Tag Archives: presidents

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The Corps Part VI

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Here is more of CMC’s “Talent Management Plan.” There is that word “Management” again. Seems there are many more “things” attached to this plan than meets the eye. This one will surely shake up the retired community even more than Parts I-V. Read on and cry Marines.

Marine Corps plan calls for some future Marines to skip boot camp.

By Jeff Schogol from Task and Purpose

“We Make Marines,” proclaims a banner at Marine Corps Recruit of  Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, summarizing the service’s ethos that recruits have to prove they have the mental and physical toughness to serve in the Corps by surviving boot camp. By the time men and women receive their Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, they have proven that they have the physical and mental toughness to earn the coveted title of “Marine.”

But Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger wants “exceptionally talented Americans” to be able to bypass the Corps’ traditional rites of passage and begin serving “at a rank appropriate to their education, experience, and ability.”

Berger’s radical new Talent Management plan calls for allowing civilians with critical skills to be able to join the Marine Corps “laterally” as opposed to starting at the very bottom as new recruits.

“As a result of the significant lead time necessary to build expertise, we are unable to respond quickly to changes in the security environment that demand urgent course corrections,” Berger wrote in his plan, which was first made public on Nov. 3. “The rapid rise in importance of the cyber domain, for instance, has challenged us to find creative ways to quickly build critical skills at mid-career and senior levels. Unless we find a means to quickly infuse expertise into the force – at the right ranks – I am concerned that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics, among other fields where the speed of technological change is exponential, will force us into a reactive posture.”

Berger made clear that this option would be limited to certain military occupational specialties, adding it would be “difficult to imagine a scenario” in which a civilian could skip boot camp in order to join a combat arms field like infantry or artillery.

He also wrote that Marines no longer on active duty who now have “critical career experience” should be able to return to service at a higher rank.

“For example, I can envision a Marine who left active duty as a captain or corporal rejoining our ranks as a lieutenant colonel or gunnery sergeant, respectively, after spending 5-7 years working in a cyber or IT field where the service currently lacks capacity,” Berger wrote. “With the right education and experience, that same corporal might also be eligible to return as a mid-grade or senior officer.”

The new talent management plan could involve a “cultural shift” in how the Marine Corps attracts the best possible people, said Lt. Gen. David Ottignon, deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

For example, how will Marines who have gone through The Crucible at Parris Island or San Diego respond to the idea of allowing civilians to bypass boot camp to become Marine Corps cyber experts? Ottignon pondered with reporters on Monday.

“How does that line up to a culture of a Marine Corps at roughly 180,000 Marines that go through this exacting training that makes us all one in the same – uniformity in what we do?” Ottignon said. “That’s a cultural thing that we’re going to have to work through.”

The Marine Corps has been here before. Former Commandant Gen. Robert Neller initially considered allowing civilians with cyber skills to become Marines without going through boot camp in 2017.

But Neller faced a conundrum: He did not want to bring in people who did not meet Marine Corps grooming standards.

Then-Marine Brig. Gen Loretta Reynolds, who led Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command at the time, recalled in 2016 that Neller once asked her: “Do I have to start letting guys with purple hair and earrings in?”

Ultimately, the Marine Corps decided to establish a Cyber Auxiliary division of civilian volunteers, not Marines. “You can have purple hair, too, but no EGA [Eagle, Globe, and Anchor],” Neller said in 2019.

The question of whether cyber experts who bypass boot camp can hold the title of Marine has not gone away.

“That’s clearly what the commandant has laid out as something to discover and analyze,” Ottignon said on Monday. “And I don’t know the answer to it yet. I don’t think the commandant knows the answer to it yet – other than we know there’s exquisite talent out there.”

That’s why Ottignon’s team is coming up with various options for exactly how the Marine Corps can attract people with the skills that the Corps needs most, he said.

“We think – we could be wrong – you could take a young man or woman, let’s say out of George Mason University that works in cybersecurity and sees opportunities in government; and we show them: Look, no kidding, you’re going to be on an offensive/defensive team and get skill sets; that might be attractive to them. His [Berger’s] point is: How do you do that; and that’s the cultural piece that I offered to you.”
Jeff Schogol

Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He has covered the military for 15 years. You can email him at schogol@taskandpurpose.com, direct message @JeffSchogol on Twitter, or reach him on WhatsApp and Signal at 703-909-6488. Contact the author here.

