Category Archives: Current Events

Current Events

The Corps Part III

9 Comments

I hope all enjoyed a feast yesterday and now have lots of “stuff” to sustain several meals left over.  I love cold turkey sandwiches’ with lettuce, and some cranberries spread about. Yum!

Okay, continuing the sad saga of the destruction of all that was good about the once recognized as the toughest military organization in the world — actually the most feared by our enemies. Read about it, it’s in the history books . Remember Belleau Woods?

Anyway, I keep getting mor emails telling me more and more of what’s happening. Which is good since I read no newspapers nor watch any news. Thanks to those contributing! So, here is more from the “boss.”

US Marine Corps Adopts New Commitment to Diversity and Representation Within Its Ranks

Written by Brian Good on 

Recognizing the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of life, including the military, the U.S. Marine Corps has announced a new plan designed to help the storied institution “reinvent” itself to look more like modern America.

NPR’s Emma Bowman and Rachel Martin reported that “the Marine Corps, the smallest U.S. military force, has plans for a big overhaul designed to address its lack of diversity and problem with retaining troops.” Now there are two reporters that everyone believes, right? They can be trusted to report nothing but facts. LOL

Gen. David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, told NPR that “the goal that’s driving what amounts to a cultural shift within the service is for the Marines ‘to reflect America, to reflect the society we come from.’”

In the interview, Gen. Berger was quick to point out that the change was not meant to reflect “political correctness” or an attempt at being “woke.” Instead, the policy change was a general reflection that all institutions, including the Marines, are better when they include voices, insight and knowledge from a variety of different backgrounds, races and ethnicities. In short, Gen. Berger said America’s strength comes from its diversity, adding that it is also true for the military.

“Our advantage militarily is on top of our shoulders,” Gen. Berger told NPR. “It’s not actually our equipment. We are better than anybody else, primarily because we don’t all think exactly alike. We didn’t come from the same backgrounds.”

Oh really, I thought Boot Camp and OCS took care of that difference and made us all Marines? I guess we don’t want that anymore??

To help bring his vision to fruition, the general and other Marine leaders have created a new plan titled “Talent Management 2030” that includes a number of different measures the Marine Corps will implement in the coming years to not only help increase diversity within recruitment but also aid in improving career flexibility and retainment with the military branch.

“About 75% of troops leave the Marine Corps at the end of their four-year term, the highest turnover rate among the military services,” Bowman and Martin reported. “To compete in an age of cyber warfare and space-based weaponry, the Marines wants (sic) to shake its ‘manpower’ model that historically prized youth, physical fitness and discipline over education, training and technical skills. According to the new plan, the aim is to grow a corps that is ‘more intelligent, physically fit, cognitively mature and experienced.’”

Gen. Berger said although he is eager to see the changes take shape, he was also realistic with his plan, realizing that it will take time for a reform of this scale to work its way through the Marine Corps, especially reaching senior leadership. He said this is especially true with the Marines since the branch didn’t open its ranks to women until 2016. What? That’s a spin, a play on words. Currently, less than 10% of active-duty Marines are female compared to the 20% to 25% range of other military branches.

 

“We are a purely combat force,” he said, pointing out how the Marines differ from Army, Navy and Air Force. “We were built under a different set of circumstances — but that is changing.”

Yes sir general it certainly is!

Originally posted 2021-11-26 11:11:11.

Current Events

The Corps Part II

15 Comments

Received an email from a fellow retired Marine—whom I highly respect—that included the following messages. I share these with you as my second blog post on the current recruiting plan put forth by our CMC significantly touted as, “Operation Semper Fi.”

* * * *

Marine Brothers, one and all. I forwarded this to a select few generals. I intend to email Senator Rick Scott…former navy officer. The words and thoughts are harsh but should not be ignored. I fear we are back to 1947…which way will it go?

