Sandia Emergency Planner Anthony Trimble says the rivalry between military branches gives rise to great deal of friendly smack talk. “You can imagine that this kind of joking happens a lot in my family, because my siblings and I have all served in different branches,” Anthony says. Two of his brothers served in the US Army and his sister served in the US Air Force. Despite the teasing, he says their shared military experience has only made them closer.

Anthony says his own service in the Marine Corps, and its long-standing reputation for training the best of the best, is a constant source of pride in the Trimble family.   

“I have had the honor of serving in a variety of Marine Corps units, each of which taught me critical skills,” he says. “These skills have helped me succeed in my work at Sandia’s California site.”

Anthony started with the backbone of the Corps — the Marine infantry. Working with the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines showed him how the infantry supports operations across multiple companies and platoons. During his first three years in the Marines, he was the weapons company radio chief. Being assigned to a company removed from headquarters required flexibility and creativity, he says.  

After his time with the infantry, he spent several years at the Marine Aircraft Wing Headquarters as the communications platoon sergeant. “Managing people has a steep learning curve with little room for mistakes,” he says. “However, there are many rewards. I loved seeing young Marines take on challenges and succeed with limited resources. They had energy and enthusiasm while adapting to and overcoming challenges.”

He says that he now finds this same energy at Sandia, where challenging problems are tackled every single day.

Once a Marine, always a Marine

Doing his part for the country is bigger than just putting on a uniform, Anthony says, adding that he’s a Marine 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

As part of continuing his public service, he helps coordinate the Toys for Tots program at Sandia/ California.  

“Being involved with this campaign has been as rewarding as any of my military service experiences. The Sandia community is incredibly generous and supportive of the effort to provide underprivileged children with a great Christmas.”  

Sandia has donated more than 500 toys annually for the past several years. Last year’s campaign ended at a critical moment.

“As we were pulling into the local Toys for Tots distribution center to unload 543 collected toys, we found volunteers anxiously waiting for us,” he says. “The center had run out of toys minutes before we arrived. They were about send volunteers home because they could no longer fill the needs from local nonprofits. Toys from Sandia helped save the day and provide children with a special Christmas.”  

The goal this year at the California site is to surpass last year’s contributions. “We are confident that the site will help us meet that goal, and will continue to support this effort for years to come,” he says.