mtb1bkr
US Veteran
Hello Folks,
I just received the CMC bullets dated 20090918. These bullets explain what the Commandant feels are our most important priorities, goals and ideas. Here are a few excerpts from the 24 page document that I thought you all would be interested in:
- We are a Nation at war, and our Marines and Sailors in combat remain the number one priority.
- (In Afganistan) And you say to these warriors, what do you need? And you get what we got here—silence. And they look at each other and just say, "Sir, we're living the dream. We're doing exactly what we joined the Marine Corps to do."
-Iraq's going to be fine. There's turmoil there now, but I believe Iraq's going to be a rich country someday. I had a professor tell me years ago that a successful nation needs five things: It needs fresh water, arable lands, a literate population, an exportable product, and a seaport. I would probably add leadership to all of that, but Iraq has those things, and as soon as they get past the madness and some of the silliness that's taking place there now, I think they're going to be a very rich country in that region. Time will certainly tell.
-We do seven-month deployments—I think you all know that—and we're home—have been home for about seven months. We'd like to get that up to about 14 months for a couple of different reasons. One, it would give our Marines more time with their families, and the families are a vital part of the program these days. We say we recruit a Marine but we retain a family. About 45 percent of our Marines are married; that's what you're going to experience when you get out there. So it's important that these people really have time with their families.
-(Talking about expeditionary energy) There's an amazing figure out there; I think it's from the Defense Science Board. It says the U.S. government pays $1.04 or $1.05 today for a gallon of JP-5 or JP-8. By the time you get that gallon of fuel into the FOBs in Afghanistan it's costing $400 a gallon. Isn't that an amazing figure? That's what we're seeing.
-Our relationship with the Air Force is, I think, increasingly better. It's fair to say the issue we have with the Air Force is Marine Corps fixed-wing aircraft. They don't care about our helicopters. They hardly care about our C-130s. But when it comes to fixed-wing fighter and attack aircraft, they think they ought to control them, because they think they need to control all the skies. We don't sign onto that.We have our fixed-wing aircraft because we have a paucity of artillery. And our aircraft is the killer on the battlefield. The ACE is the killing power of the MAGTF. And so it's very vital to us. And we say, hey, Air Force, we want to work within your systems. We want to let you fly through our airspace. And we will swap up aircraft with you. But first and foremost, Marines will support Marines. And that's the strength of our air-ground team.
-(Talking about our Reservists)One thing you don't do with reserves is you don't bring them on board and send them to Camp Pendleton for their duration or put them overseas. If you bring them on, they want to go to the fight, and that's a good problem to have, so we're working it, and we're just very proud of our reserves and the job they're doing.
-Our nation is at war today on two fronts. There's still a lot of fighting that's going to have to be done. You represent that portion of our society that has conducted this fight. We have a nation of over 300 million Americans. Less than one percent wears the uniform of any service. Many less than that wear our uniform. So I just want you to understand that it is the way of this country; when the nation's at war, a warrior class steps forward and it takes care of business. You are, at present, the nation's warrior class. So for now on, and for the rest of your lives, whether you go or stay, when you walk into that restaurant or that pub or that theater, do so with your head held high, because you have chosen to be that nation's warrior class at a time when your country has definitely needed for you to do so. God bless you all for that.
-There are men and women from every race and creed and color and every state in the Union [in Iraq and Afghanistan]. And they're fighting for what they strongly believe in. And that's our freedom, our defense against those that would strike us, but also, to the extent that we can spread it around the globe, we believe that's important, as well.
Bill
I just received the CMC bullets dated 20090918. These bullets explain what the Commandant feels are our most important priorities, goals and ideas. Here are a few excerpts from the 24 page document that I thought you all would be interested in:
- We are a Nation at war, and our Marines and Sailors in combat remain the number one priority.
- (In Afganistan) And you say to these warriors, what do you need? And you get what we got here—silence. And they look at each other and just say, "Sir, we're living the dream. We're doing exactly what we joined the Marine Corps to do."
-Iraq's going to be fine. There's turmoil there now, but I believe Iraq's going to be a rich country someday. I had a professor tell me years ago that a successful nation needs five things: It needs fresh water, arable lands, a literate population, an exportable product, and a seaport. I would probably add leadership to all of that, but Iraq has those things, and as soon as they get past the madness and some of the silliness that's taking place there now, I think they're going to be a very rich country in that region. Time will certainly tell.
-We do seven-month deployments—I think you all know that—and we're home—have been home for about seven months. We'd like to get that up to about 14 months for a couple of different reasons. One, it would give our Marines more time with their families, and the families are a vital part of the program these days. We say we recruit a Marine but we retain a family. About 45 percent of our Marines are married; that's what you're going to experience when you get out there. So it's important that these people really have time with their families.
-(Talking about expeditionary energy) There's an amazing figure out there; I think it's from the Defense Science Board. It says the U.S. government pays $1.04 or $1.05 today for a gallon of JP-5 or JP-8. By the time you get that gallon of fuel into the FOBs in Afghanistan it's costing $400 a gallon. Isn't that an amazing figure? That's what we're seeing.
-Our relationship with the Air Force is, I think, increasingly better. It's fair to say the issue we have with the Air Force is Marine Corps fixed-wing aircraft. They don't care about our helicopters. They hardly care about our C-130s. But when it comes to fixed-wing fighter and attack aircraft, they think they ought to control them, because they think they need to control all the skies. We don't sign onto that.We have our fixed-wing aircraft because we have a paucity of artillery. And our aircraft is the killer on the battlefield. The ACE is the killing power of the MAGTF. And so it's very vital to us. And we say, hey, Air Force, we want to work within your systems. We want to let you fly through our airspace. And we will swap up aircraft with you. But first and foremost, Marines will support Marines. And that's the strength of our air-ground team.
-(Talking about our Reservists)One thing you don't do with reserves is you don't bring them on board and send them to Camp Pendleton for their duration or put them overseas. If you bring them on, they want to go to the fight, and that's a good problem to have, so we're working it, and we're just very proud of our reserves and the job they're doing.
-Our nation is at war today on two fronts. There's still a lot of fighting that's going to have to be done. You represent that portion of our society that has conducted this fight. We have a nation of over 300 million Americans. Less than one percent wears the uniform of any service. Many less than that wear our uniform. So I just want you to understand that it is the way of this country; when the nation's at war, a warrior class steps forward and it takes care of business. You are, at present, the nation's warrior class. So for now on, and for the rest of your lives, whether you go or stay, when you walk into that restaurant or that pub or that theater, do so with your head held high, because you have chosen to be that nation's warrior class at a time when your country has definitely needed for you to do so. God bless you all for that.
-There are men and women from every race and creed and color and every state in the Union [in Iraq and Afghanistan]. And they're fighting for what they strongly believe in. And that's our freedom, our defense against those that would strike us, but also, to the extent that we can spread it around the globe, we believe that's important, as well.
Bill
