The Marine Corps’ top general wants an end to the monkey business that, since the start of 2012, has cast a steady, unflattering light on an institution defined in no small part by the pride it exhibits in being a disciplined, moral fighting force. “We are allowing our standards to erode,” Gen. Jim Amos, the service’s 35th commandant, laments in an internal memo distributed to all of his generals, commanding officers and sergeants major. Known as a White Letter, the sharply worded missive comes in response to “a number of recent widely publicized incidents” involving Marines misbehaving abroad. Complacent leadership…
Browsing: SS logo
Actor Michael Ornstein of “Sons of Anarchy” fame reached out to Marine Corps Times last week, offering to help the Marine scout sniper community replace its controversial “SS” logo. The effort has received a widespread and varied response here on Battle Rattle. It also has prompted another artist to offer to help. Luke Szczygielski, the designer of last year’s Marine Corps Aviation Centennial logo, reached out to say Ornstein’s effort inspired him to draw up some proposals, too. One of them is posted above, and the others can be found on his website here. For comparison’s sake, the Corps’ aviation…
Last month, a national controversy erupted after images of Marine scout snipers posing with an “SS” flag in Afghanistan went viral online. The flag showed the notorious Nazi SS organization’s logo, something that had been used quietly in the scout sniper community for years. The “lightening bolt” SS logo was a nod toward the scout sniper title, with the bolts also depicting the swift way the Marines strike at distance. Its use deeply troubled some people, however, considering the darker World War II-era things it represented. Actor Michael Ornstein was one of those struck by the story. A cast member…