ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE DARWIN, Australia -- He grew up in the third-fastest growing town in Indiana, but if you took a minute to talk to him, you'd never know it.
The small-town charm and warm personality of Justin R. Robison, a petty officer 3rd class in the Navy, can bring a smile to anyone's face. As a religious program specialist with Marine Aircraft Group 12, those traits not only gain him respect as a good, wholehearted person, but are the kind of qualities he must possess to carry out his job.
Robison is here supporting his chaplain and the religious needs of the Marines participating in Southern Frontier 2003 - a MAG-12 evolution designed for elements of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to conduct air-to-ground core competency training.
He grew up in an openly religious home with parents who practiced a more nontraditional, new-age type spiritual belief. Although he was baptized Methodist, Robison attended a Catholic high school "because they would be tougher on me than the public schools in my neighborhood," he explained. The Catholic high school was just the thing he needed to combat an "overactive, energetic personality."
After high school Robison entered a Navy recruiter's office without a clue as to the type of career he desired. And by chance, like finding a four-leaf clover or catching sight of a shooting star, the career he chose ended up being a match "made in heaven."
"I really didn't know what it meant to be a religious program specialist," said Robison. "But after speaking to another RP in boot camp, I began to realize just how unique my job is."
What's even more unique is the fact that Robison is agnostic, which, by his own personal explanation, means he believes "there is a superior being out there, but I just don't worship it. I understand the beliefs, but I don't think it is necessary to have a church to talk to a higher being."
Navy Lt. Pete Fremont-Smith, MAG-12 chaplain, said the fact that Robison is agnostic doesn?t have any bearing on his ability to be a successful religious program specialist.
"You don't have to be a religious person, but you do need to be knowledgeable about a lot of religions and be respectful to them," added Fremont-Smith, who has worked with Robison for the past two years. "He is a people person with a real desire to learn, which makes him great at his job."
In garrison, Fremont-Smith explained that the RP's duties are mainly administrative, including such tasks as taking the numbers at mass, maintaining the religious offering fund and organizing the set up and breakdown of each service.
"His job is to work hand-in-hand with the chaplain and really act as an unseen bridge between the troops and myself," said Fremont-Smith. "A lot of the people I meet are through him."
But, he added, if the two were to ever be in a combat situation, Robison would take on the roll of "our guardian angel. He is our special protector."
With a cheery smile, Robison added that he is quite pleased with his decision to enter the religious program specialist field and would be there in a heartbeat to protect his chaplain if ever the situation arose.
"He has a good heart and a real desire to do his best," said Fremont-Smith.
Robison, along with the crew from Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, will return to MCAS Iwakuni this week after completing the first phase of Southern Frontier 2003.