Leading Marines.com

Have you trained your Marines to carry a Message to Garcia? Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard

Leading Marines.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:21:54 GMT

Written by Elbert Hubbard, a Message to Garcia was originally published in the March, 1899 issue of the Philistine magazine. It was reprinted as a pamphlet and book selling over 40 million copies.

In less than 1500 words Elbert Hubbard brilliantly describes the characteristics all leaders look for in their subordinates (and themselves); initiative, positive attitude and 100% effort.

-Given a mission order, are your Marines capable of carrying Garcia a message?

-Have you developed self-reliant Marines capable of solving difficult problems without detailed instructions or assistance?

-Will your Marines accomplish the mission in the absence of further orders?

-Have you developed the loyalty trust of your subordinates so intern they know you will support their actions in accomplishing the mission?

A Message to Garcia
By Elbert Hubbard

In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars at perihelion. When war broke out between Spain & the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain vastness of Cuba- no one knew where. No mail nor telegraph message could reach him. The President must secure his cooperation, and quickly.

What to do!

Some one said to the President, "There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia for you, if anybody can."

Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How "the fellow by the name of Rowan" took the letter, sealed it up in an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, & in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia, are things I have no special desire now to tell in detail.

The point I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, "Where is he at?" By the Eternal! there is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing- "Carry a message to Garcia!"

General Garcia is dead now, but there are other Garcias.

No man, who has endeavored to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well nigh appalled at times by the imbecility of the average man- the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a thing and do it. Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, & half-hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other men to assist him; or mayhap, God in His goodness performs a miracle, & sends him an Angel of Light for an assistant. You, reader, put this matter to a test: You are sitting now in your office- six clerks are within call.

Summon any one and make this request: "Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio".

Will the clerk quietly say, "Yes, sir," and go do the task?

On your life, he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions:

Who was he?

Which encyclopedia?

Where is the encyclopedia?

Was I hired for that?

Don’t you mean Bismarck?

What’s the matter with Charlie doing it?

Is he dead?

Is there any hurry?

Shan’t I bring you the book and let you look it up yourself?

What do you want to know for?

And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, and explained how to find the information, and why you want it, the clerk will go off and get one of the other clerks to help him try to find Garcia- and then come back and tell you there is no such man. Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the Law of Average, I will not.

Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your "assistant" that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, "Never mind," and go look it up yourself.

And this incapacity for independent action, this moral stupidity, this infirmity of the will, this unwillingness to cheerfully catch hold and lift, are the things that put pure Socialism so far into the future. If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all? A first-mate with knotted club seems necessary; and the dread of getting "the bounce" Saturday night, holds many a worker to his place.

Advertise for a stenographer, and nine out of ten who apply, can neither spell nor punctuate- and do not think it necessary to.

Can such a one write a letter to Garcia?

"You see that bookkeeper," said the foreman to me in a large factory.

"Yes, what about him?"

"Well he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him up town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and on the other hand, might stop at four saloons on the way, and when he got to Main Street, would forget what he had been sent for."

Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?

We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the "downtrodden denizen of the sweat-shop" and the "homeless wanderer searching for honest employment," & with it all often go many hard words for the men in power.

Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get frowsy ne’er-do-wells to do intelligent work; and his long patient striving with "help" that does nothing but loaf when his back is turned. In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on. The employer is constantly sending away "help" that have shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business, and others are being taken on. No matter how good times are, this sorting continues, only if times are hard and work is scarce, the sorting is done finer- but out and forever out, the incompetent and unworthy go.

It is the survival of the fittest. Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best- those who can carry a message to Garcia.

I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business of his own, and yet who is absolutely worthless to any one else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing, or intending to oppress him. He cannot give orders; and he will not receive them. Should a message be given him to take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, "Take it yourself."

Tonight this man walks the streets looking for work, the wind whistling through his threadbare coat. No one who knows him dare employ him, for he is a regular fire-brand of discontent. He is impervious to reason, and the only thing that can impress him is the toe of a thick-soled No. 9 boot.

Of course I know that one so morally deformed is no less to be pitied than a physical cripple; but in our pitying, let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, whose working hours are not limited by the whistle, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold in line dowdy indifference, slip-shod imbecility, and the heartless ingratitude, which, but for their enterprise, would be both hungry & homeless.

Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have; but when all the world has gone a-slumming I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the man who succeeds- the man who, against great odds has directed the efforts of others, and having succeeded, finds there’s nothing in it: nothing but bare board and clothes.

I have carried a dinner pail & worked for day’s wages, and I have also been an employer of labor, and I know there is something to be said on both sides. There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; & all employers are not rapacious and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.

My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the "boss" is away, as well as when he is at home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly take the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets "laid off," nor has to go on a strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a man asks shall be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He is wanted in every city, town and village- in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such: he is needed, & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia.

General John A. Lejeune, 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps

Leading Marines.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:09:46 GMT

       "In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps, Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term "Marine" has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue."



One the Corps most notable leaders, General John A. Lejeune's legacy shaped the Marine Corps and his impact on the Marine Corps remains to this day.  Every Marine is intimately familar with the Marine Corps Order he published in 1921 that has been read at every Marine Corps Birthday Ball since 1921.

Born on 10 January, 1867 in Louisiana. General Lejeune graduated from Louisiana State University and the United States Naval Academy. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 1 July, 1890.   He saw expeditionary duty in Panama, the Philippines, Cuba, and Mexico and served in a variety of assignments including Barracks, Sea and Recruiting Duty and in Battalion Commander prior to World War I.  He also served as the assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Promoted to Brigadier General on 29 August, 1916 he was the first Commander of the newly constructed Quantico, Marine Barracks.

While serving in Guantanamo Bay, LtCol Lejeune formed the Marine Corps Association (MCA) with the goal of professional advancement among Marines.

Service during World War I

General Lejeune arrived in France during June, 1918 and was promoted Major General the following month. He assumed command of the 4th Brigade of Marines of the 2nd Division following the attack by the Division in the Battle of Soissons. In July of 1918 Major General Lejeune assumed command of the Army's 2nd Division and remained in command until the Division was demobilized in August of 1919. He led the Division march into Germany following the Armistice.

He was recognized by the French Government with the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre. General Pershing awarded him the Army Distinguished Service Medal. He was also awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service during World War I. Following the war he was re-appointed as Commanding General, Marine Barracks Quantico in October 1919.

General Lejeune was appointed Commandant of the Marine Corps on 1 July, 1920.

On November 1st, 1921 General Lejeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47 which, as every Marine knows, has been read on every Marine Corps Birthday Ball since.

Marine Corps Birthday Message by General John A Lejeune

MARINE CORPS ORDERS
No. 47 (Series 1921)
HEADQUARTERS U.S. MARINE CORPS
Washington, November 1, 1921

759. The following will be read to the command on the 10th of November, 1921, and hereafter on the
10th of November of every year. Should the order not be received by the 10th of November, 1921, it
will be read upon receipt.

   (1) On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of Continental
Congress. Since that date many thousand men have borne the name "Marine". In memory of them it is
fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our corps by calling to mind the
glories of its long and illustrious history.

   (2) The record of our corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous
military organizations in the world's history. During 90 of the 146 years of its existence the
Marine Corps has been in action against the Nation's foes. From the Battle of Trenton to the
Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home,
generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every
corner of the seven seas, that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.

   (3) In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our corps, Marines have acquitted themselves
with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term "Marine" has come
to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.

   (4) This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received
from those who preceded us in the corps. With it we have also received from them the eternal spirit
which has animated our corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of
the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will be found equal
to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our Nation will
regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of
the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.

JOHN A. LEJEUNE,
Major General Commandant
75705--21

General Lejeune retired from active duty on 10 November, 1929 and accepted the position of superintendent of Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He served at VMI until October 1937.

He was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant General on the Marine Corps retired list in February of 1942 and passed away on 20 November, 1942.

General Lejeune died on 20 November, 1942 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Resources:

Lejeune: A Marine's Life, 1867-1942

Reminiscences of a Marine

Lejeunes thoughts on Leadership

Miracle at Belleau Wood: The Birth of the Modern U.S. Marine Corps

The Devil Dogs at Belleau Wood: U.S. Marines in World War I

Arlington Cemetery, John Archer Lejeune

The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan

Leading Marines.com — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:01:54 GMT

Bear Went over the Mountain is a collection of vignettes written by Soviet junior officers describing their experiences fighting the Mujahideen guerrillas. The material was originally collected and published by the Frunze Combined Arms Staff College to serve as a text on combat against a guerrilla force in mountain-desert terrain. It was originally intended for internal use only and as such provides examples of both good and bad military practice. The hard lessons learned are not specifically 'Russian' in nature and many of the same mistakes and successes would apply equally to the American Army in Vietnam. Indeed, the knowledge gained from these reports should also apply to future conflicts involving civil war, guerrilla forces and rugged terrain.

