Answering the Call: From Marine Infantry to Serving Trinidad

On September 9th, 2001, an 18 year old kid from Colorado Springs stepped onto the yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. Paul Tebedo had wanted to be a Marine since he was 12 years old, ever since he saw that iconic 1990s commercial with the sword and the dragon. Two days after he arrived at boot camp, everything changed. September 11th happened, and the trajectory of his life shifted in ways he couldn't yet imagine.

A Childhood Dream Realized

Paul's journey to the Marines started young. At about 13 years old, he asked his father to take him to the Marine Corps recruiting depot in Colorado Springs. He walked in and told Sergeant Bonnel that he wanted to be a Marine. The recruiter chuckled and told him to come back at 18. So that's exactly what Paul did. On his 18th birthday, he told his mom he was going to sign up with the Marine Corps. She said okay, and six months later, he was in boot camp.

The timing couldn't have been more significant. Paul was still in processing at MCRD when the towers fell. He hadn't even picked up his drill instructors yet. As the nation reeled from the attacks, Paul's drill instructor gathered the recruits and asked how many were infantry, designated by the 03 Military Occupational Specialty. A few hands went up, including Paul's. The drill instructor looked at them and said plainly that in the next two years, they would be at war. He wasn't wrong.

From Boot Camp to Baghdad

Paul's MOS was 0311, infantry rifleman. Ground pounder. Knuckle dragger. Door kicker. War fighter. After graduating boot camp, he went to School of Infantry like every infantry Marine, then got assigned to Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, India Company, in 29 Palms, California. There he spent about a year doing operational training, mountain warfare courses, and desert training in the high desert environment.

When Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off, Paul deployed to Iraq for the initial invasion. He turned 19 years old in Kuwait, waiting for the order to cross into Iraq. Within a year and a half to two years of joining the Marines, he was at war, just as his drill instructor had predicted. He ended up doing two back to back combat deployments to Iraq before getting out in 2005 at the age of 23.

Finding Direction After Service

Like so many combat veterans, Paul found himself directionless after leaving the Marine Corps. The skills he had learned were highly specialized and didn't translate easily to civilian life. A lot of combat arms guys go into law enforcement, but Paul wasn't ready for that yet. He worked at Dick's Sporting Goods and other jobs, feeling miserable and adrift.

Eventually, he decided to go back into the military. He went to the Marine Corps recruiter first and was told they would take him back, but they would take a stripe. Paul had been a corporal when he got out, and he had earned that rank. He told them flat out they weren't taking a stripe from him. He tried the Army next but wasn't feeling it. The Air Force active duty recruiter basically told him they didn't want him, an infantry Marine with a very particular set of skills that didn't fit their needs.

Then his youngest brother, who was in the Air Force at the time as part of the 302nd Air Wing, suggested Paul talk to the Reserve recruiter. Paul didn't even know they had their own recruiters. When he met with her and told her what he wanted, she said he could have it. Just like that, Paul ended up in the Air Force Reserves for about three years, this time on the medical side as a medical laboratory technician.

It was something completely different from his infantry background, and that's exactly what he wanted. He got nationally certified as a medical laboratory technician, the person deep in the dungeons of hospitals and clinics running blood samples, stool samples, and all the lab work that produces the findings doctors use for diagnosis. He did that work for quite a few years before deciding it wasn't for him.

A Series of Landings

Paul eventually got connected with his family's roofing company and became a business owner for about 10 to 12 years. He may not have always landed on his feet immediately, but he usually came out on top. Through a series of events he describes as crazy, he ended up applying to the Trinidad Police Department. He got hired and has been serving the community for almost eight years now.

Trinidad brought Paul to southern Colorado, and Phil Long Toyota became part of his life here. A couple years ago, he and his wife purchased a car from the dealership. It was a great experience with a good deal and a good interest rate, back before rates skyrocketed. Paul always brings his vehicles to Phil Long Toyota for maintenance, both his Ford F-150 and his wife's car. He's treated well every time, and that consistency has made him a loyal customer and fan of the dealership.

A Code Learned from Dad

When asked about his code of conduct, the principles he carries with him, Paul is clear that it doesn't come primarily from the military. It comes from his father. Paul's dad is a great man, one of the most honest and truthful individuals Paul has ever known. His father instilled values in all his sons from the time they were children, and those values guide Paul to this day.

"My true north is integrity. And honesty. And sometimes that makes people not like me very much. 'Cause I can be pretty blunt and direct. But he always told us always have integrity even when it's gonna hurt you."

Paul's father also taught his sons to always treat women, children, and animals with kindness and gentleness. That's the code Paul strives for. Nobody's perfect, but that's the standard his dad set, and it's become Paul's standard too. It's shaped how he approaches his work in law enforcement and how he moves through the world.

The philosophy is straightforward. The only thing you actually own in your life is your word. The only thing you ultimately control is your reputation. Sometimes it gets damaged by the actions and gossip of other people, which is out of your control. But in the end, you control your reputation through your choices and your integrity.

