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Archive for the ‘Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Category

Happy Early Birthday, Marine Corps!

22 Oct

Last night, my husband’s unit celebrated the 236th birthday of the Marine Corps with the traditional birthday ball. I have been looking forward to going all year. We haven’t been to a ball since 2008. He promised me last year that we would go to this one, and I held him to it!

This year, it was held in the Greenville Convention Center. That is about a two hour drive, and so we got a room in the Hilton, which is on-site at the convention center. Very convenient, because then Matt could drink all he wanted and I wouldn’t have to worry about driving home to Camp Lejeune around midnight. We had plenty of time to get ready in our room, didn’t have to drive all the way in my dress and his blues, and when it was over, could just collapse into bed. Great, great decision to stay there.

One of the little quirks that was slightly annoying was that we had assigned seating. That fact in and of itself wasn’t so bad — the seating was assigned by company and rank, so we sat at a table of corporals from H&S company — but what was frustrating is that we have a very, very large battalion. We have about 1200 Marines and sailors in our battalion. And there was no seating chart… just a card on the center of each table that would say the company and the table number, and the names of the parties sitting at that table. So everyone was walking around the hundreds and hundreds of tables, peering at these little cards, trying to figure out where they were sitting. It was pretty funny, actually — we found our table relatively quickly, but a couple of friends of ours couldn’t find theirs, and in desperation before the ceremony began just sat down at a random table with some people they knew.

Anyway, we found our table and were well settled in when the ceremony started. I couldn’t see anything. But I could hear everything, and really, that was all that mattered. Our battalion CO gave a short speech, and then introduced our guest of honor: the legendary Major General Ray “E-Tool” Smith. His speech was great. It started with an emphasis on pronouncing General Lejeune’s name correctly (Luh-jern), because as General Smith said, he is the single most important Marine in Marine Corps history, so the least we can do is pronounce his name correctly. He also spoke a lot about killing commies (which made me laugh) and about Vietnam.

Shortly after that, we had the annual Commandant’s birthday message. And holy cow… this video made me cry. A lot. I was desperately wiping away tears as quickly as I could in fear that it would ruin my makeup.

It was a very emotional video, which seemed different from the messages I’ve seen the past few years. But it was an excellent birthday message, and was definitely inspiring and motivating. It was a reminder of why we live the life that we do, and why we sacrifice as a family.

Another touching moment was when our battalion CO pointed out the empty black table in the front, to signify our fallen Marines. It had a single lit candle, a Purple Heart, and dog tags. It was touching in its simplicity, remembering those who have shed blood in defense of our country, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their last full measure of devotion to their country. He also recognized some of our wounded warriors from our most recent deployment, who received a standing ovation from most of the people in attendance, although sadly not from all. The Marines all stood up and applauded. I noticed that sadly, very few wives did.

And that was another frustrating thing about the ceremony. I know not everyone is a moto wife like I am, I get that. But there is no excuse for flat-out disrespect. I saw one wife, for example, while the colors were being presented and we were all asked to stand, get out of her seat and slam it onto the ground, cross her arms, and give a little huff of anger while rolling her eyes. Other wives remained firmly in their seats during various parts of the ceremony, or wouldn’t clap for the speeches or for the various Marines who were recognized. It was rude, disrespectful, and extremely inappropriate.

A good number of people left directly after dinner, too. I know for some people its just a thing they feel like they have to do, since the ceremony is mandatory for the Marines, but come on… you paid almost $90 to be there, you might as well enjoy yourselves!

Of course, there were also the rare few who enjoyed themselves too much. One couple in particular stands out for me. It was towards the very end of the night, and they were one of the last couples left on the dance floor. As me and a few of my friends watched, this Marine and his date grinded on each other as they danced. He took off his blouse (a no-no in your dress blues), and then they went and sat down. Or, rather, he sat down. She climbed onto his lap, straddling him, and starting making out with him, all the while grinding away as if they were having sex right in front of everyone. They kept on going for a few minutes, and then he stood up, with her legs still wrapped around him, and the two of them still making out. Honestly, if they had started having sex on the dance floor I don’t know if I would have been surprised. And this morning, as we were leaving, we noticed several Marines walking from up the street (from the opposite direction of the convention center) still in their blues, albeit in various stages of undress. No idea where they came from or what they were doing, but it made us chuckle.

And who can forget the fashion? I was very, very happy to see that for the most part, the ladies of our unit presented themselves very well. Most of us were dressed beautifully and appropriately for the event. But of course, there were the wives dressed like skanks and like they were going to an after-church Sunday cocktail party. It never fails. I don’t understand the new trend with all the cut-outs, by the way. I mean, some little ones that are done tastefully I can understand. But who would want to wear a dress with the majority of the fabric gone? I mean, really… if your belly button is showing, then its not appropriate for the ball. Its also not appropriate if your see-you-next-Tuesday is almost showing, or if your buttcheeks are showing, or if your dress has a v-neck down to your stomach. Have some class, people.