This is not a history of the Soviet-Afghan War, but rather a series of snapshots of combat as seen by young platoon leaders, company commanders, battalion commanders and military advisers. It is an intimate look at the boring, brutal business of counterinsurgency punctuated by moments of heady excitement and terror.

Colonel Grau, the editor and translator, has added his own commentary to produce a useful guide for commanders to meet the challenges of this kind of war and to help keep his fellow soldiers alive. This book will also be of interest to the historian and general reader, who will discover that advances in technology have had little impact on this kind of war, and that many of the same tactics the British Army used on the Northwest Frontier still apply today.



Let other Marines know what you think - leave a comment and post a book review.

Dog Tag Designs. Great Marine Corps Gifts and Custom Artwork!

General Robert H. Barrow, 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps

Leading Marines.com — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:00:19 GMT

General Barrow was born on 5 February 1922 in Baton Rouge , Louisiana . He graduated high school in 1939 and enrolled at Louisiana State University .

In March 1942, he enlisted in the Platoon Leader's Class Program. He left school in the fall of 1942 and went to boot camp in San Diego , staying on after graduation as a drill instructor. Selected for Officer Candidate School, he left San Diego for Quantico in March 1943; and on 19 May 1943, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Marines.

Following officer training, he was assigned to Marine Barracks, Naval Ammunition Depot, New Orleans . He was reassigned in February 1944 to the 51st Replacement Battalion in Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . During the last seven months of World War II, he led an American team serving with Chinese guerrilla forces in Japanese occupied Central China . He was awarded the Bronze Star.

After World War II, he served as Aide de Camp to the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic . He completed Amphibious Warfare School , Junior Course in June 1949, and was transferred to the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune . He was given command of Company A, 1st Battalion, 2d Marines.

At the beginning of the Korean War, his company was transferred to Camp Pendleton and redesignated Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He led Able Company ashore at Inchon in September 1950. For his leadership in the fighting on the outskirts of Seoul , he received the Silver Star. During the Chosin Reservoir Campaign, he was awarded the Navy Cross for the seizure and defense of Hill 1081 from 9-10 December 1950.

After the Korean War, he was reassigned as Officer-in-Charge, Infantry Desk, Enlisted Assignments, Headquarters Marine Corps. From there he was detailed out and sent on a classified assignment to the Far East, north of Taiwan .

He returned to Headquarters Marine Corps, this time to the G-3. In February 1956, he returned to Camp Lejeune , where he served first as operations officer and then executive officer of 2d Battalion, 6th Marines. He joined the NROTC unit at Tulane University in 1957, and served as Marine Officer Instructor for three years. Returning to Quantico , he completed a tour with the Landing Force Development Center and attended the Officer's Senior Course in 1963. He left for another tour in the Pacific, where he served as G-3, III Marine Expeditionary Force, then G-3 Plans Officer at Fleet Marine Force Pacific in Hawaii . Attendance at the National War College followed, and upon graduation in 1968, he arrived in South Vietnam to take command of 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. The regiment conducted a series of highly successful operations south of the western part of the Demilitarized Zone and in the Khe Sanh and Ba Long Valley areas. For his valor during Operation Dewey Canyon from 22 January to 18 March 1969, he received the Distinguished Service Cross.

He was promoted to brigadier general in August 1969 by General Leonard F.

Chapman, 24th Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Barrow's first tour as a general officer was Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Butler , Okinawa , where he served for three years. He then served as Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island , South Carolina for 32 months. In July 1975, he was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Headquarters Marine Corps. The following year, he became Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Norfolk , Virginia . He was Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from July 1978, until a year later when he assumed the office as Commandant. Befitting his reputation and stature, when General Barrow stepped down as 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps on 26 June 1983, President Ronald Reagan presided over the ceremony at Marine Barracks, Washington , D.C. General Barrow returned toLouisiana ,where he lived in retirement.

