The Marine Corps Gazette is the professional journal for ALL Marines and is NOW fully online so our members and subscribers can read it anywhere they can access the internet 24 / 7.

 Not only is the entire print magazine available to all MCA members and subscribers ONLINE, but now, Gazette just added a dynamic new ONLINE feature as well... Gazette now showcases Discussion Boards accessible through the Gazette homepage, allowing responsible readers to contribute to the ongoing, intellectual dialogues on a range of timely operational, technical, tactical, procedural and doctrinal issues and concerns.

Gazette encourages our members to join the professional debates in the professional journal for Marines. Think, Write and make your views known... Visit the Marine Corps Gazette homepage TODAY to check out the ONLINE edition of Gazette and to read the brewing controversies on the Gazette Discussion Board: www.mca-marines.org/gazette/

The February edition of Gazette is sure to provide a volume of fresh grist for the new Discussion Board’s millstones. As a quick highlight, February’s issue deals with evolving operational art in two feature articles exploring the concept of distributed operations in the Marine Corps. Another article continues the debate on intelligence requirements, expectations and capabilities – not at the top echelon staff level but rather from the perspective of the small unit.

The month's feature article is on the "Single Battle" concept. The article challenges the conventional view of modern conflict in terms of deep, close and rear battles, suggesting a more holistic view is a more insightful and effective way to perceive the battle.

The life-blood of the Marine Corps Association is our member base. We work hard to acquire and even harder to keep members in the Professional Association for All Marines. Beginning this month, MCA will send 2 renewal notice reminders (instead of 3) and will continue to add a Magazine Cover Wrap reminder if the member has not responded to the second reminder. A final, follow-up phone call from an MCA telemarketing representative completes the effort to ward off membership expirations. 

Special Membership Renewal Promotion  Through the month of July, members who renew their membership by the 10th of the month following receipt of their FIRST renewal bill, invoice or notice, will automatically get their names included in a random drawing to win a bottle of USMC Semper Fi Cologne. We are starting with cologne but are looking to expand the prize base as additional incentive for members who respond quickly to their membership notices and to thank our members for being a part of MCA. Winners will be mentioned in future issues of MCA Today.

Visit the new MCA homepage (www.mca-marines.org) and check out what MCA is all about.

In particular, MCA invites our members and viewers attention to our UPCOMING EVENTS section, which remains on the right side of our home page. We update this section frequently to keep our members current with MCA’s dynamic schedule and other events of interest to MCA members.

Check out the TOOL Bars at the top AND at the bottom of the home page for site navigation. The bottom tool bar has an interesting link to “Other Sites of Interest” which provides an extensive list of Marine oriented sites our members may want to visit. A great resource, we encourage our visitors to suggest other sites to add to our list.

Just a reminder that we'd like all Marines and their spouses who are looking for work to post their resumes on our job site and to pass along information about this free service to other Marines who are in the job market. Employers are perusing the resumes we have posted and have been talking to potential hires. A lot of businesses want to hire Marines, so this is a great place to market your job skills!

Introductory rates are still available for businesses who seek to hire Marines - so jump in now if you have any job openings. Just $100 gets you one posting and it's as little as $50 for each additional posting through the end of February!

With over 300 posted resumes in our growing database and more postings every day, the newly activated Career Center is really picking up steam. Here are some of the employers currently listing positions in the MCA Career Center:

Xebec Global Corporation
Ultra Electronics DNE Technologies
The Will-Burt Company
The City of Fort Worth
Survice Engineering
Stanley Associates
SBG Technology Solutions, Inc.
R&D Technical Services
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems
Metro Star Systems
Mark G. Anderson Consultants
Keane Federal Systems
Kansas Highway Patrol
HQDA - Army
General Dynamics
Florida Highway Patrol
Examinetics, Inc.
Empowerment Team Enterprises
Eagan, McAllister Associates, Inc.
Capital Advertising Inc.
Boy Scouts of America
Aviation Management Inc., LLC
A&R Companies

As a brief but heartfelt testimonial to MCA’s new Career Center, the Boy Scouts of America’s Human Resources Director recently wrote:

“We have received excellent candidates and thank you so much again.”