Likewise, please, please, please, stop with the short dresses. This is a black-tie event. That means wear a formal dress, not a cocktail dress. Cocktail dresses are for when your Marine is in Alphas, not in his dress blues. And it is not about you, anyways. I know a lot of girls think they can just wear whatever they want to wear, but the Marine Corps ball is about the Marines present, not their dates. It is incredibly frustrating to me when I see women wear skanky or informal dresses. Show some respect to your Marine and to the Corps, for God’s sake. And I’ve seen many girls give the advice to just wear what you want because no one will notice, but let me put it out there right now — everyone notices. Everyone does. And they talk about it. They talk about what the wives are wearing, and not necessarily in a positive way. The bad dresses stand out more than the good ones do, and those are the ones people talk about.

One of the highlights of the night was getting to meet General Smith. We went to say hello, and it turns out he and Matt got along extremely well. They talked and talked and talked and talked, and would have kept on talking, until I pulled Matt away. We had been there chatting with him for at least twenty minutes, and there was another Marine and his wife waiting there the entire time wanting to meet him as well. One funny moment — when Matt told me General Smith was coming, he told me that he was famous for his nickname E-Tool, which he got because he killed 19 people with an E-Tool. I figured it was just an urban legend, which was what I told Matt. Well, my husband just went ahead and asked him about it, and when General Smith told him that no, it wasn’t true, poor Matt just looked so sad and disappointed! And then General Smith leaned in and said, “I killed someone with my bare hands though once — does that count??” He was delightful to get to talk to, and it was a huge honor to get to be able to meet him.

Anyways, Matt and I had a great time last night. We really needed the time alone together, for one — we get next to no time as a couple with the baby these days — and it was really wonderful to be able to just have the time for the two of us to be together as husband and wife, not mom and dad. It really was an incredible evening, and the unit did a fantastic job of putting the event together. Honestly, it is the best ball I’ve been to yet. I already can’t wait for next year’s.

 
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Posted in Commandant of the Marine Corps, Marine Corps life

 

Hysterics Over DADT Repeal Are An Insult To The Military

21 Dec

Originally posted at David Horowitz’s Newsreal:

There have been a lot of different responses to the news that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell has been repealed. President Obama is planning to sign the bill this week. Supporters are touting it as a victory for civil rights. Before the Senate passed the repeal, critics continued to voice concerns, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Some have continued to voice those concerns — others, however, have taken those concerns one step too far. At what point does concern turn into hysterics, and when does it becoming insulting to our honorable men and women in uniform?

My husband is currently serving in Afghanistan in the Marine Corps. He loves his country and the Corps. His MOS — military occupational specialty — is an 0311, an infantry rifleman. This is a combat MOS. Like many Marines, he wasn’t a fan of repealing DADT. The number one concern I have heard from many Marines around Camp Lejeune was how the repeal would affect unit cohesion, although there are many other issues that come into play. The benefit of DADT has been that it allows the military to remain neutral on homosexuality. Now, the military will have to reconcile service with the gay rights agenda. How will the military now be forced to handle a gay soldier in a relationship? Will they be forced to approve of gay public displays of affection? What about those in the military who aren’t comfortable with their children seeing two men kiss while they’re doing their grocery shopping in the commissary? How will the military be forced to handle a gay soldier who gets married in a state that allows gay marriage? Will gay spouses receive military benefits now, too? And what about the gay servicemembers who aren’t married because their state doesn’t allow it, but are in committed relationships — do they qualify for benefits, too? Will gay and straight servicemembers be allowed to sleep in barracks together? What about when a unit is deployed, and the men are forced to sleep in even closer quarters? What will happen to the soldier or Marine who is uncomfortable with sleeping next to a gay man?

There are a lot of questions and concerns about repealing DADT, and no easy answers. The beauty of the system was that it allowed the military to remain neutral on each and every one of these issues. The military didn’t approve or disapprove. Now, the military is forced to take a stance, and in many instances, I fear it will be in favor of gay rights, giving special treatment to gays. I also am not a big fan of politicians using the military to basically conduct a social experiment, especially when we are fighting two wars.

Obviously, I am not a fan of repealing DADT. My feelings on the matter were very close to those of General Amos, the Commandant of the Marine Corps. However, now that the repeal is passed, there is only one thing to do, and that is accept it and move on. Adapt and overcome. While there will be many tough decisions to make, and the adjustment period will undoubtedly be difficult, I have no doubt that our servicemembers can and will adjust. Adapt and overcome.

Today, I logged onto my Facebook, and saw the following in my inbox.