General Barrow was a three-war Marine with unparalleled experience in conventional and irregular conflict. He commanded at every level. His deep sense of purpose and abiding love of the Corps propelled him from the rank of private to general and the Office of the Commandant. He was the first Marine to serve a regular four-year tour as a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was a leader in personnel reform and was instrumental in the decision to make the commanding generals of the recruit depots the two chief regional recruiters. He believed a better quality of recruit led to an increase in performance and retention. As such, he advocated an increase in the percentage of high school graduates and screening programs for recruiters and drill instructors. As Commandant, he addressed substance abuse and alcoholism by ending the tolerance of drug abusers and problem drinkers. Under his steady hand, the Marine Corps reached a plateau of excellence in attracting and retaining quality men and women.

General Barrow's medals and decorations include the Navy Cross, Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Department of the Army Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and the Combat Action Ribbon.

In the essay he wrote for the book, Commandants of the Marine Corps, BGen Edwin Simmons quoted the personal credo of Gen Barrow: "In any institution or undertaking, the importance of people transcends all else." General Barrow maintained, throughout his life, an abiding love and respect for his Marines. We, in turn, will miss him greatly.

R 312017Z OCT 08
ALMAR 047/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/FOLLOW ON MESSAGE ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL ROBERT H. BARROW/27TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//
REF/A/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC/302104Z Oct 2008//
AMPN/REF IS ALMAR 046/08//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THE REFERENCE ANNOUNCED THE DEATH ON 30 OCTOBER
2008 OF GENERAL ROBERT H. BARROW, U.S. MARINE CORPS, RETIRED, 27TH
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.
2. GENERAL BARROW WAS BORN ON 5 FEBRUARY 1922 IN BATON ROUGE,
LOUISIANA. HE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 1939 AND ENROLLED AT
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. IN MARCH 1942, HE ENLISTED IN THE
PLATOON LEADER'S CLASS PROGRAM. HE LEFT SCHOOL IN THE FALL OF 1942
AND WENT TO BOOT CAMP IN SAN DIEGO, STAYING ON AFTER GRADUATION AS A
DRILL INSTRUCTOR. SELECTED FOR OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL, HE LEFT
SAN DIEGO FOR QUANTICO IN MARCH 1943; AND ON 19 MAY 1943, HE WAS
COMMISSIONED AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT OF MARINES.
3. FOLLOWING OFFICER TRAINING, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO MARINE BARRACKS,
NAVAL AMMUNITION DEPOT, NEW ORLEANS. HE WAS REASSIGNED IN FEBRUARY
1944 TO THE 51ST REPLACEMENT BATTALION IN CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH
CAROLINA. DURING THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS OF WORLD WAR II, HE LED AN
AMERICAN TEAM SERVING WITH CHINESE GUERRILLA FORCES IN JAPANESE
OCCUPIED CENTRAL CHINA. HE WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR WITH COMBAT
"V."
4. AFTER WORLD WAR II, HE SERVED AS AIDE DE CAMP TO THE COMMANDING
GENERAL, FLEET MARINE FORCE, ATLANTIC. HE COMPLETED AMPHIBIOUS
WARFARE SCHOOL, JUNIOR COURSE IN JUNE 1949, AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO
THE 2D MARINE DIVISION AT CAMP LEJEUNE. HE WAS GIVEN COMMAND OF
COMPANY A, 1ST BATTALION, 2D MARINES. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
KOREAN WAR, HIS RIFLE COMPANY WAS TRANSFERRED TO CAMP PENDLETON AND
REDESIGNATED COMPANY A, 1ST BATTALION, 1ST MARINES, 1ST MARINE
DIVISION. HE LED ABLE COMPANY ASHORE AT INCHON ON 15 SEPTEMBER
1950. FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE FIGHTING ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SEOUL,
HE RECEIVED THE SILVER STAR. DURING THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR CAMPAIGN,
HE WAS AWARDED THE NAVY CROSS FOR THE SEIZURE AND DEFENSE OF HILL
1081 FROM 9-10 DECEMBER 1950.
5. AFTER HIS SERVICE IN THE KOREAN WAR, HE WAS REASSIGNED AS
OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, INFANTRY DESK, ENLISTED ASSIGNMENTS, HEADQUARTERS
MARINE CORPS. FROM THERE HE WAS DETAILED OUT AND SENT ON A
CLASSIFIED ASSIGNMENT TO THE FAR EAST, NORTH OF TAIWAN. HE RETURNED
TO HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS - THIS TIME TO THE G-3. IN FEBRUARY
