MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. --  Being a member of the world's most elite security force requires immeasurable sacrifice, dedication and professionalism, but becoming the best of the best is, most certainly, more difficult.

The American Correctional Association and the Military Corrections Committee will be presenting Staff Sgt. Ryan S. Dunn, a corrections specialist with Security Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, with the 2011 Marine Corps Best of the Best Corrections Specialist of the Year Award at the ACA 2012 Summer Conference in Denver, Colorado, July 20 - 25.

"Dunn is truly a Marine's Marine," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joseph J. Moschetto, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Brig commanding officer. "He's a standing poster-child for the Marine Corps."

Facing critical staff reductions and mission task renovations, Moschetto confidently awarded Dunn, who was the acting company gunnery sergeant at the time, the responsibility of re-evaluating and improving the facility's correctional training readiness program.

"He was placed in that gunnery sergeant billet and given that task because of his personal merit and because of the type of Marine that he is," said Moschetto. "Dunn took my mission intent and the information from the training and readiness manual and put his own spin on it which made the training more interesting and appealing to the new generation (of Marines)."

Dunn said, his past encounters have contributed to his continuous efforts to be the best Marine he can be.

"When I was a young (Marine), I scrutinized my leaders,” said Dunn, referring the mentors that didn’t quite measure up to his expectations. “I never wanted to be that type of leader."

He said, with the roles reversed, his junior Marines now look to him to be the example and he does everything possible to live up to that standard.

"I stress about the little things,” said Dunn, referring to his daily motivation and habitual concern about his appearance and physical fitness. “I think that's what sets me apart."

Moschetto said, with every Marine Corps and naval correctional facility working to become ACA accredited, he credits Dunn's actions as being a major reason Camp Pendleton is the front runner in that process, as Pendleton is approximately two years ahead of any other brig.

Dunn's next endeavor will be at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, where he will become an instructor, training the next generation to become best of the best corrections specialist.