thedrifter
03-15-07, 02:52 PM
Commanding General Inspection Program reinforces fundamentals
By Cpl. Patrick J. Floto, MCB Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (March 15, 2007) -- Spit-polishing combat boots, creasing cammies and starching covers are all tedious tasks of yesterday’s Corps that have taken a back seat to the field-expedient uniforms of today.
Although Marines may have little time for uniform preparation in the face of today’s frequent deployments and little garrison time, extreme attention to detail is one of the many fundamentals of the U.S. Marine that shall never be forgotten.
The 1st Marine Logistics Group Commanding General Inspection Program is designed to ensure that the basics are solid in each individual Marine within the group.
“Inspections give the commander an inside look at their unit from the duty experts, the inspectors,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Duane P. Siegmann, Inspector General, 1st MLG. “It’s just like a vehicle. Every 30,000 miles you should have an expert inspect your vehicle to ensure all of the moving parts are working together smoothly and efficiently.”
The units are inspected on a checklist of 46 items to include the service ‘A’ uniform, close order drill, color guard and a limited readiness inspection to ensure the unit has all of the equipment it needs to complete its mission.
While many Marines may see rifle manual and close order drill as combat tactics outdated along with the musket, there are fundamentals within drill that are still important to the modern Marine.
“Immediate obedience to orders and discipline are major aspects of drill that every Marine should display day in and day out,” said Staff Sgt. Craig A. Ronney, one of the platoon sergeants who led the 1st Supply Battalion Drill team during the inspection. “Drill is also a thinking game. You process on the preparatory command and make it happen on the execution command.”
While the armed drill team was showing snap and pop in camouflage utilities, other Supply Battalion Marines were mentally drilled with a variety of Marine Corps knowledge questions while standing at the rigid position of attention during a detailed service ‘A’ uniform inspection.
“For the past few months, we have committed many hours of our liberty time to memorizing and taking pride in our uniforms and history,” said 22-year-old Sgt. Antoine D. Phillips, preservation and packaging specialist, 1st Supply Company, 1st Supply Battalion, from Salisbury, N.C. “The job still needs to get done, so we reinforce the basics after hours.”
“There is a whole other side to the Marine Corps aside from mission accomplishment,” said Sgt. Maj. Tamara L. Fode, sergeant major, 1st Supply Battalion. “We’re so focused on the war effort that sometimes we lose sight of the basics and the inspectors are here to assist us in knowledge that is sometimes forgotten. It’s a good thing for the Marines.”
Ellie
By Cpl. Patrick J. Floto, MCB Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (March 15, 2007) -- Spit-polishing combat boots, creasing cammies and starching covers are all tedious tasks of yesterday’s Corps that have taken a back seat to the field-expedient uniforms of today.
Although Marines may have little time for uniform preparation in the face of today’s frequent deployments and little garrison time, extreme attention to detail is one of the many fundamentals of the U.S. Marine that shall never be forgotten.
The 1st Marine Logistics Group Commanding General Inspection Program is designed to ensure that the basics are solid in each individual Marine within the group.
“Inspections give the commander an inside look at their unit from the duty experts, the inspectors,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Duane P. Siegmann, Inspector General, 1st MLG. “It’s just like a vehicle. Every 30,000 miles you should have an expert inspect your vehicle to ensure all of the moving parts are working together smoothly and efficiently.”
The units are inspected on a checklist of 46 items to include the service ‘A’ uniform, close order drill, color guard and a limited readiness inspection to ensure the unit has all of the equipment it needs to complete its mission.
While many Marines may see rifle manual and close order drill as combat tactics outdated along with the musket, there are fundamentals within drill that are still important to the modern Marine.
“Immediate obedience to orders and discipline are major aspects of drill that every Marine should display day in and day out,” said Staff Sgt. Craig A. Ronney, one of the platoon sergeants who led the 1st Supply Battalion Drill team during the inspection. “Drill is also a thinking game. You process on the preparatory command and make it happen on the execution command.”
While the armed drill team was showing snap and pop in camouflage utilities, other Supply Battalion Marines were mentally drilled with a variety of Marine Corps knowledge questions while standing at the rigid position of attention during a detailed service ‘A’ uniform inspection.
“For the past few months, we have committed many hours of our liberty time to memorizing and taking pride in our uniforms and history,” said 22-year-old Sgt. Antoine D. Phillips, preservation and packaging specialist, 1st Supply Company, 1st Supply Battalion, from Salisbury, N.C. “The job still needs to get done, so we reinforce the basics after hours.”
“There is a whole other side to the Marine Corps aside from mission accomplishment,” said Sgt. Maj. Tamara L. Fode, sergeant major, 1st Supply Battalion. “We’re so focused on the war effort that sometimes we lose sight of the basics and the inspectors are here to assist us in knowledge that is sometimes forgotten. It’s a good thing for the Marines.”
Ellie