my time in the military. It just taught me so much.”
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