I want to share these inciteful comments from a distinguished Marine, the father of two outstanding Marine officers (one infantry, the other combat engineer), both of whom had multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I feel sorry for the head of recruiting. At the same time that the CMC insults and denigrates previous generations of Marines and their flawed culture he is trying to rally retired Generals and Marines to help the Corps recruit. Sending it to retired Generals is preaching to the crowd that at about 80-90% supported or fell silent on the critical issues of perversion, depravity, fraternization, reverse racism, sexual preference for women, unisex uniforms, women in the combat arms, the elimination of tanks, tube artillery, numerous infantry Bn’s, 25% of F-35’s and CH-53F’s, female grooming standards, 18 months of maternity leave, the destruction of the MAGTF concept, the vapid attacks on the culture of the Corps and its racist/sexist heritage. Add to that a bevy of Generals who went from Warriors to politicians and openly and repeatedly insulted a sitting President.

 A Marine four- star CINC presided over a catastrophic NEO from Kabul taking orders from the Taliban about who, what, when, how, and why and then fled in the dark of the night with his tail tucked between his legs.

Our beloved Corps is at an historic low point with few allies on the Hill and an American people who view us as mere victims. Eighty percent of our Generals appear to have been intellectual midgets without a spine, charisma, presence, or persuasive verbal skills. They appear be average to below average men by every measure. When the time to stand up and be counted came, they opted to pass. This made it even harder for those willing to do the right things, the right way, for the right reasons.

We know who has a high propensity to enlist and we don’t want them. Instead, we chase after the misanthropes, the gender confused, the lost souls, and those we know are poorly suited to the battlefield. We encourage those to join the Corps whose interests are totally self-serving, to then change the Corps.

The Corps must reassess the culture it has abandoned if it expects the endorsement and support from those who have retired. I cannot, at this juncture, encourage an 18 year old to join the Corps. I say that with a very heavy heart.”

I must admit that with a very heavy heart, I have already convinced one 18-year-old to forego his lifelong desire to become a Marine and go on to college in hopes that—just maybe with God’s help—the Corps will be back on track.

* * * *

Another highly respected Marine known to me wrote:

Sometime back, I opined that the success of Berger’s “Great Leap Forward,” his “re-imagining” of our beloved Corps to make it more “representative of our country,” would be reflected in the retention rates of serving Marines and the recruiting of new ones. The following is from a Brother Marine regarding the missive recently sent to all retired Marine generals by the CG, USMC Recruiting Command requesting their support of “Operation Semper Fi:”

“My response: I will watch… but if they think they can muster Marine Veteran support if they continue the march to “woke land” …and all that implies including fostering Marxist ideology masquerading as modern liberalism they are sadly mistaken. Veterans will support traditional Marine values not forced ideas that are counter to common sense and successful traditional values. The thinking of those forcing the “new order” is being brought to us by the same people or their progeny that abandoned us in Vietnam and tried their best to turn the entire country against us—they failed but as a result they are now working from the inside of government (civilian and military) to have their way.”

Please stand by Marines, and others. There is much more to come in the ensuing days regarding this disgusting issue. It will end with my open letter to General Berger!

 

 

Originally posted 2021-11-25 08:29:08.

Current Events

The Corps

4 Comments

Good Morning all. Sorry, have been off the net for a while. Just returned from an RV trip to one of our—one time favorite places—Key West. Used to go there every winter when we were snowbirds; however, last time was 2010. Wow! Has it changed? Still expensive as all get out, but the base where we always stayed—Sigsbee Island—has significantly changed. More rules and regulations, most of which were senseless, superfluous,  silly, unnecessary stuff, that for 36 years I put up with because I had to. Had to laugh at all the demands placed on us visitors, but no guards at the gate. I asked and someone informed me they are short of personnel so the moved them to other bases. Oh, OK, guess that makes sense to. . . . . . someone? But if you want to take advantage of the lower site costs, $27 for full hookups, one must grin and bear it.