Change your profile picture to black to mourn the death of the United States military as we know it.

How widespread a meme this is on Facebook, I don’t know. But it’s far from a rarity. Joseph Farah, as an example, wrote an article trumpeting the “fact” that servicemembers will be apparently be quitting the service in droves, so upset will they be over the prospect of — gasp!! — serving alongside gay men and women. He’s even urging them to do so. Apparently, there are some people who just can’t fathom that our men and women in uniform might actually be honorable people who will be able to rise above sexual orientation. This infuriates me.

There have been many people expressing a similar opinion, and I find it to be a massive insult to our military. The rhetoric — on both sides of the issue — has been massively overblown.

The question I have for the people who feel this will destroy our military is this: do you think all of the men and women currently serving are so severely homophobic that they cannot continue to serve their country with honor?

If your answer to that question is yes, then shame on you.

General Amos has pledged to support the repeal, doing the honorable thing. (Funny how so many of our servicemen and women tend to do that, huh?)

“Above all else, we are loyal to the Constitution, our Commander in Chief, Congress, our Chain of Command, and the American people,” said Commandant Gen. Jim Amos, in a prepared statement released Sunday.

… “As stated during my testimony before Congress in September and again during hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month, the Marine Corps will step out smartly to faithfully implement this new policy. I, and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, will personally lead this effort, thus ensuring the respect and dignity due all Marines.

“On this matter, we look forward to further demonstrating to the American people the discipline and loyalty that have been the hallmark of the United States Marine Corps for over 235 years.”

Gen. Amos disagreed with the repeal and fought it every step of the way. It passed anyways, and so he is putting service before his own objections. Many Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen will likely do the exact same thing. This must be shocking to the people who think so little of our military that they won’t be able to survive serving alongside gay men and women. (Imagine how shocked they would be if they ever found out that many times servicemembers already know who in their unit is gay, and don’t care.)

As of right now, the military will be writing the rules on the new policy. And so far, it looks like many of the concerns I, and many others, have are being addressed.

No public displays of affection. No separate bathrooms. No harassment and no special treatment.

… What if a recruiter refuses to process recruits who say they are gay? What about a sailor who requests a new sleeping area to get away from a gay roommate? Can a service member file a complaint against a chaplain who preaches against homosexuality? And can a gay or lesbian service member get leave to travel home when their partner is ill?

In each case the recommended process is careful and deliberate. The recruiter and the sailor should be counseled about the new rules — but in both cases commanders have the authority to approve a move if they believe it’s necessary in order to maintain unit stability. And, yes, chaplains can still preach what they believe.

The health and social benefits, however, are a murky area that Pentagon officials say they are trying to work through.

In some cases, service members may be able to designate a same-sex partner for benefits. In most cases, however, they are treated much like unmarried heterosexual couples. So, same-sex partners will probably not be able to share on-base housing, and commanders don’t have to make allowances for same-sex couples when making duty assignments around the globe.

Does this mean all the questions are answered and the concerns are addressed? No, but it does look like this is being handled (for now) the best possible way. Perhaps we should wait to go into a rabid panic until there’s actually a reason to panic, and we aren’t quite there yet. Unless, of course, you have no faith in our military.

Why is it so unbelievable that the military would be able to figure out the best way to implement homosexuals serving openly? As the wife of a Marine, I find it deeply insulting to our men and women currently serving with honor to suggest that the mere addition of gay men and women will somehow make our entire military crumble. Understand this: the vast majority of heroes in uniform are better than that. The few that are not won’t last.

The New York Times recently ran an article interviewing a handful of Marines. Most of them, not surprisingly, were just fine with the repeal, although they expressed some reservations about — you guessed it — serving in combat. (Personally, I wouldn’t let the final word on that be several boot Marines who haven’t even graduated yet from the School of Infantry.) My guess on the combat situations? Yes, there will be reservations and the men will be uncomfortable. But if the gay troops prove themselves in combat then I guarantee that those reservations will disappear. When you’re fighting the enemy, you aren’t worried about who the guy next to you is sleeping with. You’re worried about whether or not he’s a good shot and if he’ll have your back in a firefight.

Our troops have been able to defeat some of the worst kinds of evil throughout history. When our country was founded, our military started with a small band of ragtag patriots who were able to overthrow an oppressive empire. Since then, they’ve encountered unspeakable evils and enemies that seemed impossible to defeat, and have come out on top almost every time. We have the greatest military the world has ever seen, yet a small group of people set on hysterics over the DADT repeal would have you believe that this same military can’t overcome gays serving alongside straights.

What an insult to our men and women in uniform, who as I am writing this are fighting thousands of miles away to defend our country and our freedoms from another unimaginably evil enemy. They deserve better.