Perhaps unknown to many we do have people serving in the Corps today and have been for many years who never went through boot camp. They are part of the Marine Corps Band i.e., “The President’s Own” at Marine Barracks, 8th & I, Washington, D.C.  They are recruited annually, contracted for four years, enter as E-6’s, and wear a harp in their chevrons vice cross riffles. I recall when at RS, Chicago, we were given an annual quota to recruit musicians and set them up for a specific date when someone from the Band would come and give them an audition. If my memory serves me correctly we did have a few during my three years who were accepted.

Of course, there are also actual full-fledged Marines serving in the Band. They came from Bands and D&B’s throughout the Corps. Of course they come in at whatever rank they are and they do wear cross rifles in the chevrons. A very good friend of mine, GySgt D B Wright with whom I served at the Barracks was a member of the Band for several years having been recruited from the Barracks’ D&B. I am certain DB will comment on this post.

There is, of course, a reason for needing these members. They are seriously accomplished musicians and some play instruments not found in a normal Marine Band or D&B. The President’s Own plays at all White House presidential events and must be capable of providing peculiar groups depending on the event and who is the guest of honor e.g., a string quartet capable of playing tunes from different countries all over the world.

They are; however, never deployed anywhere in the world, will never ever see combat or anything thing similar. In fact, the president, I believe, actually owns this Band, not the CO, MB Washington, D.C.

Why would an accomplished musician take  four year hitch starting out as an E-6 you ask? Think of the impact on one’s resume having played for presidents  at the White House in the famous Marine Corps Band. That’s huge.

So, does this set a precedent for CMC to bring in folks without the requisite boot camp and MCT. As far as this Marine goes . . . absolutely NOT!

Originally posted 2021-11-29 08:28:39.

Recent Posts

Hypocrisy at it’s Finest

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Derrick Wilburn is the founder and Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives and the Conservatives of All Colors Internship Program. His organization’s and personal mission are to bridge the gap that exists between conservative political causes, parties, candidates and officeholders and ethnic-minorities in the USA. He is published nationally everyday on AllenBWest and  is heard across America on Red State Radio.

“I can’t fault them for wanting to live in a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood.  It’s the hypocrisy that gets me. Campaign against the top 1% and then lose and fall in line with the top 1%.

Something STRANGE happens when Democrats leave the White House… After their exodus from the White House, the Obamas joined another rarified club, that of the ruling liberal elite class owning multiple ultra-expensive homes in highly exclusive communities that none in America can afford, save the one percenters.  The very same one percenters whom they rant and rail against as being the greedy, egocentric millionaires who simply have too much – following the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton who (despite Hillary’s claim that they left The White House dead broke) somehow managed to educate their daughter at Stanford, Oxford, NYU and Columbia ($500,000?), acquire a $1.7 million estate in Chappaqua and a $2.85 million mansion in Georgetown and then Bernie Sanders who, shortly after ending his 2016 presidential bid, bought his third home, a $600,000 lakefront vacation house on Lake Champlain.

Barack and Michelle have real estate designs of their own.  Earlier this year it was revealed that upon his leaving the presidency the Obamas will not be returning to Chicago. They will instead be moving into a $6 million, 8,200-square foot, 9-bedroom 12-bathroom mansion in Kalorama, one of the Washington District’s most posh, desirable and exclusive neighborhoods in the heart of one of America’s wealthiest zip codes.  With daughter Malia off to college, that leaves just Barack, Michelle and Sasha until the younger daughter graduates high school in 2018. 

Nothing says they care about climate change, energy consumption and our CO2 footprint more than keeping an 8,200-square foot house heated and air-conditioned year round for just three people. The hypocrisy and ‘do as I say not as I do’ hubris of all these wealthy climate change proponents is sickening.  By the way, the Obamas’ new home is just two doors down from Clinton campaign manager, John Podesta, who recently lost the most significant campaign of his life.

But that’s not the new news.  We have now learned Barack and Michelle are the proud owners of yet another home, this one on the Left Coast.  As reported by Page Six and other sources, the Obamas have a new home in Rancho Mirage, California.  Rancho Mirage is a popular golf getaway which would explain its attraction to the soon-to-be ex-golfer-in-chief.  By some counts this makes the Obamas’ fifth home.  Also from Page Six, The Obamas are also said to have bought a holiday getaway in Obama’s childhood home state of Hawaii.  How many American families own five of anything, let alone houses in Hawaii that they see once a year or so.  Most of us are blessed if able to rent a hotel room or condo in Hawaii once a decade or a life time. 

