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The event served as the opportunity to recognize the achievements of the Corps top performing logisticians during 2010 and featured General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps as the featured speaker and award presenter.
A no-host social hour preceded the dinner and award presentation event, along with a separate VIP reception for the award recipients and their families and sponsors. Following the conclusion of the social hour, dinner guests were summoned to the dinning room to view a traditional presentation and retirement of the colors performed by a ceremonial detachment from Quantico’s Ceremonial Platoon and a brief musical interlude provided by the “President’s Own.” MajGen Edward G. Usher, USMC (Ret), President and CEO of the Marine Corps Association made welcoming and brief administrative remarks and was followed by the Chaplain of the Marine Corps, RADM Margaret Kibben, USN who offered a dinner invocation.
Following an enjoyable dinner, LtGen Frank A. Panter, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics took the stage, acknowledged a number of dinner guests, noted that the Commandant and Assistant Commandant’s and their wives were in the audience and then mentioned that the Manion Family was strongly represented at the dinner with 22 of the family in attendance. LtGen Panter pointed out that the award for the Officer Logistician of the Year was renamed this year in honor of posthumous Silver Star recipient 1stLt Travis Manion. LtGen Panter then introduced the guest speaker, General Amos.
The theme of General Amos’s remarks were on the subject of Marine logistics. He started by saying that logistics leadership was very strong and that the logistics community was the best he had seen in over 30 years. He pointed out that previously, there were no Combat Logistics Battalions and that logistics used to be a cobbled together affair until leaders like LtGen Kramlich, Wissler and Coleman used their vision and imagination to make long term organizational and equipment improvements.
Telling of the Marine effort in Afghanistan, he indicated that it has been very tough but that there have been significant improvements there in spite of the fact that the Press have been reporting that the Marines are in over their heads. He pointed out that, after many months of hard effort by Marines on the ground, he, the Commandant, was able to go to Afghanistan during Christmas and walk around without the need for a flak jacket and that healthy markets were springing up all over the country, run by thankful people. He highlighted the critical role that effective and responsive Marine logistics played in enabling this positive development and he stated how proud he was of the happy and proud combat loggies who consistently worked around the clock to enable Marines to perform their mission.
Switching gears a bit to the subject of the budget woes affecting the armed forces, he stated forcefully that the Marine Corps is NOT under attack and that our future is bright.
In his preparation efforts to be the Commandant, General Amos said he met with every living Commandant for advice and that a statement by General Al Gray particularly stuck with him. “Logistics is what sets us apart.”
He closed with a promise to deliver a new, improved and effective AAV before the end of his term and then paid tribute to 1st Lt Travis Manion, the newly designated namesake of the Officer Logistician of the Year Award.
Following his remarks, General Amos helped officiate the logistics awards presentations for the following recipients: (Unfortunately, the Manion Award failed to arrive in time from the sculptor to be presented during the awards ceremony and all the other awards arrived mid way through the dinner but just in time for presentation.)
The 1st Lt Travis Manion Memorial Officer Logistician of the Year Award was sponsored by Raytheon and the Marine Corps Association Foundation and was presented to Capt Miguel Cruz.
The Marine Corps Enlisted Logistician of the Year Award was sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton and the Marine Corps Association Foundation and was presented to SSgt Jacob Reichert.
The Civilian Marine Logistician of the Year Award was sponsored by Battelle and the Marine Corps Association Foundation and was presented to Mr. Jeffrey T. Millazo.
The Marine Logistics Unit of the Year-2010 was sponsored by Deloitte Consulting and the Marine Corps Association and was presented to Combat Logistics Regiment 15.
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