MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Her natural, pearly smile shows that she loves what she does. It's almost always on her face.
Cpl. Kate Utterback said she loves being a military policeman, a noncommissioned officer and just being a Marine in general. Part of this feeling comes from her success at Corporals Course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.
"Last year, I heard I was going to Corporals Course," said the 21-year-old. "I've always heard horror stories about the (physical training), which isn't my strong point. I was afraid of failure. I didn't want to go at all."
Utterback changed her tune once her leaders gave her some encouragement.
"Cpl. Utterback was scared at first," said Gunnery Sgt. Syranard Watson, operations chief, Depot Provost Marshal's Office. "When the time got closer for her to go, she completely changed her attitude. She changed her diet and started doing a lot more PT. She was still nervous when she left, but I could see she was a lot more confident."
The confidence Watson saw in Utterback was genuine.
"It turned out to be a blast," she said. "All the things I was scared of - the PT, the drill, the inspections - turned out fun. They made the PT competitive, and the instructors were encouraging. They didn't make you feel bad. They helped instead."
Utterback did very well in the inspections and the academic portions of the course, and the instructors selected her as the honor graduate of her class.
"Before Utterback left, she told me that she was going to be the honor grad," said Watson. "When she actually got it, she surprised a lot of people here. Her self-esteem went through the roof."
Utterback agreed: "That really motivated me. It helped my perspective a lot."
Her success hasn't stopped with extracurricular training. Utterback has a found a niche with the MPs, and she hopes to advance her law enforcement career.
"After I'm done here, I want to go to (Military Police Investigations)," she said. "It's hard to get selected for it, but I think I can do it."
Utterback joined the Marines with close friend Lance Cpl. Lisa Wood, also an MP here. Luck just happened to keep them together.
"Wood and I have been friends since 5th grade," said the Norwalk, Iowa, native. "We came in on the buddy program, and we've been together all the way."
The ladies both thought military police would be a good occupation.
"I just thought being an MP sounded fun," said Wood. "Kate wanted to do it too, so it worked out."
But Utterback said her reasons were more deep-rooted.
"My dad was an Army MP," she said. "I'm really just daddy's little girl, and I always want to make him proud. But I joined the Marines because I wanted to be better."
Utterback said her father, T.J. Utterback is very proud of her, which makes her very happy. He is currently vacationing in Jamaica to celebrate his wedding anniversary.
"When I graduated boot camp, he met me at the parade deck," said Utterback. "We were both bawling. We just cried together because we were so happy. That's one of my best memories."
In her barracks room, Utterback displays an old photo of a uniformed T.J. Utterback. The family resemblance is undeniable.
"I've had that picture with me the whole way," said Utterback. "In boot camp, I kept it in the center of my footlocker. I had it through (Marine Combat Training), MP school and now in my room here."
An outgoing friendliness mixed with a sense of humor sums up Utterback - traits she said she got from her dad. Wood said Utterback's agreeable personality is the reason the two have remained friends for so long.
"She's just funny," said Wood. "She doesn't care what other people think, even if she's acting silly. She is a lot of fun to be around."
While on duty, Utterback said she tries to keep her jovial persona, and Watson said he sees how it benefits her.
"She gets along with all the Marines here," said Watson. "All the Marines under her respect her, and she gets along great with her peers. She has really become an example of what I expect my corporals (to) be. She helps others get ready for Corporals Course, and I think she is a good example for female Marines to follow. She sticks with her education, and she's involved in a lot of off-duty activities."
Utterback's noticeable merit has earned her greater responsibility than a corporal should have, according to Watson. Utterback serves as a patrol supervisor and a desk sergeant - both jobs for sergeants or higher.
"To me, the desk sergeant is the heart of our operation," said Watson. "For her to be able to step up and fill that billet reflects her initiative."
Since her Corporals Course success, Utterback's mentality and perspective of the Marine Corps and what she does has elevated to a new plateau of positives.
"I expect certain things from my Marines, and especially from my corporals," said Watson. "She does that, and much more."