1956, HE RETURNED TO CAMP LEJEUNE, WHERE HE SERVED FIRST AS
OPERATIONS OFFICER AND THEN EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF 2D BATTALION, 6TH
MARINES. HE JOINED THE NROTC UNIT AT TULANE UNIVERSITY IN 1957, AND
SERVED AS MARINE OFFICER INSTRUCTOR FOR THREE YEARS. RETURNING TO
QUANTICO, HE COMPLETED A TOUR WITH THE LANDING FORCE DEVELOPMENT
CENTER AND ATTENDED THE OFFICER'S SENIOR COURSE IN 1963. HE LEFT
FOR ANOTHER TOUR IN THE PACIFIC, WHERE HE SERVED AS G-3, III MARINE
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, THEN G-3 PLANS OFFICER AT FLEET MARINE FORCE
PACIFIC IN HAWAII. ATTENDANCE AT THE NATIONAL WAR COLLEGE FOLLOWED,
AND UPON GRADUATION IN 1968, HE ARRIVED IN SOUTH VIETNAM TO TAKE
COMMAND OF 9TH MARINES, 3D MARINE DIVISION. THE REGIMENT CONDUCTED
A SERIES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS SOUTH OF THE WESTERN PART
OF THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE AND IN THE KHE SANH AND BA LONG VALLEY
AREAS. FOR HIS VALOR DURING OPERATION DEWEY CANYON FROM 22 JANUARY
TO 18 MARCH 1969, HE RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS.
6. HE WAS PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL IN AUGUST 1969 BY GENERAL
LEONARD F. CHAPMAN, 24TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS. GENERAL
BARROW'S FIRST TOUR AS A GENERAL OFFICER WAS COMMANDING GENERAL,
MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP BUTLER, OKINAWA, WHERE HE SERVED FOR THREE
YEARS. HE THEN SERVED AS COMMANDING GENERAL, MARINE CORPS RECRUIT
DEPOT, PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA FOR 32 MONTHS. IN JULY 1975,
HE WAS ASSIGNED AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR MANPOWER, HEADQUARTERS
MARINE CORPS. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE BECAME COMMANDING GENERAL,
FLEET MARINE FORCE ATLANTIC, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. HE WAS ASSISTANT
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS FROM JULY 1978, UNTIL A YEAR LATER
WHEN HE ASSUMED THE OFFICE AS COMMANDANT. HE RETIRED IN JULY 1983,
AND RETURNED TO LOUISIANA.
7. GENERAL BARROW WAS A THREE-WAR MARINE WITH UNPARALLELED
EXPERIENCE IN CONVENTIONAL AND IRREGULAR CONFLICT. HE COMMANDED AT
EVERY LEVEL. HIS DEEP SENSE OF PURPOSE AND ABIDING LOVE OF THE
CORPS PROPELLED HIM FROM THE RANK OF PRIVATE TO GENERAL AND THE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT. HE WAS THE FIRST MARINE TO SERVE A
REGULAR FOUR-YEAR TOUR AS A FULL MEMBER OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF
STAFF. HE WAS A LEADER IN PERSONNEL REFORM AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
THE DECISION TO DUAL-HAT THE COMMANDING GENERALS OF THE RECRUIT
DEPOTS AS THE CGS OF THE TWO RECRUITING REGIONS. HE BELIEVED A
BETTER QUALITY OF RECRUIT LED TO AN INCREASE IN PERFORMANCE AND
RETENTION. AS SUCH, HE ADVOCATED AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AND SCREENING PROGRAMS FOR RECRUITERS AND
DRILL INSTRUCTORS. AS COMMANDANT, HE ADDRESSED SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND
ALCOHOLISM BY ENDING THE TOLERANCE OF DRUG USERS AND PROBLEM
DRINKERS. UNDER HIS STEADY HAND, THE MARINE CORPS REACHED A PLATEAU
OF EXCELLENCE IN ATTRACTING AND RETAINING QUALITY MEN AND WOMEN.
8. GENERAL BARROW'S MEDALS AND DECORATIONS INCLUDE THE NAVY CROSS,
DEFENSE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL WITH OAK LEAF CLUSTER,
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE MEDAL, SILVER STAR, THREE LEGIONS OF MERIT, TWO BRONZE STARS
WITH COMBAT "V," AND THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON.
9. A VIEWING FOR GENERAL BARROW WILL BEGIN AT 1000 LOCAL TIME ON
MONDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2008 AT GRACE CHURCH OF WEST FELICIANA,
LOUISIANA. FUNERAL AND BURIAL SERVICES WILL FOLLOW AT GRACE CHURCH
CEMETERY AT 1300. ADDITIONALLY, THIS HEADQUARTERS IS PREPARED TO
CONDUCT A MEMORIAL SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE DESIRES OF THE BARROW FAMILY. ONCE CONFIRMED I
WILL ANNOUNCE DETAILS VIA SEPARATE ALMAR. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE
FAMILY REQUESTS DONATIONS TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATIONS: THE GRACE CHURCH CEMETERY FUND, THE INJURED MARINE
SEMPER FI FUND, OR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS M. D. ANDERSON CANCER
CENTER.
10. ALL MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS WILL HALF-MAST THE NATIONAL
ENSIGN UNTIL SUNSET ON THE DAY OF INTERMENT.
11. JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE
MARINE CORPS.//