CHECK IT OUT... Click here to review the site, post your resume, look over the jobs, or to post a job if your company is looking to hire Marines.

MCA sponsors a range of interesting events that support Marines and, of course, our members. Here is a list of some of the key events coming up. We cordially invite our readers to visit our web site for a complete and updated list.  Visit http://www.mca-marines.org/profdev/events.htm to stay current.

MCA Luncheon-Washington DC Area
On 22 January 2007 the Marine Corps Association will host the first of several MCA Luncheons in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Formerly known as MCA Retiree Luncheons, the events provide an opportunity for the areas Marine community, both active duty and retired, to gather in a fraternal setting and listen to informed leaders addressing the current issues affecting national security, generally and the Marine Corps specifically. MCA is pleased to announce that the guest speaker for the first luncheon is the newly appointed 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway, USMC.

Thanks to our MCA Luncheon Gold Sponsors:        

For more information and to schedule your reservation, please visit our web site at www.mca-marines.org.

MCA Ground Dinner – Washington DC Area
On 29 March 2007, MCA will co-host the first of 2 annual Ground Dinners with HQMC’s PP&O division. The Dinners provide a forum for presentation of issues important to the Headquarters, Ground and Combat Service Support Elements of the Marine Air Ground Task Force and feature prominent leaders as guest speakers.
For more information and to schedule your reservation, please visit our web site at www.mca-marines.org.

INTRODUCING:  A New MCA-Sponsored Safety Net That Locks In For 10 Full Years

Now you can set up solid Life Insurance Protection for your loved ones with MCA's new 10-Year Level Term Life Plan. This plan gives you up to $250,000.00 in coverage with two important guarantees:

1. Coverage Stays Locked In For 10 Years.  No matter what changes in your career or health, you can rest assured that the coverage you set up today will be the same coverage that is still standing by your loved ones a decade later.
2. Rates Stay Locked In For 10 Years.  Your MCA group rates start out a good deal based on the strong buying power of more than 90,000 Members. But the MCA took that financial advantage even further by negotiating your 10-Year Rate Lock (that means that your rates on day 1 will be the same ones you're entitled for 10 years).

Of course, you can rest assured this blanket of protection includes NO military war clauses or exclusions. That's an important peace-of-mind consideration for every current Marine Corps member.

Check out the MCA 10-Year Level Term Life Plan and see the advantages for yourself:  MCA's new 10-Year Level Term Life Plan gives you affordable term life protection – guaranteed to stay the same for the next 10 years.

The MCA World Points Platinum Plus MasterCard is available to MCA Members. Click here for more information and to apply.

MBNA's recent merger with Bank of America means additional member benefits to you. Greater financial options for your consideration will be forthcoming. We will soon be offering American Express cards to our members. Look for more information in upcoming issues.

Apple Member Purchase Program
Marine Corps Association members and their families can now take advantage of the Apple Member Purchase Program (MPP).

With the Apple Member Purchase Program (MPP), you can purchase Apple products at a substantial savings for your own personal use. This includes items like the popular iPod music player and our award-winning PowerBook, iMac, iBook, screamingly fast Power Mac G5 and MacBook Pro. Members will also enjoy savings on Apple software and other third-party products, including a multitude of speakers, cases and other accessories made for your iPod.

MCA Members receive:
• Special MCA Member discounts on Apple products, including iPods
• Free standard shipping on all orders over $50
• Free laser engraving on all iPods
• Quarterly promotions
• Online custom product configuration

Members click here to log-in to visit the MCA/Apple Government MPP online store and receive your discount.

Or call 1-800-MY-APPLE (and mention that you're an MCA Member).

Dell also gives quality discounts to MCA Members. Spring cleaning rapidly approaches!!!! Throw out your clunky old junk and make way for a kicking new Dell.

Visit dell.com/ghc/flyer or call 1-866-257-4711. Member ID: DS62593492

If you experience problems with our Online Store, with telephone orders or with your membership, the following phone numbers can get you the assistance you need: