thedrifter
02-09-07, 05:56 AM
Thursday, February 8, 2007
General emphasizes leadership at warrant officer commissioning
By 2nd Lt. Patrick Boyce
Press Officer
Two hundred and fifty six right hands were raised, 256 voices spoke as one pledging to ‘‘support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies,” and 256 Marines transformed from the enlisted ranks to freshly-minted warrant officers at a commissioning ceremony held at the FBI Academy Friday.
The Marines were joined by friends and family in the auditorium at the FBI Academy, their collars bare of rank insignia, probably the first time for many since boot camp, prior to each individual’s pinning ceremony.
They will soon begin the Warrant Officer Basic Course with India Company at Camp Barrett here and are scheduled to graduate May 24. The WOBC’s training mission, according to The Basic School’s Web site, www.tbs.usmc. mil, is to ‘‘train and educate newly appointed officers in the high standards of professional knowledge and leadership required to ensure the effective transition from enlisted to officer.”
At the WOBC, the warrant officers will undergo a 13-week training regime similar in scope and instruction to the 26-week course required by second lieutenants, particularly in its focus on developing the skills required of a provisional rifle platoon commander in a supportive role, according to the TBS Web site.
‘‘You know this is true; every Marine wants to be like you,” said Maj. Gen. George J. Flynn, commanding general of Training and Education Command, who was the key speaker at the ceremony and personally administered the oath of office.
In his address, Flynn emphasized the new expectations of leadership that will be required from every warrant officer, both in training and in the operational forces.
‘‘Most of your other courses have been about followership,” Flynn said. ‘‘This TBS course is all about leadership. If you take that to heart, everything else will be great.”
Becoming a leader and an officer of Marines requires an added level of performance expectation, Flynn explained.
‘‘You’ll have a new level of responsibility and accountability,” he said.
‘‘You are now ‘They,’ no longer can you say ‘They said;’ you’re everybody’s dad or mom,” Flynn added, producing a ripple of chuckles from all the Marines present.
According to Flynn, warrant officers must lead physically ‘‘so you can lead from the front,” mentally ‘‘you’re now the teacher and your Marines are the scholars, that is why you have to excel in academics,” and morally ‘‘live up to the expectations of the Marines who want to be like you. You have to really care about your Marines.”
Troop welfare is a vital cornerstone of leadership, Flynn said, which he underscored in a parable.
‘‘A king does not abide within his bed while his men bleed and die in combat,” Flynn said. ‘‘A king does not dine while his men go hungry and sleep while his men stay watch upon the wall. He earns their love by the sweat off his own back. He stands first and sits down last. He serves them, not they him.”
Flynn concluded his address by reminding the Marines that if they fully accept the title of becoming a warrant officer and follow the principles of leadership by example, they will be of invaluable benefit to the Corps.
‘‘If you can remember this; it’s all about the Corps and your fellow Marines, you’re going to have a great career,” Flynn said. ‘‘You’re going to accept the challenge, and our Marine Corps is going to be better because we now have 256 leaders.”
Flynn then instructed the Marines to repeat after him as he read aloud the oath of office. Their hands held high, the warrant officers accepted their duty then shook hands with one another as their friends and families applauded their accomplishment.
Afterwards Flynn was available to personally pin on the warrant officer bars and pose for pictures with the warrant officers and their commissions. He said that the warrant officers could be pinned anywhere on base, even at the National Museum of the Marine Corps if they wanted to.
With their commissioning behind them, the warrant officers now face a tasking 13 weeks to prove they do indeed know something about leadership before commanding Marines as officers in the operating forces.
Ellie
General emphasizes leadership at warrant officer commissioning
By 2nd Lt. Patrick Boyce
Press Officer
Two hundred and fifty six right hands were raised, 256 voices spoke as one pledging to ‘‘support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies,” and 256 Marines transformed from the enlisted ranks to freshly-minted warrant officers at a commissioning ceremony held at the FBI Academy Friday.
The Marines were joined by friends and family in the auditorium at the FBI Academy, their collars bare of rank insignia, probably the first time for many since boot camp, prior to each individual’s pinning ceremony.
They will soon begin the Warrant Officer Basic Course with India Company at Camp Barrett here and are scheduled to graduate May 24. The WOBC’s training mission, according to The Basic School’s Web site, www.tbs.usmc. mil, is to ‘‘train and educate newly appointed officers in the high standards of professional knowledge and leadership required to ensure the effective transition from enlisted to officer.”
At the WOBC, the warrant officers will undergo a 13-week training regime similar in scope and instruction to the 26-week course required by second lieutenants, particularly in its focus on developing the skills required of a provisional rifle platoon commander in a supportive role, according to the TBS Web site.
‘‘You know this is true; every Marine wants to be like you,” said Maj. Gen. George J. Flynn, commanding general of Training and Education Command, who was the key speaker at the ceremony and personally administered the oath of office.
In his address, Flynn emphasized the new expectations of leadership that will be required from every warrant officer, both in training and in the operational forces.
‘‘Most of your other courses have been about followership,” Flynn said. ‘‘This TBS course is all about leadership. If you take that to heart, everything else will be great.”
Becoming a leader and an officer of Marines requires an added level of performance expectation, Flynn explained.
‘‘You’ll have a new level of responsibility and accountability,” he said.
‘‘You are now ‘They,’ no longer can you say ‘They said;’ you’re everybody’s dad or mom,” Flynn added, producing a ripple of chuckles from all the Marines present.
According to Flynn, warrant officers must lead physically ‘‘so you can lead from the front,” mentally ‘‘you’re now the teacher and your Marines are the scholars, that is why you have to excel in academics,” and morally ‘‘live up to the expectations of the Marines who want to be like you. You have to really care about your Marines.”
Troop welfare is a vital cornerstone of leadership, Flynn said, which he underscored in a parable.
‘‘A king does not abide within his bed while his men bleed and die in combat,” Flynn said. ‘‘A king does not dine while his men go hungry and sleep while his men stay watch upon the wall. He earns their love by the sweat off his own back. He stands first and sits down last. He serves them, not they him.”
Flynn concluded his address by reminding the Marines that if they fully accept the title of becoming a warrant officer and follow the principles of leadership by example, they will be of invaluable benefit to the Corps.
‘‘If you can remember this; it’s all about the Corps and your fellow Marines, you’re going to have a great career,” Flynn said. ‘‘You’re going to accept the challenge, and our Marine Corps is going to be better because we now have 256 leaders.”
Flynn then instructed the Marines to repeat after him as he read aloud the oath of office. Their hands held high, the warrant officers accepted their duty then shook hands with one another as their friends and families applauded their accomplishment.
Afterwards Flynn was available to personally pin on the warrant officer bars and pose for pictures with the warrant officers and their commissions. He said that the warrant officers could be pinned anywhere on base, even at the National Museum of the Marine Corps if they wanted to.
With their commissioning behind them, the warrant officers now face a tasking 13 weeks to prove they do indeed know something about leadership before commanding Marines as officers in the operating forces.
Ellie