thedrifter
10-08-03, 05:39 PM
Corps' top enlisted emphasizes safety
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification Number: 2003103172735
Story by Cpl. Jose L. Garcia
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(September 24, 2003) -- The Corps' senior enlisted Marine toured Camp Pendleton last week to let Marines know about a few challenges he sees for the future.
"There are a couple of things I'm challenging Marines on," explained Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada, 15th sergeant major of the Marine Corps. "Safety - you will hear a lot about safety, suicide and hazing."
Estrada repeated his mantra of improving safety in speeches across the base at the tail end of a West Coast tour of Marine installations. He wrapped up his visit to Camp Pendleton Sept. 25.
Estrada pushed his message of improving safety to noncommissioned officers, adding the Marine Corps has the worst record among the Armed Forces when it comes to safety.
"Some of the issues I'm raising obviously are safety, hazing and suicide," he said. "I consider those leadership issues that can be fixed and addressed the majority of the time at the NCO and staff NCO level. If you show concern - leadership - that you care about them as Marines, you care about them as individuals, you care about their families, they're going to be more focused on being a Marine."
Safety might be the sergeant major's top priority, but it isn't his only one. He said issues such as fielding Marines for special duty assignments, handling cases of non-deployable Marines and adhering to standards are also serious issues he wanted addressed immediately.
Estrada said today's challenges of finding and training recruits for the Corps' future remains a high priority and needs to be tackled by the best Marines the Corps has to offer. Additionally, guarding U.S. embassies worldwide has gained an increased importance as the war on terror continues.
"I'm going to continue to talk about putting the best sergeants and staff sergeants out on those duties because they are the ones who have traditionally sustained the Corps by recruiting and training," Estrada said. "If you send somebody that is 'southpaw,' they will go out and train the Marines 'southpaw' or bring a 'southpaw' individual into the Corps."
The war on terror will continue to be a focal point, especially when it comes to deploying Marines. Despite the fact most Marines returned from Iraq, Marines should expect to deploy once again, Estrada said, telling Marines, "We may have to go back to Iraq for peacekeeping duties."
But to do that, Marines will have to take a serious look at how to handle Marines who are listed as "non-deployable."
"Too many of them have an adverse affect on the morale of Marines and effectiveness of units," Estrada said. "When we have too many Marines who cannot deploy, someone else will have to take their place and it may be someone who just came off a recent deployment."
Estrada explained he understood there were certain legitimate reasons some Marines couldn't deploy, but after time and effort is expended to bring those Marines back to a deploying status, action must be taken for the overall health of the Corps.
"That might be sending them home," he added. "Every Marine worldwide needs to be deployable. We are an expeditionary force. That means being able to deploy on short notice."
Another issue dogging Marines, he said, was adhering to standards - particularly weight and military appearance. He said junior Marines are telling him they feel there is a double standard applied by senior leaders.
"I had a Marine voice that to me in Twentynine Palms, " Estrada said. "Senior Marines are not really held accountable for stuff like alcohol issues, not held accountable for weight and appearance issues... yet a junior Marine is held accountable."
Estrada stated in his recent memo to staff NCOs he would ask Marines if they are within standards if they appeared questionable and "grace periods" to get within standards weren't part of the plan.
Estrada said today's young leaders - the NCOs - have their work cut out for them. He challenged Marines to not let technology replace face-to-face leadership. He said Marines should take a very personal interest in their troops.
"That means they're going to have to get up and knock on their rooms and see how they're doing and show them that they are still a concern," he said. "Mentorship is a very important form in the development of future leaders."
There is a lot to be proud of in today's Corps, Estrada said. There are issues he said Marines needed to address, but there are successes of which the Corps should be proud as well.
"The Marine Corps would not be successful as we have, especially in this past year, without the support of the families, the sacrifices they have made and the civilians who were supportive. We owe them a lot also. They took care of things to allow us to go to war and accomplish a mission in... record time."
"I am very proud of the leadership we have in our Corps right now," Estrada added. "It gets better every year, especially those NCOs, those junior staff NCOs and those junior officers. I'm extremely proud of them. They are the ones who make our Corps as great as it is."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200310317313/$file/sgtmaj%20E%20low.jpg
The 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, John L. Estrada, speaks to junior enlisted Marines at 11th Marine Regiment Sept. 24. Among the issues Estrada spoke about were: safety, hazing, suicide, weight control and readiness.