Resources:

Wikipedia - General Robert H. Barrow

Savings Deposit Program

Leading Marines.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:11:22 GMT

Earn an extra 10% from Uncle Sam while deployed to OIF, OEF or another combat zone.

Marines and all US Armed Forces personnel serving deployed in combat zones, qualified hazardous duty areas, or certain contingency operations may be eligible to deposit all or part of their unallotted pay into a DOD savings account up to $10,000 during a single deployment. on the account at an annual rate of 10% and compounds quarterly.

The Savings Deposit program provided Vietnam veterans a way to earn extra money while on their Southeast Asia tours. DOD reopened the program to Desert Storm troops in 1991, and extended it to troops in Bosnia in 1996. The program was further expanded in 1997, 2001, and 2003.

Although federal income earned in hazardous duty zones is tax-free, interest accrued on earnings deposited into the SDP is taxable. Marines can designate the allotment amount in five-dollar increments and deposits may be discontinued at any time. Funds can be left in an SDP account indefinitely, however, the account will stop accruing interest 90 days after a member returns from the combat zone. Withdrawls generally may only be made upon termination of eligibility for the program.

Marines serving in specified combat zones or in support of a contingency operation are authorized to make deposits. Service members must be in receipt of Hostile Fire Pay and be deployed for at least 30 consecutive days or at least 1 day in each of 3 consecutive months. Marines should contact their Finance Office to verify their eligibility.
There is no limit on the amount that may be contributed; however, no interest is paid on amounts exceeding $10,000.00. If you are depositing by allotment it will not stop automatically when the balance reaches $10,000.00. You must monitor the balance and request the allotment be stopped.
The interest rate is 10% annually, earned at 2.5% per quarter. No interest is paid on amounts exceeding $10,000.00. Deposits made by the 10th of a month will earn interest from the 1st of that month. Deposits made after the 10th accrue interest from the first day of the following month. Your account will continue to earn interest for 90 days after leaving the combat zone. Combat zone departure must be posted in order for interest accrual to be correctly stopped.
Remember the interest is taxable. Combat zone rules do not apply. No federal or state tax is withheld. A 1099-INT is issued no later than January 31st for Savings Deposit Program interest. If you do not receive your 1099-INT in the mail you may contact Customer Support to request that it be reissued to you.
Marines use the program by arranging deposit through their unit Admin. Marines may begin making deposits on their 31st consecutive day in the designated area. Eligibility to make deposits terminates on the date of departure from theater. Active duty members may make deposits by cash, personal check, traveler’s check, money order or allotment.

The Centralized Customer Support Unit at 1-888-DFAS411 or 1-888-332-7411, or commercial (216) 522-5096, or Defense Switching Network (DSN) 580-5096 (7:00 A.M. – 6:30 P.M. / Eastern time).

Resources:

DFAS MYPAY (SDP)

II MEF OIF Pre-deployment brief

Take a "Pittance of Time" on Veterans Day 2008

Leading Marines.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:41:44 GMT

I was on the Tarmac at Al Asad Iraq in 2006 with about 20 other Marines in a helo stick awaiting a ride to one of the western FOBs. As you might imagine the airfield was extremely busy with activity.   There were aircraft moving everywhere. I remember multiple helicopters, 2 or 3 F-18s and a C-130 moving in our general vicinity. You couldn't hear anything.   All of us had on full combat equipment, packs etc.

