U.S. Marine From Pittsburgh Helps Provide Support For 59th Presidential Inauguration
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
WASHINGTON (KDKA) - A United States Marine from Pittsburgh was one of more than 800 service members assigned to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region for the 59th Presidential Inauguration.
Gunnery Sgt. Jennifer Quinn is a 2001 graduate of Keystone Oaks High School and a 2005 graduate of Point Park University.
Sgt. Quinn has 14 years of military service and served as an assistant to the special events project officer for the Joint Task Force-Special Events. Her role was to make sure that uniforms were in regulations and that all safely returned to and from events.
"It's a once in a lifetime event [that] not many people can say they've been a part of," she said. "To be a part of something so impactful and traditional is pretty unique. We did get to go to D.C. and do a site survey, and I've never been to D.C. before. We also went to Arlington Cemetery and it's beautiful in its own right. It's something I will cherish and [it will] stick with me."
The Joint Task Force-National Capital Region is a joint service command charged with coordinating all military support for the presidential inauguration. The joint service includes members from all branches of the United States armed forces.
Sgt. Quinn enlisted in the Marine Corps after earning her bachelor's degree from Point Park.
"I had a good-paying job and I looked around, like, 'man, it's a nice job, but I didn't have passion for it,'" said Quinn. "I didn't want to be 40 years old in a job just because it was a good-paying job. I initially went to talk with an Army recruiter and he wasn't there. My Marine recruiter was outside and that was it."