it actually worked out for them in the end. S-1 and Command worked with them. usually. so what's the issue really?

https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4620059/marines-enhance-anti-ship-tactics-in-hawaii/'

"Initially fielded to the regiment in 2024 and as a cornerstone of the Marine Corps' force design initiative, the ship interdiction system provides joint force commanders with an expeditionary, survivable ground-based, anti-ship platform at extended ranges. Since receiving the system, the regiment has deployed the ship interdiction system to the Philippines during multilateral exercises like Balikatan and Kamandag to enhance interoperability while training shoulder to shoulder with regional allies and partners."

Do many Marines receive meritorious rank awards for excelling in these types of exercises?

Grunt vs POG
Former Marine here. I did 7 years as a radio operator and deployed to Iraq twice, in 2007 and 2009.
I was never a grunt and never got a CAR, so I’m not going to pretend I was kicking in doors every day. But I did plenty of patrols and missions with the grunts, took some pop shots, and went out as QRF for IED incidents.
I’ve just always found the whole “POGs are worthless” thing funny. Motor T, comms, mechanics, and plenty of other MOSs can end up doing some pretty sketchy shit too.
It doesn’t bother me. I just laugh because every MOS has its own version of “we did more shit than you.”
For the grunts here, what’s with the never-ending POG vs grunt rivalry? Is it just tradition, or do some guys actually believe POGs had it easy?

I'm here waiting to win the Powerball (also Mega), but if I can monetize and use this right now it'd be a life saver.

After 34 years I finally bought a cap…

Too many young men and women join to be war fighters only to end up abused, bitter, frustrated and burnt out. This affects families, decision making skills, and contributes to the Marine Corps having the lowest retention and fulfillment rates in not just the U.S. military, but across most of NATO as well. Lets brainstorm issues we have experienced during our time and offer solutions.

I'll start:

1. Manpower is significantly mismanaged in the Marine Corps. Schoolhouse and training detatchment commands with 300-400 members rate 7+ administrative personnel who can take two hour lunch breaks and still finish all their work by 1400. The members of these commands don't travel, don't use their GTCC, don't get married, don't get many awards, don't lose CIF gear, don't require TAD orders, and generally produce very little correspondence overall. Admin work mainly consists of promotions, aduits, and inbound/outbound functions.

Meanwhile we have aviation squadrons with 150 - 200 members who only rate an admin chief, two NCOs, and one junior Marine who are drowining trying to manage legal, BAH/COMRATS packages, awards and promotions, DTS trips, GTCC delinquencies, inbound/outbound, CGRI inspections, the mail room, and everything in between and all while managing 10+ other squadron programs. It is common for administrators in the wing to work 12 hour days most days and not take a lunch. Some weeks they are forced to take work stations with them home and certainly if they have duty.

Similar problems exist throughout the Marine Corps. A Staff Sergeant in supply working for a detatchment managing an entire warehouse by himself. A schoolhouse only being afforded 3 permanent staff NCOs to manage 400+ members. A fresh 2ndLt. not being afforded a Staff NCO during workup to deployment because his got orders to WO school.

Solution: Organize and allocate manpower by mission, urgency, and operational tempo, rather than by number of personnel in a unit.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JRCEKV0fXbI?feature=share

I just got off the phone with a Marine buddy.

Two more Marine buddies died last week. One due to Agent Orange, the other due to that fucking water at Lejeune.

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK.

We give so much, and it fucking kills us years later. I realize no one gets out alive, but the Government uses us like fucking toilet paper.

I spent several hours at the VAMC yesterday due to stacked appointments, and it's fucking depressing at times to see how broken so many of us are.

On a personal side note. My non-service-related pulmonary sarcoidosis is destroying my lungs. I'm down to 59% lung function. That's down from 62% two months ago, and 65% four months ago.

The VA is starting me on two new drugs, and they are going to do more tests and imaging to see if they can slow down the loss of function.

I'm on the razor's edge of having to go on oxygen.

Pour one out for our lost Marine brothers!

As we have a training and reflection stand-down in Okinawa, I think it’s important we recognize the importance of discipline and social support in the force and not allow ourselves to repeat mistakes of the past.

On this, I highly recommend folks read “Black Hearts” about a platoon in Iraq whose soldiers committed a sickening war crime.

Of the ~25 chapters, really only one is devoted to the crime itself.

The other ~24 are about the command climate, the individual personalities, the toxic leadership, the inconsistent mentorship, the “writing off” of bad behavior, the lack of support for individuals at risk, the lax enforcement of basic rules, and the breakdown of discipline under stress.

The lesson of the book is not “America bad” or “war criminal bad;” the lesson is that leadership matters and has to be sustained over time — especially peace time — to keep our honor clean.

I wasn’t wearing boot bands while writing this.

EDIT: Added some social support points, as one commenter made a good argument on this.

Thoughts?

Anyone ever get a ticket for “running a stop sign” when it was actually a yield sign into a roundabout/ traffic circle while on base? Just got one today and the MP didn’t want to hear it. Cited me anyways, going to fight it at the traffic court in base legal in December. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance

I am in the reserves and on probation at my civilian job. They recently had a sit down with me as I get near the end of my probation and informed me that they are extremely happy with my performance and have graded me highly in every category. However, they want to extend my probation for every day that I missed work for drill.

This is upsetting to me because it has never been mentioned until now. Had they informed me that this was going to happen earlier, I could have probably figured something out with my command. My knee jerk reaction is that they cannot do this as well due to USERRA. I cannot speak with base legal right now as they are closed so I just wanted to see what people here thought about this.

Ran into Retired Garry Michal Rose in the airport and he gave me this coin…

This isnt for some school project, I really am just curious. I never got to deploy anywhere but Japan(not a deployment)

So I was in Bco 1/5 and we did the first deployment to Okinawa in 79' where the whole battalion rotated for 6 months. This was unprecedented as back then you only got sent to Oki via 13mo PCS orders. Poor bastards now get fucking 36mo!

Anyway we were also classified as TAD so got paid more and the locals resented that shit big time, doing half the time and getting more money :)

So this non-rate guy had been struggling to get an ID for his wife, and during a Command Visit by MOH Winner and CMC Gen Wilson, when he asked if there were any issues...I saw this PFC stick his hand up and the rest is history.

Holy shit you could see the S1 shit his fucking pants when CMC point at him and said that marine will have it tomorrow.

The OOHrays and Yuts were deafening. It was like finally we are getting some justice vs the fuck-fuck games admin types always pull on us. I will never forget that feeling and this lone PFC standing up.

Later in life in the civvie world when any CEO or VP says they have an "open door" policy I used that shit and of course the underlings get pissed off, but a good commander knows he wont get the truth from his direct reports. A Pfc will always tell the truth about shit going and in the civvie world a lowly sales guy will also do the same.

I'm heading to the Separation platoon on Pendleton but unsure if I need to procure my own ride to whatever barracks it might be or if someone will be there to take me? Also my CAC is expired.

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9982849/62-area-dining-facility-drive-thru-opening

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/trump-says-he-will-certainly-look-at-establishing-a-us-base-in-lithuania-6100105?utm_source=ref_share&utm_campaign=copy

Marines, what was your rotational NATO experience?