"... Childers had been an exemplary, even remarkable . After enlisting in the U.S. Marines fresh out of high school in , in 1990, Childers had scored high marks at , and then at a Light Armored Driver's course in California. Eight months after enlisting, Childers had briefly served in combat during the . After seasoning in a combat platoon at , Childers had been selected for a particularly coveted duty, marine security guard service at foreign embassies, and eventually had been stationed at embassies and consulates in ; Paris; and Nairobi, Kenya. In a variety of disciplines—platoon tactics, light armored reconnaissance, guard command, and especially physical fitness—Childers had consistently achieved the highest training and personal evaluations, and scored average in only one area, marksmanship."