All at once every aircraft on the entire airfield came to a complete stop. The noise was still deafening because the engines were on, but there was no movement except rotor blades and a covered 7-ton truck moving toward an the Air Force C-130. The C-130 had just parked and lowered its ramp.

A Marine from the ADACG, responsible for getting us loaded on the our helo, pointed. We watched as the Air Force Air Crew came off the back of the C-130 and formed an honor guard.  We automatically got into formation and waited as several Marines came off the back of the 7-ton.  There were no commands given. None were needed. Every Marine on the airfield, whether standing like us or seated in a cockpit saluted as a flag draped coffin was carefully lowered off the vehicle and slowly carried onto the C-130.

After the Air Crew lowered their salutes and boarded the aircraft we came to order arms and got back into our helo stick (line). The 7-ton drove off the airfield, but nothing else moved.   Every aircraft remained into position while the C-130 taxied into position and took our brother home.  Within five minutes I was in the air enroute to accomplish my mission.  As busy and important as every mission was that day, nothing was as important as that mission. I will never forget that day as long as I live.

An Aussie Army buddy sent me the below Canadian video by Terry Kelly called a "Pittance of Time" in tribute to their veterans. It is a fine tribute to all veterans and should cause all of us to pause and salute this Veterans Day.



This video uses Terry's song "Pittance of Time" and honors our Marines and U.S. Military. It will always be the greatest honor of my life to have served among such men.    Please stop and take a moment to remember. (WARNING - this video has graphic content)

Prioritization and Leadership (Effectively prioritize tasks and work)

Leading Marines.com — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:56:31 GMT

If you're in a Marine Corps leadership billet you're constantly in motion. You may be getting a lot done, but are you really accomplishing important tasks? The ability to prioritize tasks is an essential skill that every Marine leader should possess.

All of us have seen Marines who are look extremely busy, but are they really getting anything done? If you have a list of 100 priorities and are checking off #s 95-100 you are probably doing nothing to move your unit forward. Conversely, you are likely moving your unit in the right direction if you accomplish the top 5 and never touch the bottom 95 tasks

Priority-Definition:

Webesters defines a priority as: a preferential rating ; especially : one that allocates rights to goods and services usually in limited supply <that project has top priority>: something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives

Prioritize-Definition:

To list or rate (as projects or goals) in order of priority

Priority Levels:

Establishing different priority levels can help sort tasks into short, mid and long-range tasks. A priority list must also clearly identify the importance of each task.  In order to effectively prioritize a task you must know when the task is due and how critical that task is to the success of your unit.

Developing a Priority Chart will help sort projects by importance.   The below is an example that can be modified to include less priorities, more time etc.

Top 10 Priorities (0-7 days)

The top 10 priorities are always your most important tasks.  Identifying these tasks is critical toward your ability to effectively prioritize. These spaces are normally reserved for the critical tasks that will have the biggest impact on your unit. These tasks should be reviewed and adjusted daily to ensure they are still top priorities and relevant to unit success.

As circumstances dictate, remove and/or replace a top priority with a lessor priority. Reviewing and re-adjusting your Priority Chart daily is critical to ensure you have total visibility on the top tasks you should be focused on.  Doing this will ensure that you are only focused on those tasks most critical to unit success.   Anything that is a priority for your commander is probably something you should strongly consider as a top 10 priority.

Failure to accomplish these tasks will have serious negative impacts on your unit. Accomplishing these tasks will have a significant positive impact on your unit.

Priorities 11-50 (0-30 days)

The next priority grouping contains those priorities that are important (some may be critical) but not immediately relevant. (Preparing to deploy for PTP in 1 month may be a critical task, but not as critical as 10 other taks that you have tomorrow and the rest of the week). These tasks should be reviewed daily and when necessary critical tasks should be moved up to the top 10 list.

Failure to accomplish any of these individual tasks may have a short or long term negative impact on your unit.

Priorities 51-75 (30 plus days)

These are important and semi-important tasks. Most routine tasks will probably fall into this category.  Nice-to-do tasks also fall in this category as well.   Review these tasks daily/weekly to ensure you have visibility on their status and re-adjust the list as necessary.

Failure to accomplish any of these individual tasks will not have a short or long term negative impact on your unit.

