Servicemember Profile #1 - Daniel Joseph Malta

Lance Corporal Daneil Joseph Malta started Marine Corps boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina June 25, 2007. "Most people join the Marine Corps to find a identity. I joined because I knew myself and wanted to be sure of that."

More than a year ago now Malta walked into a Marine Corps recruiting office with dreadlocks and a tie-die shirt on. He was forward with the recruiter. He was a self desribed hippie back then. He didn't want to be on the front lines killing people and he had a big mouth so he didn't want to do anything secretive.

After looking through jobs they decided on the combat correspondent field. The next day a Marine from the public affairs office for the district came to talk to him.

Malta came to Okinawa July 15, 2008.

"I love it. I'm what they call a neophilliac. I am a lover of the new. New things, new people, new places. That is what I live for."

Malta will be stationed here for the next 2 years.

He is a broadcaster for the Armed Forces Network, a group of military ran radio and television stations that can be heard and seen throughout the island. He works with 16 people, 9 being Marines. The others are Air Force and some of the Okinawans that have jobs there.

The broadcasting billet usually takes additional 3 months of classwork at the Defense Information School located in Fort Meade, Maryland but Malta was allowed to come here and do on the job training instead.

"I do commercials and tell the TV what to play pretty much."

Malta has a full work day starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m.

For right now Malta works behind the camera. He creates 15 second spots for television. They are basically billboards. They consist of one frame with a moving background and sometimes a voice over done by Malta.

"Every day we get these things called readers for the television and radio. People have things they send in and want advertised. It's pretty much my decision what gets advertised."

For example, Malta did a spot for a dog first aid class.

Malta doesn't really think much of the 1.5 million Japanese and the 40,000 American audience.
"I think it's cool. I love being in front of people. I've been an actor since I was little."

When Malta isn't working he likes to work out, paint and watch movies.

He's traveled the island including a couple trips to the capital of Okinawa, Naha.

"I've been to Naha. Naha is just a strip of places to shop, drink etc."

Malta likes traveling and hanging out with his friend Cerna. Malta met Cerna in JRC.

"Now we're really good friends. Our personalities don't clash. We get along."

While Malta is stationed on Okinawa he hopes to learn Japanese and become better at his job in hopes of being a radio DJ.