The relocation habits of Democrats leaving office is very interesting.  For example, having been voted out of office in 2014, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu didn’t return to Louisiana.  Instead she made her 7,300-square foot $2.5 million Washington DC mansion her new home.  Rather than returning to Little Rock, when Bill and Hillary left the White House, they chose the liberal, ultra-wealthy haven of Chappaqua, New York with its average household income of $285,801 and average household net worth of $1,564,366 for their new residence. 

Now it’s the Obamas’ turn.  Are they going back to Chicago to live amongst the little people and take their chances becoming yet another statistic (total number shot as of this writing this year: 3,961)?  No, not so much. They, like the others, are moving into a private, secured community to live in a house big enough for five families where they will host cocktail parties for golf buddies and other millionaire and billionaire friends.

Yet like the Sanders, Landrieus and Clintons of the world, they will accept exorbitant five-, six-, even seven-figure speaking fees to give speeches about how the rich in our country are steadily pulling away from everyone else and increasingly isolating themselves.  About how the concentration of wealth at the top is allowing some Americans to own multiple houses, vacation when and as they please and live lives most of the rest of the country cannot fathom.

They’ll blather on and on about how the rich are a big part of the problems in our country but they gladly join them hoping no one will notice.  Well, we did!”

(Harry Truman once said, “One cannot become wealthy being a president unless you are doing something crooked”.) 

Harry sure didn’t die rich, but the scumsuckers today all leave the WH unbelievably rich, even some of the GOP presidents as well. What’s amazing to me is that none of them went back home to their roots where it all started. I guess they don’t want to hobnob with the old crowd anymore. Interesting to say the least

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally posted 2017-08-20 16:51:46.

Peek Inside

Hail to the Chief (Not)

For those of you who have not read my book (shame on you; don’t know what you are missing), here is a peak at a small part of one chapters. After posting MSgt George Roof’s great commentary and recap of our illustrious past presidents beginning with LBJ, I could not help but think of my memories up close and personal with his first stalwart, LBJ. So for those of you who have chosen to not read my book, here is a small taste of chapter 30. Understand that I do not like to use “Marine talk” here on my blog or in my book, but in this case it is necessary to appreciate the scene. Enjoy. XX

~ 30 ~

Hail to the Chief

Every Marine remembers his first good ass chewing for a variety of reasons. My first as an officer occurred shortly after I had been commissioned and is remembered for who the “chewer” was. I recall quite clearly that I was at Camp David with my platoon and the president was to arrive for the weekend. The weather was bad, so all morning the plans fluctuated between flying the president to the camp, flying him to the LZ in Thurmont, or driving him up from the White House in Washington.

Since the camp sits on a mountaintop, it is fogged in at times. In these instances, the LZ down near Thurmont is often used and the chief executive is then driven up the mountain from there. On one particular day, it was on again – off again in attempting to fly the president and his party to Camp David. Finally, after numerous changes in the mode of transportation, his support personnel loaded the baggage into vehicles and began the hour and a half drive up the mountain. Meanwhile the heavy rains ceased and the fog lifted; the president and his guest, a visiting head of state, were flown straight to the camp.

I was turning over security responsibilities to the secret service when Major Baker walked by and said he would wait for me up ahead. When I finished, I joined him. As he and I were walking past Aspen on our way to the Ship’s Office suddenly the front door of the president’s cabin burst open and out came the “Boss,” President Lyndon B. Johnson. He shouted, “Hold up there!” He bolted over to us—we both saluted. The president began ranting and raving about being “surrounded by incompetent assholes.” He went on and on, cursing up a storm.

Unbeknown to me, Major Baker had terminated his salute. The president was standing between us directing his remarks at us both. Finally, after a barrage of curse words, he leaned over, looked me right in the eyes, and said, “Put your fucking hand down.” I terminated my salute.

He ended with a comment that burned into my psyche and to this very day has never left it: “If you assholes don’t get your fucking act together soon, I’ll send you all to Vietnam.” He then stormed off toward the house. I stood there with clinched fists, jaws so tight I couldn’t speak. Major Baker, obviously accustomed to this sort of abuse, laughed and said: “I wonder what we didn’t do this time?” At the Ship’s Office, we discovered the baggage had not yet arrived since it was coming by car. The president, apparently, was embarrassed that his guest could not change into more comfortable clothes.

There’s more, but you’ll have to get the book. To do so look to the left and you’ll see “Buy The Book,” click on it,  fill it out, I will get the email, and contact you personally.

Originally posted 2017-02-07 17:03:33.