A Different Perspective on Recognition

Paul's take on Veterans Day might surprise some people. He's brutally honest about it. It's a day to honor veterans and recognize the sacrifices they've made, including the ultimate sacrifice. But personally, it doesn't really mean that much to him. Like most veterans, he thinks it's been pretty commercialized. A lot of veterans go get their free meal or discounted meal, and Paul just doesn't care about that kind of recognition.

He's more focused on the day to day work of serving his community. Being a police officer means he's in the community every day, doing what he can, when he can, where he can. He's in public service, and that's its own form of giving back that doesn't require a special day or public acknowledgment.

The reality is that Trinidad has a lot of really good, awesome, amazing people. There are bad ones too, but that's everywhere. What Paul has found are a lot of people who are kind, who respect military and law enforcement, who are law abiding and honest and down to earth. Those are the people who make serving worthwhile.

Keeping Trinidad Safe

As a police officer, Paul has some straightforward advice for the community. Keep your head on a swivel and watch your surroundings. Lock your doors. Lock your car doors. Don't leave firearms in your cars. Don't leave keys or valuables or anything else that creates an opportunity for crime. These simple habits make a huge difference in community safety.

It's practical advice born from seeing what happens when people don't take these precautions. Paul deals with the aftermath of unlocked cars and stolen firearms and preventable crimes. He'd rather people just lock their doors and eliminate the easy opportunities for theft. It's a small action with a big impact.

Living in the Moment

Beyond the practical safety advice, Paul has a deeper message for the community. Life is happening right now, and it's worth paying attention to. Trinidad offers so much natural beauty and outdoor opportunities. The Spanish Peaks, the landscapes, the trails, the wide open spaces. It's a privilege to live here, and Paul wants people to embrace that.

"Enjoy Trinidad. We all live here and just enjoy your life. Enjoy where you're at. Enjoy the outdoors. 'cause we've got a lot of cool things to do in this place."

It's advice Paul reminds himself of regularly. When the work is hard and the days are long and the challenges pile up, he looks around at where he lives and what he gets to experience. That perspective helps. Enjoying where you are and what you have isn't always easy, but it's always worthwhile.

The Value of Service

Paul Tebedo represents a particular kind of veteran. He doesn't seek recognition or special treatment. He doesn't talk much about his combat deployments or the things he saw as a 19 year old in Iraq. Those experiences stay with him, the good and the bad, but they're not what defines him.

What defines Paul is the code his father taught him. Integrity, even when it hurts. Honesty, even when it's uncomfortable. Kindness toward those who are vulnerable. Hard work. Treating people with respect. Controlling what you can control, which is your reputation and your word.

He took that code into the Marine Corps, where it was reinforced and tested. He carried it into the Air Force Reserves, into business ownership, and now into law enforcement. It guides how he interacts with the community he serves and protects. It shapes how he shows up every day, whether anyone is watching or not.

From Combat to Community

The transition from Marine infantry to small-town police officer isn't always smooth, but Paul has found his footing. The skills don't translate directly. Kicking down doors in Iraq requires a very different mindset than community policing in Trinidad. But the underlying values do translate. Service. Discipline. Integrity. Showing up when it's hard. Doing the right thing even when it costs you something.

Phil Long Toyota has been part of Paul's experience in Trinidad, providing reliable vehicles and excellent service. But more than that, the dealership represents what's good about the community. People are treated well. Promises are kept. There's a consistency and integrity to how business is conducted that resonates with Paul's own values.

The dealership's commitment to supporting veterans through donations from every car sale and company-wide contributions aligns with Paul's understanding of community responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in making Trinidad a better place. Some serve in uniform. Some serve in business. Some serve through nonprofits or volunteering. The form matters less than the commitment.

A Quiet Legacy

Paul may not think Veterans Day is particularly meaningful, but his service continues every day. Every time he responds to a call. Every time he helps keep the community safe. Every time he treats someone with respect and integrity, even when they don't deserve it or reciprocate it. Every time he chooses honesty when a lie would be easier.

That daily commitment to service is the real legacy of military veterans in communities across America. Not the parades or the discounts or the thank yous, though those have their place. The real legacy is in how veterans carry forward the values they learned and apply them to whatever work they do next.

Paul Tebedo stepped on the yellow footprints as an 18 year old with a childhood dream of becoming a Marine. Two days later, his country was attacked, and everything changed. He went to war as a teenager. He came home and struggled to find his place. He kept moving forward, kept trying new things, kept landing on his feet or getting back up when he didn't.

Now he serves Trinidad as a police officer, carrying the code his father taught him and the experiences the Marines gave him. He's not looking for recognition. He's just doing the work, enjoying the life he's built, and reminding everyone to lock their doors.

And maybe, if we're lucky, to enjoy Trinidad and all it has to offer.

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