FMFM 1-0 LEADING MARINES (MCWP 6-11)
On 3 January of 1995 the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General C.E. Mundy, signed FMFM 1-0, Leading Marines. During November of 2002 FMFM 1-0 was redesignated as MCWP 6-11. It is the capstone document in describing traditional Marine Corps Leadership philosophy and the Marine Ethos. Marine Corps leadership traits and principles, and leadership skills must be taught to every Marine so they completely understand what they represent and can carry forward the legacy of Marine Corps leadership.
The Marine Ethos, what it means to be a Marine, is being different. Marine Leadership must therefor be different because of who Marines are and what we do (win in combat). From day one the Marine Corps ensures that every Marine thoroughly understands what it is to be a Marine.
Leading Marines describes a time-tested, unique leadership style and details the Marine Corps Leadership Traits and Principles and core values. They are the foundation upon which all Marine leadership is built and are the the ethical standards by which every Marine is judged.
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
Headquarters United States Marine Corps
Washington, D.C. 20380-1775
3 January 1995
FOREWORD
The most important responsibility in our Corps is leading Marines. If we expect Marines to lead and if we expect Marines to follow, we must provide the education of the heart and of the mind to win on the battlefield and in the barracks, in war and in peace. Traditionally, that education has taken many forms, often handed down from Marine to Marine, by word of mouth and by example.
Our actions as Marines every day must embody the legacy of those who went before us. Their memorial to us—their teaching, compassion, courage, sacrifices, optimism, humor, humility, commitment, perseverance, love, guts, and glory—is the pattern for our daily lives. This manual attempts to capture those heritages of the Marine Corps' approach to leading. It is not prescriptive because there is no formula for leadership. It is not all-inclusive because to capture all that it is to be a Marine or to lead Marines defies pen and paper. Instead, it is intended to provide those charged with leading Marines a sense of the legacy they have inherited, and to help them come to terms with their own personal leadership style. The indispensable condition of Marine Corps leadership is action and attitude, not words. As one Marine leader said, "Don't tell me how good you are. Show me!"
Marines have been leading for over 200 years and today continue leading around the globe. Whether in the field or in garrison, at the front or in the rear, Marines, adapting the time-honored values, traditions, customs, and history of our Corps to their generation, will continue to lead—and continue to win.
This manual comes to life through the voices, writings, and examples of not one person, but many. Thousands of Americans who have borne, and still bear, the title "Marine" are testimony that "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" and "Semper Fidelis" are phrases that define our essence. It is to those who know, and to those who will come to know, this extraordinary way of life that this book is dedicated.
C. E. MUNDY, Jr.
General, U.S. Marine Corps
Commandant of the Marine Corps
A complete electronic copy of Leading Marines can be found on the Air War College website.
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