thedrifter
02-08-03, 11:46 AM
How much time does it take to prepare for a wall locker inspection? How about to dust the springs of a rack for a field day inspection? Or to cut the loose threads off an ammo pouch for a junk on the bunk inspection? The answer: Too much! I heard that General Gray once said that if a Marine has time to spit shine his boots, then he has too much time. Getting ready for war is a full time job, and we need to rethink how we spend our most limited resource...time.
If a Marine were to walk across the grass (Heaven forbid) someone would surly yell at him; however, if the same Marine were to asked to explain the procedures to call for fire, and he didn't know, no one would care. What should we really be preaching to our Marines? And, when they go back to their barracks room at night, what do we want occupying their time? Do we want them slaving over a pair of boots, or do we want them to have their nose deep in their BST/EST?
What we do as leaders, and the amount of time we spend performing certain tasks, will shape our Marines. Spend a lot of time doing inspections, and you're going to have good-looking Marines. Spend a lot of time in the field simulating combat, and you're going to have Marines ready to fight and win a war. They are two very different things, and I think in peace time we're missing the boat. If your Marines have performed more field days last year than patrols, then you've done your Marines a great disservice.
As leaders, it's easier to only look at the surface of our Marines. Making sure Marines are inspection ready just requires inspection, after inspection, after inspection. To make sure Marines are combat ready you have to be creative, resourceful and vigilant. It requires more effort on our parts, more time, and a whole lot more energy.
I'm not saying we should be easy on our Marines. Not at all. I am saying we should allocate their time to that which would give them the best chance of surviving and being victorious in combat. If someone can make an argument on how dusting the springs of a rack, or trimming the loose threads off a canteen pouch for a J.O.B. makes a more combat ready Marine, I'm willing to hear it. If a task doesn't make a Marine more combat ready, then we need to reevaluate what we're doing. Part of the problem is our own conditioning. Marines are trained to be the best. Being a Marine means living life by different standards. Higher standards. The problem with doing your absolute best in everything is that you have to give everything equal attention. Unfortunately, not everything deserves equal attention. You have to have priorities.
It all boils down to this: If we go to war tomorrow, everything that you've done to prepare your Marines for combat was time well spent. Everything else was a waste of time that could have been spent preparing for that moment. Don't waste your Marines' time. Use it wisely.
Sempers,
Roger
If a Marine were to walk across the grass (Heaven forbid) someone would surly yell at him; however, if the same Marine were to asked to explain the procedures to call for fire, and he didn't know, no one would care. What should we really be preaching to our Marines? And, when they go back to their barracks room at night, what do we want occupying their time? Do we want them slaving over a pair of boots, or do we want them to have their nose deep in their BST/EST?
What we do as leaders, and the amount of time we spend performing certain tasks, will shape our Marines. Spend a lot of time doing inspections, and you're going to have good-looking Marines. Spend a lot of time in the field simulating combat, and you're going to have Marines ready to fight and win a war. They are two very different things, and I think in peace time we're missing the boat. If your Marines have performed more field days last year than patrols, then you've done your Marines a great disservice.
As leaders, it's easier to only look at the surface of our Marines. Making sure Marines are inspection ready just requires inspection, after inspection, after inspection. To make sure Marines are combat ready you have to be creative, resourceful and vigilant. It requires more effort on our parts, more time, and a whole lot more energy.
I'm not saying we should be easy on our Marines. Not at all. I am saying we should allocate their time to that which would give them the best chance of surviving and being victorious in combat. If someone can make an argument on how dusting the springs of a rack, or trimming the loose threads off a canteen pouch for a J.O.B. makes a more combat ready Marine, I'm willing to hear it. If a task doesn't make a Marine more combat ready, then we need to reevaluate what we're doing. Part of the problem is our own conditioning. Marines are trained to be the best. Being a Marine means living life by different standards. Higher standards. The problem with doing your absolute best in everything is that you have to give everything equal attention. Unfortunately, not everything deserves equal attention. You have to have priorities.
It all boils down to this: If we go to war tomorrow, everything that you've done to prepare your Marines for combat was time well spent. Everything else was a waste of time that could have been spent preparing for that moment. Don't waste your Marines' time. Use it wisely.
Sempers,
Roger