Our troops have overcome much worse than the repeal of DADT, and given time, they’ll adapt and overcome this too. It’s too bad that we can’t have the faith in them that they have earned, and so richly deserve.

 
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Posted in Commandant of the Marine Corps, DADT, Marine Corps News

 

Gen. James Amos to be the next Commandant?

15 Jun

I’ve signed up to be a Family Readiness Volunteer with my husband’s unit, and part of the requirements for this are taking certain classes. LINKS is one of them. I took the class last Saturday, and it went over basic Marine Corps info that any USMC wife should know, even without taking a class. I felt like I wasted an entire day, because I already know what duty is, what chevrons are, and what an LES looks like. I know what PCSing is and what all of the enlisted ranks are. I know that the scarlet stripe in the dress blues is not just a red stripe, but that it symbolizes the blood spilled in a specific battle (bonus points for anyone who can name that battle in the comment section). I know who the Commandant is and I can name you off a list of famous and influential Marines. Sadly, this is not the case with most wives. I feel that it is part of my duty as a Marine’s wife to know as much as I can about the Corps. It is my job as well as his to fully immerse myself in knowledge so as to better serve my husband, my country, and the Corps. Not all wives feel this way, I guess, but bless those women who go to these classes completely ignorant of all basic USMC knowledge. They’re trying to learn, which is all that matters.

When asked who the current commandant of the Marine Corps is, I was the only one who knew. (It’s Gen. James T. Conway.) I find it kind of important to know who the commandant is. Not all wives do, I guess.

With that little rant over and done with, I saw the news today that it is looking like Gen. Conway’s replacement has been selected. It seems that Gen. James Amos will be the next commandant of the Marine Corps. He will be the 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, and the first Marine jet aviator to be named commandant.

Gen. James Amos is expected to be named the 35th commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, sources told Defense News on Monday. If nominated, Amos could become the first Marine jet aviator named to the top post, and he would alter recent custom by becoming the first assistant commandant in several decades to succeed his immediate boss.

A source confirmed that the White House has received the nomination from Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who made the choice with the blessing of Defense Secretary Robert Gates. An announcement of the nomination will come from the White House, and could come as soon as this Thursday, the day the executive branch habitually releases personnel statements.

Speculation has been building about the successor to Gen. James Conway, who retires in September. In addition to Amos, other leading candidates were thought to be: Lt. Gen. Joe Dunford, commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force and commander of Marine forces in U.S. Central Command; Lt. Gen. John Allen, deputy commander of Central Command; Lt. Gen. Richard Natonski, commander of Marine Corps Forces Command; and Gen. James Mattis, commander of Joint Forces Command.

Some sources are pointing to Dunford as the nominee for assistant commandant, but that move has not been confirmed.

Amos commanded the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing from 2002 to 2004 during Operating Iraqi Freedom and subsequently led II MEF. He also commanded the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and served as the deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration. He has been assistant commandant since July 2008.

There are some reservations about Gen. Amos. His background as a jet pilot is under scrutiny, considering we are fighting a ground war in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has led troops in Iraq, but not in Afghanistan. And he has less experience in counterinsurgency than some other candidates. This is in sharp contrast to Gen. James Mattis, considered by many to be brilliant when it comes to counterinsurgency. Lt. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr, expected to be nominated as assistant commandant, is an infantry officer. Personally, I would think that Lt. Gen. Dunford or Gen. Mattis would be the best for the job, but I’m sure that Gen. Amos is capable. Gen. Conway has done a great job as commandant — his overhaul of the awful KV network into the wonderful new Family Readiness Program was fantastic for the families of Marines — and so Gen. Amos has big shoes to fill. Gen. Conway also opposes repealing DADT. Gen. Amos’ position on DADT is currently unclear. There are rumors that Gen. Amos has been chosen by Defense Secretary Gates solely because of his position on DADT, and I certainly hope that isn’t the case. The Marine Corps needs a commandant chosen for his military leadership, not for where he stands on political issues. If — and that’s a big IF — this is true, then shame on Secretary Gates.

Gen. Mattis, meanwhile, is pleased with the selection.

Mattis said via e-mail to Politico he “could not be more pleased” that his “shipmate and friend” would lead the corps.

“By all means quote me: Tamer Amos and Fighting Joe Dunford will be the best possible team,” Mattis said, using nicknames for the two officers.

Defense Secretary Gates has apparently been looking for someone to return to the Corps’ sea-service traditions of amphibious assault, and Gen. Amos supposedly has innovative new ideas on how to take the Corps into the future of amphibious warfare. It certainly looks like the next commandant has been chosen. I wish him good luck — and hope that he was chosen for the right reasons and not for stupid little political games.

 
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Posted in Commandant of the Marine Corps, DADT, Marine Corps News