Every Marine understands the office of command. It is where the action starts and the buck stops. It doesn’t matter if he is called the Old Man or she is referred to as CO (commanding officer), there is no ambiguity concerning the authority and position that the CO holds. Likewise all Marines also understand that the sergeant major or first sergeant is the resident authority and principal advisor to the CO for enlisted matters. Together the CO and the senior enlisted leader form the nucleus of the command team of the organization, but they are augmented by a third, often misunderstood, member of the command group—the executive officer or XO.
At one extreme, many Marines think that the XO’s job description is limited to being the terror of new second lieutenants and acting as the unit’s chief inquisitor, responsible for torturing and harassing the staff. At the other extreme, he may well have the reputation of being the hermit at the end of the hall who is shackled to the computer, emerging only for cups of coffee and various staff meetings. In practical reality, however, the XO’s responsibilities are actually much more diverse and are certainly much more important. Senior to everyone in the unit except the CO, he is the second in command. Where the CO leads through subordinate commanders, the XO directs action through the staff, acting as the teacher for scholars who constitute the key personnel of the unit. Also, he is the executor of commander’s intent and the steward of the institution, ensuring that it does not stray from the mission that it is intended to perform.
All Marines know that the XO stands ready to assume command should the CO take a 7.62mm round through the forehead, become incapacitated, or go on leave. The responsibility is much more than just being a rubberstamping figurehead, however. In combat the possibility of a CO being killed or wounded is very real. At any time the XO must be versed in the operations of the unit to such an extent that the commander’s intent can be met despite the absence of the commander. That means that he must be performing one set of duties as the XO and also be fully prepared to step up and perform the duties of the CO, ready to accomplish the unit’s mission without hesitation or trepidation. In combat the XO is truly just one bullet or improvised explosive device away from command. The XO must be ready to assume command at any time; it has happened before and will certainly happen again.
The XO has two other crucial duties to perform in addition to being prepared to assume command. The first is to act as the steward of the organization, responsible for ensuring that it accomplishes its assigned mission and that the Marines understand and strive to meet the commander’s intent. The second is to act as the chief trainer and mentor for the officers and Marines who constitute the unit staff.
More than any other Marine in the unit, the XO must be cognizant of the direction provided by the CO. It is the XO’s duty to ensure that the ship that is the unit continues to sail the course set by the commander, and he accomplishes this crucial task by rigorously performing that critical sixth troop leading step—supervision. The XO must regularly engage the staff and subordinate commanders to verify and validate that their actions are meeting the commander’s stated and implied intent; if his supervision is lax, then he is letting the CO down. If the commander has to remind everyone in the unit what it is that he wants, then the XO has failed, and the specter of micromanagement rears its ugly head.
The XO is also the steward of the organization in that he is responsible for ensuring that the unit meets the expectations of the Marine Corps. Every unit has a mission, and it is the duty of each and every Marine in the unit to do their best to accomplish it. In the real world, however, there are many competing interests and personal agendas that conflict with the stated requirements that the unit is supposed to meet, and it is the duty of the XO to make sure that the organization achieves that objective. He must relentlessly supervise the staff to ensure that they are performing their jobs correctly, and he must inspect the results of their labor to validate their efforts. The XO is the whip cracker who must make sure that the unit is as inspection ready as possible, whether a commanding general’s or logistics readiness inspection looms on the horizon or not. It is the duty of the XO to supervise the staff and monitor their efforts so that the CO can focus on leading the unit.
As the second most senior officer in the unit, the XO is also obligated to mentor and guide the younger and less experienced officers and Marines in the unit. He should act as a counselor and advisor, with added emphasis placed on the officer ranks. The XO has the benefit of greater experience and the perspective that it provides, which he should use to broaden the perspective of younger officers. Not every lieutenant can get orders to Marine security guard duty in Europe, although they all seem to try. The XO is the one who must explain how the Marine Corps works, what the ramifications are of decisions about assignments, professional military education, and the myriad other career decisions that every officer faces. The XO is the conduit through which young company grade officers interface with their assignment monitors, and it is his duty to match the capabilities of the officer with the balanced needs of the Marine Corps, the needs of the officer and his or her family, and the career objectives and career path of the officer. Future Commandants of the Marine Corps are somewhere out in the Operating Forces today, and it is the duty of the XO to provide the guidance and mentorship to help them along the path to 8th and I. The XO’s billet is fundamental to the success of the unit. He stands ready at any time to assume the mantle of command should such a drastic measure be required. Equally important, the XO serves as the executor of the CO’s intent and is duty bound to make certain that it is met and followed by the Marines and sailors in the unit. The XO must also make sure that the unit meets the expectations of the Marine Corps writ large, because if the unit cannot do what the institution expects, then all efforts are a waste of time and resources. The XO is so much more than the curmudgeon at the end of the hall; he is the hammer that drives the CO’s and the Marine Corps’ nails into the horseshoe that keeps the horse running down the track. The XO is the essential link in the chain of command that keeps the ship headed in the right direction and keeps the members of the organization focused on what matters—successful mission accomplishment.
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