Can’t believe what is happening within our once proud Marine Corps. I am planning on posting several posts in the next few days, so hang in there and follow along with me. I can assure you they will get better each time. So, hear is the first one announcing the Commandant’s new recruiting plan. The following was sent out to all retired Marine generals by the Recruiting Command CG.

Generals,

Greetings from Quantico.  I hope you and your families are well.  Thank you all for the tremendous contributions you have made, and will continue to make, to our Corps and Country.  I would once more like to ask for your assistance and service.

This month, Marine Corps Recruiting Command initiated a new campaign titled, “Operation Semper Fi.”  I am sure it comes as no surprise to you that Marine veterans are the most loyal to their service.  However, recent history has demonstrated that they can also be our Corps’ most vocal critics.  I am asking for your help in addressing this.

Support of our Marine veterans as influencers and ambassadors within our local communities is more important now than ever.  Public opinion of the military as an institution continues to drop, propensity to serve is at historic lows, and the Marine Corps seeks significant support to operationalize Force Design 2030 and other initiatives.

I believe that rebuilding trust and maintaining America’s “want” of a Marine Corps must begin with our Marine veterans.   Operation Semper Fi seeks to rekindle the pride that all Marine veterans experienced having earned the title Marine.  It is designed to remind Marines of the special bond that exists between those who live by the motto of Semper Fidelis.  It acknowledges the fact that we have all been through tough times and may not always agree; however, despite these shared hardships and challenges, we still remain family.

Operation Semper Fi is a call to action to re-connect Marine veterans and to build on the pride they have for the Corps. This in turn will foster increased and positive advocacy for the Marine Corps institutional priorities and the challenges Marines face at home and abroad.  Additionally, this revitalization will assist recruiting operations by developing and sustaining relationships with influencers in communities across the Nation and set conditions to increase prospect referrals. The enclosed document provides greater detail on the campaign.

As part of the campaign, this Veterans Day, we launched a public service announcement entitled “Full Circle.”   This PSA showcases one Marine’s journey of service over the course of their life; from inspiration, to training, to active duty, and community service following.  A Marine’s drive to serve their country endures and inspires the next generation. When they earn the title, Marines make a solemn promise to remain faithful to the cause of our Nation, to the Corps, and to each other.

You can view the PSA at YouTube Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IfVnhxZpv98 or with access to DVIDS at https://www.dvidshub.net/video/821534/full-circle

I am confident that your positive examples and community connections can help strengthen advocacy, gain access, and help inspire Marine veterans and those they influence to support our Corps. I respectfully ask each of you to reach out to your local Recruiting Station Commanders to see how you might assist.

Additionally, please contact our community engagement team at community@marines.usmc.mil or (703) 784-9454, or feel free to contract me directly at jason.bohm@marines.usmc.mil or (703)784-9400 if you are willing to support our national outreach efforts in support of recruiting.

Your willingness to assist in this effort is greatly appreciated.  You are living proof of the adage, “Once a Marine, Always a Marine.”  Thank you for remaining “Always Faithful.”

Very Respectfully,
J.Q. Bohm
MajGen Jason Q. Bohm
Commanding General
Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Yes sir, I "ain't" a general, but I am retired. Okay Marines, did you get all that? Understand now what CMC wants you to do? Okay, stand by!
Jim

Originally posted 2021-11-24 10:27:56.

Current Events

Wake Up Parents

7 Comments

Yes, parents of all color wake the hell up and get active. Actually, you do not need to be a parent in a particular school to be on the district school board. All you need in most cases is to live in the district! I totally agree with Greg about making school the Numero Uno issue for all elections, local, state, and federal. That is exactly why Virginia turned blue, it had everything to do with educating their youth and the parents were pissed! Wake up, you need to speak up and take action.

Education’s woke up call

By: G. Maresca

Former U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill notably said, “all politics is local” and at its most fundamental is your school board. It is the only political office that a Pennsylvania state employee can actively seek. It is also the most crucial when you consider who and what the politicking directly impacts and influences – children.