Bottom 10 Priorities

These tasks are completely irrelevant to mission success. Accomplishing these tasks amounts to busy work. While you may look good doing them, they provide no benefit to your unit. It is important to identify your bottom priorities in order to frame your list and identify what you shouldn't be doing. If you're working on these priorities, you've got a real good handle on the other 95, or you better reassess your situation.

Review and re-adjust your priority list daily as necessary. Your number 95 priority yesterday could become your # 1 priority today if the boss tells you to do it.

By re-adjusting the list, you keep the nice-to-do tasks (bottom 90) from interfering with you ability to accomplish meaningful goals in the top 10.

Resources: Sample Priority Chart

Leadership: The Warrior's Art

Leading Marines.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:00:23 GMT

Seeking to revitalize leadership in America's armed forces, Christopher Kolenda, a US Army Lieutenant Colonel, has assembled a tremendous array of the military's very brightest practitioners and minds in a book destined to shape how the armed forces thinks about and practices leadership in the 21st century. Composed of world-class historians and active and retired officers from the ranks of Major through full General, Kolenda and his colleagues analyze leadership in theory, history, and contemporary insight. The result is a remarkable synthesis, guiding the reader from Plato and Alexander, through Frederick and Clausewitz, to World War Two, Vietnam, Bosnia and the future.

This landmark study is essential for anyone who wishes to understand the passions and the fears, the ideas and the examples that animate the very best leaders in America's military. Leadership: The Warrior's Art is the most important, most penetrating analysis of military leadership to emerge in a generation: a seminal work as the leaders of the armed forces look toward and craft the future.

Selections of Leadership: The Warrior's Art are being used for instruction at West Point, the Naval War College, the Army War College, the Command and General Staff College, the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and several ROTC programs for their courses in History and Leadership.

From the Inside Flap
Since ancient times, outstanding Leadership has seized, excited and motivated peoples to reach for goals which they may not have even dared to dream about on their own. No political order, economic enterprise, or military organization has ever achieved significant success, or even survived, without it. Thus, the Leadership phenomenon has come to be recognized as vital to the life and growth of mankind. Christopher Kolenda’s book has been written while he was a member of the History Department at the United States Military Academy at West Point. To bring us this landmark work he has assembled contributions from some of the most thoughtful minds and practitioners of The Warrior’s Art which the American military has to offer. Shunning more conventional approaches, Kolenda and his colleagues attack the heart of Leadership from the avenues of theory, history and contemporary experience. Collectively, the work is a bold, fresh and broad-scale examination and analysi! s of the single most critical factor in what makes groups drive for success in the face of daunting resistance. It is a volume of monumental significance. -- Army War College Foundation Press

Wow! What a Book! … The absolute best book on Military Leadership in peace and war I have ever read; brought to life by very readable historical examples from several armies and various wars over the centuries. -- Lieutenant General Harold Moore (USA, Ret), author of "We Were Soldiers Once … And Young"

Leadership: The Warrior's Art "provides a robust collection of thought-filled essays written by an extraordinary group of accomplished thinkers and leaders. A terrific read, this book is one that will help you add depth and dimension to your storehouse of leadership knowledge. I highly recommend it for military leaders as well as leaders in the public and private sectors. -- Dr. Wess Roberts, author of "Leadership Secrets of Attilla the Hun"

Really good leadership, sad to say, may need a "jump start", and yet it is one of the most precious possessions a society can have. Without it nothing gets done. Chris Kolenda has done a great service in providing that jump start and assembling this remarkable collection of essays and reflections on the subject. Simply stated, his work is a towering accomplishment. He and his colleagues have brought together an outstanding array of writings of enormous importance to students, scholars and men and women of skill and ambition, both in the military services, and in the public and private sector. Additionally, his total grasp is all the more remarkable when one considers his relatively junior status among folks, many of whom are my peers. This book brings together a rich mixture of both theoretical and practical studies of one of the most important elements of any organization. For years to come it should be respected as a major contribution to our understanding of the leader's! role. -- Lieutenant General Julius Becton (USA, Ret.), former Director of the Emergency Planning Office, White House.

MARINE CORPS READING LIST

Leading Marines.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:59:31 GMT

In ALMAR 030/07, General Conway outlines his objectives for the Marine Corps Professional Reading Program. "To enhance the warrior ethos of the Corps, encourage critical thinking and broaden understanding of the current operating environment."