Middleport native promoted to serve in Pentagon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A former Meigs County resident has made a career of serving the United States of American and it has led him to serving at The Pentagon.

This month Master Sergeant Joshua Hooten will be promoted to the rank of E9, Maser Gunnery Sergeant. This is the highest enlisted rank in the Marine Corps. After promotion, he will be relocating to Washington D.C. where he will be working at The Pentagon. Hooten, from Middleport and a graduate of Meigs High School has earned various recognitions for his service in the Marine Corps.

Master Sergeant Hooten reported to MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina in June 2000 for recruit training. Upon graduation of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Basic Course at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, he was assigned as a 7251 ATC Trainee at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina for on the job training, earning all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tower qualifications and the designation as a tower supervisor and the Primary MOS of 7257 ATC Specialist and the Additional MOS of 7252 ATC-Tower Controller. He was meritoriously promoted to Corporal in March of 2002.

In May 2004, he deployed as a Tower Watch Supervisor in support of the 22^nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina which deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In December 2005, he reported to Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS) 1, MCAS Yuma, Arizona to serve as a Tower Watch Supervisor. He deployed with the squadron from January to September 2006 to Al Asad Airbase, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following the Unit’s deployment to Iraq, he was selected to attend Weapons and Tactics Instruction 1-07 at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1) MCAS Yuma, Arizona where he was certified as a Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team (MMT) Leader Instructor.

In July 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and selected as the MMT Staff Non-CommissionedOfficer in Charge (SNCOIC) of the 11^th MEU, Camp Pendleton, California. While attached to the 11^th MEU, he served as a Tower Liaison at Udari Army Airfield, Kuwait and Djibouti, Africa in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In July 2008, he returned to MCAS Yuma, Arizona where he served as an ATC Crew Chief. In March 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

In June 2010, he reported to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, as a Facility Watch Officer. In November 2011, through on the job training, he gained the Additional MOS’s of 7253 ATC-Radar Arrival/Departure Controller and 7254 ATC Radar Approach Controller. In February 2012, February 2013, and February 2014 he deployed with MACS-4, Marine Air Traffic Control Detachment (MATCD) B to Thailand in support of exercise COBRA GOLD as the Detachment Operations Chief. In August 2012, he attended the Command Control and Communications course at MAWTS-1 where he was designated a Weapons and Tactics Instructor and gained the Additional MOS of 7277 Weapons and Tactics Instructor – Air Command and Control.

In May 2013, he reported to MACS-2, MATCD B, MCAS New River, North Carolina as the Detachment Operations Chief. In February 2015, he once again deployed to Thailand in support of exercise COBRA GOLD as the Detachment SNCOIC. In March 2015, he was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant and then assumed the role of Detachment NCOIC of MACS-2, MATCD B.

In June 2016, he assumed his current duties as ATC Facility SNCOIC for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. 

Master Sergeant Hooten’s personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (gold star in lieu of third award), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (gold star in lieu of second award), and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Hooten is married to his wife Yolanda and has two children, Emmalyn and Elijah.