Photo by: Cpl. Jose L. Garcia
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/95CB73CA9B360A4385256DB40075E1EA?opendocument
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification Number: 2003103172735
Story by Cpl. Jose L. Garcia
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(September 24, 2003) -- The Corps' senior enlisted Marine toured Camp Pendleton last week to let Marines know about a few challenges he sees for the future.
"There are a couple of things I'm challenging Marines on," explained Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada, 15th sergeant major of the Marine Corps. "Safety - you will hear a lot about safety, suicide and hazing."
Estrada repeated his mantra of improving safety in speeches across the base at the tail end of a West Coast tour of Marine installations. He wrapped up his visit to Camp Pendleton Sept. 25.
Estrada pushed his message of improving safety to noncommissioned officers, adding the Marine Corps has the worst record among the Armed Forces when it comes to safety.
"Some of the issues I'm raising obviously are safety, hazing and suicide," he said. "I consider those leadership issues that can be fixed and addressed the majority of the time at the NCO and staff NCO level. If you show concern - leadership - that you care about them as Marines, you care about them as individuals, you care about their families, they're going to be more focused on being a Marine."
Safety might be the sergeant major's top priority, but it isn't his only one. He said issues such as fielding Marines for special duty assignments, handling cases of non-deployable Marines and adhering to standards are also serious issues he wanted addressed immediately.
Estrada said today's challenges of finding and training recruits for the Corps' future remains a high priority and needs to be tackled by the best Marines the Corps has to offer. Additionally, guarding U.S. embassies worldwide has gained an increased importance as the war on terror continues.
"I'm going to continue to talk about putting the best sergeants and staff sergeants out on those duties because they are the ones who have traditionally sustained the Corps by recruiting and training," Estrada said. "If you send somebody that is 'southpaw,' they will go out and train the Marines 'southpaw' or bring a 'southpaw' individual into the Corps."
The war on terror will continue to be a focal point, especially when it comes to deploying Marines. Despite the fact most Marines returned from Iraq, Marines should expect to deploy once again, Estrada said, telling Marines, "We may have to go back to Iraq for peacekeeping duties."
But to do that, Marines will have to take a serious look at how to handle Marines who are listed as "non-deployable."
"Too many of them have an adverse affect on the morale of Marines and effectiveness of units," Estrada said. "When we have too many Marines who cannot deploy, someone else will have to take their place and it may be someone who just came off a recent deployment."
Estrada explained he understood there were certain legitimate reasons some Marines couldn't deploy, but after time and effort is expended to bring those Marines back to a deploying status, action must be taken for the overall health of the Corps.
"That might be sending them home," he added. "Every Marine worldwide needs to be deployable. We are an expeditionary force. That means being able to deploy on short notice."
Another issue dogging Marines, he said, was adhering to standards - particularly weight and military appearance. He said junior Marines are telling him they feel there is a double standard applied by senior leaders.
"I had a Marine voice that to me in Twentynine Palms, " Estrada said. "Senior Marines are not really held accountable for stuff like alcohol issues, not held accountable for weight and appearance issues... yet a junior Marine is held accountable."
Estrada stated in his recent memo to staff NCOs he would ask Marines if they are within standards if they appeared questionable and "grace periods" to get within standards weren't part of the plan.
Estrada said today's young leaders - the NCOs - have their work cut out for them. He challenged Marines to not let technology replace face-to-face leadership. He said Marines should take a very personal interest in their troops.
"That means they're going to have to get up and knock on their rooms and see how they're doing and show them that they are still a concern," he said. "Mentorship is a very important form in the development of future leaders."
There is a lot to be proud of in today's Corps, Estrada said. There are issues he said Marines needed to address, but there are successes of which the Corps should be proud as well.
"The Marine Corps would not be successful as we have, especially in this past year, without the support of the families, the sacrifices they have made and the civilians who were supportive. We owe them a lot also. They took care of things to allow us to go to war and accomplish a mission in... record time."
"I am very proud of the leadership we have in our Corps right now," Estrada added. "It gets better every year, especially those NCOs, those junior staff NCOs and those junior officers. I'm extremely proud of them. They are the ones who make our Corps as great as it is."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200310317313/$file/sgtmaj%20E%20low.jpg
The 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, John L. Estrada, speaks to junior enlisted Marines at 11th Marine Regiment Sept. 24. Among the issues Estrada spoke about were: safety, hazing, suicide, weight control and readiness.
Photo by: Cpl. Jose L. Garcia
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/95CB73CA9B360A4385256DB40075E1EA?opendocument
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: