Leadership

Behind the Cover: A colonel under fire

By Andrew deGrandpre on December 13, 2010 Behind the Cover, Leadership, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

In this week’s print edition, West Coast bureau chief Gidget Fuentes lays out the host of complaints made by Marines about a full-bird colonel currently serving as Headquarters Battalion commander at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Col. Stephanie Smith, a judge advocate by training, is a decorated officer and the recipient of numerous judicial accolades over her 23 years in the service. The complaints against her — which include claims made by officers and NCOs that she abused her authority and intimidated subordinates — came to light recently after a former drill instructor filed an appeal of his special…

Four sergeants major of the Marine Corps gather on birthday

By Dan Lamothe on November 17, 2010 Leadership, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

Have party, will deliver. For the second consecutive year, the Marine Corps’ top enlisted adviser traveled from the Pentagon to Fredericksburg, Va., on the service’s Nov. 10 birthday to visit retired Sgt. Maj. Henry Black, 81, the seventh sergeant major of the Marine Corps. “We take care of our own,” Kent said in a Marine Corps news release. “We take great pride in our legacy, and ensuring the Marines who’ve gone before us have a proper celebration is the right thing to do. Being able to share a night of camaraderie with warriors such as Sgt. Maj. Black motivates me…

CMC's town hall

By Andrew deGrandpre on November 8, 2010 Leadership, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

Commandant Gen. Jim Amos went to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., last week to discuss his planning guidance and field questions from Marines. Check out video here: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwddBf1UDOY&feature=channel[/youtube] And here: [HTML1]

Colonel takes shots at PowerPoint, ISAF in new rant

By Dan Lamothe on August 26, 2010 Afghanistan, General officers, Leadership

In April, a New York Times piece on the U.S. military’s PowerPoint culture generated a fair amount of buzz, especially considering it included a simple, cutting indictment from Gen. James Mattis, then-commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command: “PowerPoint makes us stupid.” The military still relies heavily on PowerPoint presentations, however. And while that may never change, one Army colonel assigned to an International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, has had enough. His brutal critique of military culture is burning up the Web today after being published by the UPI news service. An excerpt: For headquarters staff, war consists…

A lifetime of leading Marines

By Gina Cavallaro on August 19, 2010 General officers, Leadership, The CMC

The American Red Cross will recognize Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Conway on Oct. 16 with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Forty years ago he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, which was probably before most Marines in the Corps today were even born, and he’s been leading Marines ever since. The award will be presented at the Fire and Ice Ball in Washington, D.C., the American Red Cross National Capital Region’s 2010 annual gala, which this year will pay tribute to the armed forces and their families. There’s a chance that by Oct.…

Behind the Cover: NCO justice, still alive and well?

By Gidget Fuentes on August 16, 2010 Behind the Cover, Leadership

It’s been more than a decade since the Marine Corps cracked down on hazing and tightened its regulations to bar abusive rites of passage and other acts including “incentive” physical training. But that hasn’t stopped some leaders, including noncommissioned officers, from using incentive PT to motivate a lazy Marine or discipline a screw-up. They think such cases of “NCO justice” are still effective at fixing the problem and getting the message across. Others, though, say such abuse of authority is a cop-out for poor leadership and flat-out bullying. It’s a debate that continues in this week’s Marine Corps Times’ print…

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