Marine Corps Gazette

Jan. 25, 2011:

Most of us answered our nation's call after September 11, 2001.  While many went out and bought yellow ribbons to put on their bumpers, only a few went down to an office and jumped on a red pull-up bar before being sent to a foundry in San Diego, Parris Island, or Quantico.  Those who had already been forged and tempered over time mustered years of experience and military professional reading in order to impart their wisdom and leadership on the new.  Less than 1% of the U.S. population actively serve in the armed forces, and an even tinier fraction in our beloved Corps. (pause for dramatic effect...)

I make no apologies for being biased in my opinion that even though we represent a small fraction of Americans, we as Marines have proven ourselves as the preeminent schoolhouse for leadership and management training, especially when the stakes are high.

Jan. 22, 2012:

This week, representatives from Headquarters Marine Corps, Marine Corps Systems Command, Marine Corps Logistics Command and the operating forces will gather in Albany, GA, to develop a depot-maintenance plan for all of the Marine Corps' ground equipment (to include the equipment being retrograded back to the U.S. from Afghanistan for reset).  The plan that's developed will ultimately become the Marine Corps' overall depot-maintenance requirement for the budget years across the Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP).  Developing the plan is an immense effort that's chock-full of complexities and unique planning considerations.  The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps issued guidance to the major stakeholders earlier this month, and he'll actually be in attendance for part of the week-long proceedings.  That's how important an effort this is to the Marine Corps.

Jan. 21, 2012:

Thom Shanker from the NYT reports this morning about Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta's decision to take the F-35B Lightning II off of probation. The B variant is a short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) jet capable of taking off from short landing strips or the deck of an amphibious ship (as opposed to a catapult-assisted launch and an arrested landing on a full-sized carrier). The Marine Corps' story is that STOVL is needed for (a) use in amphibious scenarios and (b) expeditionary scenarios where landing sites are limited. Shanker alludes to this in discussing "the importance to the Marine Corps of coming up with a replacement for its Harrier jump-jet, which has proved its value in countering insurgencies and terrorists in rugged, remote areas."

Jan. 20, 2012:

We are at risk of being blind-sided by peace. With the end of the Iraq War and the gradual end to the Marine involvement in Afghanistan, more heads are turning towards the future.  Future threats, flashpoints, and theaters of operations are thrown about in policy papers and casual conversation.  A new Pacific-centric posture has been laid out with a new Marine Corps outpost opening in Australia.  In the military blogosphere, pundits argue about the death of COIN, the lessons learned from the Long War, and the looming budget cuts. However, as an institution, are we adequately preparing ourselves for the impending peace?  Simply put, I am not sure.  This blog post is not to offer the best solutions but to identify an issue and stimulate conversation with like-minded professionals to determine our options.

Jan. 19, 2012:

Here are two videos: One is a CrossFit demonstration of explosive lifts and one is by Coach Hatch who coached the 2004 USA Mens Olympic Weightlifting team.

The CrossFit video shows horrible weight lifting technique. The Coach Hatch video has great technique.

Bad technique is just one reason CrossFit is bad.

Jan. 17, 2012:

Over the past several days, it seems like almost everyone on earth has registered an opinion regarding the group of Marines in Afghanistan who, in front of a video camera, urinated on three dead Taliban fighters.  The official U.S. response was, rightly, denunciation.  The Secretary of Defense released a statement on January 12th condemning the Marines' actions in the strongest possible terms.  The Secretary of State, Secretary of the Navy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commandant of the Marine Corps also issued statements condemning the Marines' actions, as did the White House and President Hamid Karzai.

Jan. 17, 2012:

Continuing in the vein of making the Marine Corps a lighter, meaner force with a more sustainable budget, I want to share some half-formed thoughts I have about the structure of the Marine Corps. Matt Mackewich mentioned this idea in the above linked post.

First, this blog is not the only place where the need to modernize the Marine Corps in the face of changing budget realities has been discussed. LtGen Richard Mills, CG MCCDC, spoke recently to the Surface Navy Association about this very topic. In his presentation, he focused on the programs and the capabilities that the Marine Corps would need to retain or expand in the future. We will need to retain bone and expand muscle but at the same time we need to take an e-tool to the fat.

Jan. 16, 2012:

On Sunday an IED blast in Ramadi killed 10, and their deaths made front page news.

That’s quite a change from 2005, when some 12,000 Iraqi’s were killed, along with 942 Americans – that was 1,100 deaths monthly, or 37 every day of the year. Also in Sunday’s news was that SSGT Frank Wuterich’s trial had finally started, for allegedly shooting civilians in Haditha.

In 2005 the morning TV news reguarly blared “Marines killed in Anbar,” including that August day when a 6-man Marine sniper unit on the outskirts of Haditha was attacked by a large insurgent group and quickly overrun. The group’s website showed the body of a slain Marine with the insurgents claiming they’d slit the throats of some of the Marines they’d killed. Three days later the news was more horrific; an AAV hit a huge roadside bomb and was catastrophically destroyed, killing 14 Marines and their Iraqi interpreter. The lone survivor was blown from the vehicle.

Jan. 14, 2012:

Our doctrine is a collection of a relatively small set of universal truths about war.  Our doctrine is not a list of useful solutions to particular problems.  However, we as Marines often use the term “doctrine” to refer to more than these universal truths, these timeless principles we enshrine in our Marine Corps Doctrine publications. When a Marine uses the term ‘doctrine’ he often does so in reference to techniques and procedures, things that are not ‘doctrine.’  In the case of discussing techniques and procedures a Marine would be better served in using the term ‘convention.’

Jan. 13, 2012:

For good or bad, the Marine Corps is downsizing. From 202K down to 185K is certain, and current rumors are swirling of additional cuts to 175K.

This is a difficult job market for those with prior civilian job experience; for those young Marines-soldiers and others the current unemployment rate exceeds 30% - that's an embarrassing rejection of those who served their country.