tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18385473793005957512024-03-28T20:29:54.746-07:00Marine Corps Gazette BlogWhen John A. Lejeune founded the Marine Corps Association in 1913, one of his stated purposes was “publishing a periodical journal for the dissemination of information concerning the aims, purposes, and deeds of the Corps, and the interchange of ideas for the betterment and improvement of its officers and men.” The Marine Corps Gazette is the product of that mission.Marine Corps Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125728369326612980noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-88325894501330777902017-08-17T03:02:00.000-07:002017-08-17T03:02:34.344-07:00The Battle of Guilford Courthouse:
A Battle Study by Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26
Written by: Sergeant Christopher J. Borghese, Sergeant Ryan A. Curtis, Sergeant Timothy K. Olmsted, Sergeant Brandon C. Paasch, Sergeant John C. Shaffer, Corporal Jeffrey A. Damron, Corporal Nathaniel A. Hamman, Corporal Connor L. Hollern, Corporal Marielene L. Jones, Corporal Stephan P. Kenneavy, Corporal Connor J. Levison, Corporal Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-43645543315200672522016-07-18T10:16:00.000-07:002016-07-18T10:16:44.775-07:00TDG #7-16R: Defend the Airfield, Part I*
*originally published in March 1992.
Situation
Beginning with the fall of communism in the early 1990s, the past several years have witnessed tremendous changes throughout the world. You find yourself the commanding officer of the 1st Special Infantry Company in a provisional rifle battalion that has been formed recently and deployed (without major attachments) on a deployment for trainingMarine Corps Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125728369326612980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-3574569951123978602016-07-06T13:47:00.002-07:002016-07-06T14:14:07.263-07:00Are You the Next Napoleon?
For tacticians at the tip of the spear
TDGs return to the Gazette. (Photo by LCpl Nik S. Phongsisattanak.)
In war there is no substitute for experience, no substitute for the intuitive skill that comes from repeated practice. Tactical decision games are a practice field for the tactical leader. This article explains why and how.
Think of the Great Captains of military history—Alexander,Marine Corps Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125728369326612980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-34097390261338379472014-09-10T19:18:00.000-07:002014-09-11T10:32:52.748-07:00Neither Bold Nor Daring...
Yes, they can.
The 2013 MajorGeneral Harold W. Chase Essay contest was won by Captain Lauren F. Serrano, but
one really has to wonder why. This contest is meant to recognize “articles that
challenge conventional wisdom by proposing change to a current Marine Corps directive,
policy, custom, or practice. To qualify, entries must propose and argue for a
new and better way of 'doing business' inUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-47712086505633109472014-06-28T12:50:00.000-07:002014-06-28T13:10:17.492-07:00An Open Letter to the Editor of the Marine Corps GazetteDear Colonel Keenan,
Please excuse my addressing you directly, but I feel it is imperative to draw your attention to two significant fallacies in your recent open letter to the Secretary of Defense.
The first is your assertion that arguments for the full integration of women in the military fall into two categories; yours, and those that are “uninformed opinion… agenda and ideologically driven.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-60532758661481766612014-05-14T03:49:00.003-07:002014-05-14T04:23:16.098-07:00Incentives Matter: Women and Pull-Ups
The Issue
The Marine Corps currently allows female Marines when taking their Physical Fitness Test (PFT) to choose between the flexed-arm hang and pull-ups, each selection providing a possible 100 points. The current policy creates an incentive for women to stick with the flexed-arm hang because it is easier to achieve a higher score than doing pull-ups. If we continue to present Joseph Mazzarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691057085434760180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-2992574920418615712014-05-01T16:31:00.000-07:002014-05-02T07:44:04.312-07:00French Operations in Africa: Lessons for Future Leaders
Abstract
As the Marine Corps builds
up the Special-Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Crisis Response (MAGTF –CR)
under Marine Forces Africa (MARFORAF), there are valuable lessons to be learned
from recent French military operations on the African continent. This essay
gives some background on France’s historic interventions in Africa and makes
recommendations for future changes to the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-90577968632564587742014-02-06T10:23:00.000-08:002014-04-16T19:14:34.673-07:00This is Not an Air War! <!--[if gte mso 9]>
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John Temponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00607635929805943296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-54080119062688015452013-12-26T05:12:00.001-08:002013-12-26T05:12:03.108-08:00USMC Budget at War on the RocksI have a post up today on War on the Rocks about the coming budget battle from the USMC's perspective. The service makes both the naughty and the nice list. On the nice side, the USMC has positioned itself very well to retain a goodly portion of funding and structure as a 9/11 force:
The Marine Corps owes much of its good position to faithful service in Iraq and Afghanistan and, as usual, good B A Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18232905624034481261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-57392994720924646922013-12-04T21:11:00.000-08:002013-12-04T21:19:02.319-08:00Putting the “Landing Force” in Air-Sea Battle: What Now, Lieutenant Colonel?
At The Basic School, almost every Marine officer has
experienced the “What now, Lieutenant?” moment. You’ve sketched out a battle
plan worthy of Rommel himself, and then a question is posed by a fellow
student, an instructor raises a quizzical eyebrow, and you find yourself
suddenly on the spot.
Lieutenant Colonel Tlapa’s recent award-winning essay Putting the “Landing Force” in Air-Sea
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-78061424374940669702013-11-06T07:26:00.000-08:002013-11-08T09:58:22.328-08:00DEF2013, Intrapreneurship and Learning to Innovate Within the System
Over Columbus Day weekend a group of almost 100 individuals from vastly different backgrounds came together for the inaugural Defense Entrepreneurs Forum 2013 (DEF2013.com) to discuss innovation in the military and how to affect positive change in a large organization. Held at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, the DEF2013 audience consisted of military membersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926238611351044249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-81286665307795425172013-10-13T10:32:00.002-07:002013-10-13T10:32:29.354-07:00BTTF 5: Retaining Female Talent
This post is part of a series that will continue over the course of the next few months. The series will look at the future of the Marine Corps after the end of Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. It was inspired by Robert Kosloski’s article in the Naval War College Review, “Marching Towards the Sweet Spot: Options for the Marine Corps in a Time of Austerity,” (Available Here) Mr. B A Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18232905624034481261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-11053357894423820352013-08-28T07:40:00.001-07:002013-08-28T07:40:44.242-07:00 Q & A with Leftwich Trophy Recipient, Maj Benjamin Middendorf
The Marine Corps Association & Foundation's (MCA&F) Roxanne Baker sits down with Maj Benjamin Middendorf, this year's recipient of the Leftwich Trophy.
Middendorf accepted the award at MCA&F's 10th annual Ground Awards dinner in 2013.
"It's a huge honor to say the least and I hope to do it justice," he said. "Just to be a Marine by itself, that's enough for me. I don't need any Marine Corps Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125728369326612980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-66961316106053501442013-08-12T14:23:00.000-07:002013-08-13T09:18:38.654-07:00Innovation and Lean Startups in the World’s Largest Bureaucracy: DEF2013
In his 2011 work The Lean Startup, serial entrepreneur Eric Ries describes a method for successful entrepreneurship that stresses the importance of rapid iteration over extensive planning, adaptive learning over causal logic, and getting an idea into the hands of end users well before it is completely validated. While this technique was considered innovative and ground breaking in the Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17926238611351044249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-56741843676132698882013-08-12T02:48:00.000-07:002013-08-12T08:49:48.203-07:00Back to the Future Part 4: On Strategy
For few years now, I have been harping on the Marine Corps for its poor strategic education program. (Sorry, CG 13, EWS Class 2012-2013, I know you’re tired of this.) By poor, I do not mean that the strategic education is bad. Command and Staff College, where Marine officers receive their first real dose of strategic theory, has a great curriculum and outstanding staff. Rather, this doseB A Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18232905624034481261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-14737263564359719202013-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:002013-10-06T10:47:59.724-07:00Why the West is the Best
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This post is part of a series that will continue over the course of the next few months. The series will look at the future of the Marine Corps after the end of Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. It was inspired by Robert Kosloski’s article in the Naval War College Review, “Marching Towards the Sweet Spot: Options for the Marine Corps in a Time of Austerity,” (Available Here) Mr. B A Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18232905624034481261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-56896456664295789282013-06-14T08:51:00.000-07:002013-06-14T15:08:06.721-07:00Modern Day Relevance in Classic Military Literature
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John Temponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00607635929805943296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-88667308493766621872013-06-10T06:58:00.002-07:002013-06-10T06:58:32.498-07:00Back to the Future Part 2
This post is part of a series that will continue over the course of the next few months. The series will look at the future of the Marine Corps after the end of Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. It was inspired by Robert Kosloski’s article in the Naval War College Review, “Marching Towards the Sweet Spot: Options for the Marine Corps in a Time of Austerity,” (Available Here) Mr. B A Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18232905624034481261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-22831590110547697362013-05-31T07:07:00.000-07:002013-05-31T07:07:04.405-07:00Back to the Future Part One
This post is part of a series that will continue over the course of the next few months. The series will look at the future of the Marine Corps after the end of Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. It was inspired by Robert Kosloski’s article in the Naval War College Review, “Marching Towards the Sweet Spot: Options for the Marine Corps in a Time of Austerity,” (Available Here) Mr. B A Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18232905624034481261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-86086957094968991672013-04-26T12:57:00.000-07:002013-04-26T13:01:44.148-07:00The Enlisted Marine of 2025
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mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 Marine Corps Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125728369326612980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-56885702302919184142013-04-11T11:04:00.001-07:002013-04-11T11:36:24.860-07:00End Strength 100k: Fixed-Wing Air
Airplane Graveyard, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base outside Tucson, AZ
Please keep in mind that my last article about dropping tanks and other such 'heavy' things was not a recommendation that I think the Marine Corps needs to take under serious consideration. Just as today I am not suggesting we drop all of our fixed wing aircraft tomorrow. This series is more of an intellectual Joseph Mazzarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691057085434760180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-23603808869454479522013-03-26T13:46:00.003-07:002013-03-27T06:40:56.002-07:00Marine Corps End Strength: 100k
Just the other day, I was discussing sequestration with a fellow officer. After we got into the discussion of what it means for the Marine Corps, we began to imagine about what would happen if over the next several years there were further cuts to DoD. As something of a thought experiment, we asked ourselves, what would a Marine Corps with an end strength of 100k look Joseph Mazzarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691057085434760180noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-19518700925323155012013-03-04T06:56:00.000-08:002013-03-04T07:06:13.156-08:00Brevet Promotions, Cost Saving Solution?
What's the difference between a LtCol and a LtCol Brevet?
The pay check.
As Sequester hits, and the current economic situation suggesting potential for further future cuts, the the US Government, and DoD in paticular, are naturally considering various cost saving measures. One measure that should be implemented, in this author's humble opinion, is a "brevet" system of promotion.&Joseph Mazzarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691057085434760180noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1838547379300595751.post-1192762820922200202013-02-15T06:53:00.002-08:002013-02-15T11:00:47.805-08:00Deception in Air-Sea Battle
Captain Brett Friedman has written on this blog several good pieces on Air-Sea Battle (ASB). In my personal favorite, he describes how ASB falsely promises the US military a strategic victory over an enemy by using air and sea power to defeat our enemy. He brings in historical examples of the US using air and sea forces to reduce shore-based defenses, like Joseph Mazzarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691057085434760180noreply@blogger.com9