Throughout our fruited plain once routine school board meetings have devolved into a 21st century “Gong Show” thanks to the COVID shutdown last year.

The resulting lockdowns galvanized parents to get more involved with their children’s education like never before. Virginia’s Democrat candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, iced the cake saying, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”

Perhaps McAuliffe had in mind what Vladimir Lenin infamously said, “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”

School boards are accountable to parents, and the community who elect and support them through taxation. You pay your taxes to get your children educated – not programmed. Public schools are the vanguard for leftism where parents are “domestic terrorists” if they disagree with Critical Race Theory, genderless bathrooms, libraries supporting pedophilia, mask mandates, and racial preferences for admissions.

The National School Board Association declared these boisterous encounters as “heinous actions” that rival “domestic terrorism.” Rather, it is partisan politics that are overtly hypocritical. Black Lives Matter rioters could burn buildings, loot, and harass and are labeled peaceful protests.

With schools compelling partisan political propaganda on unsuspecting children, parents are finally pushing back. School boards are not beholden to any educational associations, teachers’ unions, or even a U.S. president. Such unwary hubris of the education bureaucracy must hear from not just parents, but every American.

Economist Thomas Sowell summarized the situation as only he can: “Ours may become the first civilization destroyed, not by the power of our enemies, but by the ignorance of our teachers and the dangerous nonsense they are teaching our children. In an age of artificial intelligence, they are creating artificial stupidity.”

No parent wants to be censured about their child’s education that in many instances is the indoctrination to wokesim. Leftists pontificate how history, math, English are racist, and any parent who challenges that narrative must be silenced through fear of reprisal as the left has weaponized agencies like the IRS and now, the FBI.

The leftist trinity of diversity, equity and inclusion have replaced critical thinking, logic and debate. This trendy catchphrase may sound enticing, but the results are tragically incompatible with our longstanding constitutional republic.

Much of public education in our country leaves kids far behind in reading, math and science. Moreover, some school districts are doing away with gifted programs because of race quotas. Such policies only accelerate America’s dumbing down by eliminating merit that results in children failing to achieve their full potential.

Admitting the most qualified applicants benefits a student body. Racial makeup should be irrelevant to qualifications and ability. Preferences are established when race is the priority rather than the qualification.

These policies result in qualified applicants being denied admission for diversity’s sake that benefits no one across the educational spectrum. The only color that should matter is the applicants’ grey matter.

Excellence rather than mediocrity should be paramount.

As Martin Luther King suggested, when do we start treating people based on the content of their character rather than the color of their skin? Rather than handing out a passing grade, why not challenge and strive toward excellence? Telling minorities, they can’t make it without special quotas only handicaps them further.

Equality under the law by allowing school choice without having to pay twice – once for public and a second time for private education – is the solution. The government monopoly of public schools must end. Republicans need to make education the issue leading up to the November 2022 midterm election. This would help push the pendulum back and jump start many in breaking the cycle of dependency.

In defense of freedom, education plays a critical role in maintaining liberty. At the core of every school board meeting should always be what is best for our children.

What is best for them is best for America’s future.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Veterans’ Day my brothers and sisters.Semper Fi, Jim, USMC (Ret)

Originally posted 2021-11-11 11:51:08.

Current Events, Recent Posts

Marines VS Marines

6 Comments

Marines, beware, you are not going to like this story — trust me. We are more worried about wokeness and evicting extremists from our ranks. And we got our asses handed to us because we no longer train to fight and win. I find myself speechless. I have no idea what I will say tomorrow night in Phoenix. Help me Lord

Trounced on home turf: British Royal Marine commandos force US Marines into humiliating surrender halfway through five-day war training exercise in Mojave desert

  • British forces took part in a five-day mock battle at the US Marine Corps’ Twenty nine Palms base in California
  • Combatants used training ammunition along with hi-tech simulators for heavier firepower like artillery
  • Seeing no opportunity for victory, American combatants asked for the exercise to be ‘reset’ halfway through

By HENRY MARTIN FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: | UPDATED: 

Royal Marines commandos ‘dominated’ US troops and forced them into a humiliating surrender just days into a mass training exercise in the Mojave desert, it has been revealed today.

British forces took part in a five-day mock battle at the US Marine Corps’ Twenty Nine Palms base in southern California, one of the largest military training areas in the world, and achieved a decisive victory against their American counterparts.

The Royal Marines, along with allied forces from Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE, destroyed or rendered inoperable nearly every US asset and finished the exercise holding more than 65 per cent of the training area, after beginning with less than 20 per cent.

Combatants used paintball-style training ammunition, which fires with reduced pressure and velocity, along with hi-tech simulators for heavier firepower like artillery, and live ammo on expansive ranges.

Seeing no opportunity for victory, American combatants asked for the exercise to be ‘reset’ halfway through the five-day exercise, having taken significant casualties from British commandos.

Troops from 3 Commando Brigade and Taunton-based 40 Commando had spent the last two months in the Mojave Desert preparing for deployments next year.

 Their time in the US culminated with the five-day simulated conflict Green Dagger, which is designed to test the US Marine Corps prior to units deploying overseas.

The mock battlefield covers more than 3,500 square kilometers of mountainous and desert terrain, including urban settings where actors, who are not following a script, play civilians who can choose to help or hinder the military forces.

The Royal Marines trained with counterparts from the US, Canada, UAE and the Netherlands in the weeks before the main exercise.

The British forces achieved their victory by targeting the American headquarters and equipment, severely hampering the ability of US combatants to launch counter-attacks.

Artillery units also concentrated on eliminating vehicles and opposing artillery.

A long-range commando assault with fighter jet support eventually defeated the American forces, who had launched a last-minute attack but were repelled.

British forces were trailing the new Littoral Response Group (LRG) structure, which will be the new template for commandos – who are to become more flexible and mobile under reforms directed by First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

LRGs are Royal Navy task groups centered around commando forces and set up to respond to world events.

Following the restructuring of the Marines, NATO’s northern and Baltic flanks will be covered by the UK-based LRG (North).

LRG (South), built around Taunton-based 40 Commando, will be based around Oman’s port of Duqm, operating with a focus on British military activity in the Indo-Pacific.

Each LRG will be capable of working with the carrier strike group to assemble an expeditionary strike force which can operate anywhere in the world.

The exercise focused around three urban sprawls which were defended by allied forces, the largest of which consisting of 1,200 buildings purpose built for military testing.

The Marines won decisive battles early on and gained ground from their enemy, but amid a US Marines counter-attack, commandos carried out raids behind enemy lines.

The exercise concluded with a last-minute assault by US forces, which was repelled.

‘Our success has proved the new commando force concept is more lethal and sophisticated than ever before and I am immensely proud of every member of the LRG and their vital contributions,’ said Lieutenant Colonel Andy Dow, Commanding Officer of 40 Commando.

‘Operating alongside our partners from the USA, Netherlands, Canada and the UAE gives us a fantastic opportunity to test, integrate and continue to push our capabilities in new and innovative directions.

‘Throughout this deployment our focus has been on integrating game-changing capabilities from across the commando force to deliver disproportional effect in the face of a free-thinking peer adversary.’

 

There is so much more to this story should you want to peruse it along with lots of photos taken during the exercise. Of course this article was obviously written by a Brit (spelling), and he made some errors e.g. we were born in 1884. The Corps has come out and rebuffed this article, but one would expect that. Please go to::

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10159949/Royal-Marines-commandos-force-troops-humiliating-surrender-training-exercise.html

It’s hilarious what you will find in the comments if you go to the story. Marines trying to justify this disgrace with historical  quotes that don’t  mean squat in this day and age. Get real Marines, we are losing our edge, or perhaps we have already lost it?

Originally posted 2021-11-05 09:36:25.