thedrifter
09-02-03, 05:49 AM
A general's goodbye
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 2003829182635
Story by Sgt. Scott Dunn
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(August 29, 2003) -- In a ceremony today on freshly cut grass outside his Depot quarters, Maj. Gen. Jan Huly will take off his Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Western Recruiting Region commander hats for Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton's wear.
About three years and four months ago in the same spot, Huly expressed enthusiasm about being in San Diego and becoming the Depot's commander. Now he will report back to Headquarters Marine Corps, the place from which he came before his Depot tour.
"Returning to Washington, I guess you would just have to say they thought I've had it too good for too long," the commanding general joked.
To bid farewell to all of his people, Huly gathered his Marines and sailors in formations Monday and Tuesday at Weapons and Field Training Battalion and the Depot respectively.
At WFTBn., Huly spoke to rifle-shooting competitors, and Marines were thrilled to have a general officer come and recognize the efforts of those Marines in the competition in arms and their excellent performance. "It's a little different because usually it's a warrant officer or a lieutenant," said Sgt. Guillermo M. Sandoval, Bravo Range coach. "But when the person you actually represent takes time out of his schedule to give to you, it's an honor. It will be sad to see him leave."
At the Depot, Huly gave his Marines encouraging words: "You're more highly capable, more highly qualified, stronger, smarter, more physically fit, healthier and more positively motivated than that long green line of successors who have preceded you for over 225 years now. You ought to feel mightily proud of who you are and who you represent."
During his tenure, the Depot made noteworthy accomplishments for which Huly accepts little credit. "I'm only the commanding general here," said Huly. "I try to orchestrate and ensure that people of the recruit Depot are doing all the accomplishing of things." While Huly was the commanding general, the Depot successfully stepped up its interior guard duties and security as vigilance throughout the Corps increased because of world events. Moreover, Huly oversaw the tweaking and re-sequencing of a recruit training schedule that would later reduce injured recruits missing training events, thus sending healthier Marines to Marine Combat Training and the School of Infantry. The Crucible and the emblem ceremony were among events in that augmentation. Even the messhalls - which now operate under civilian contractors - have changed so recruits no longer perform mess and maintenance duties, said Huly. As a result, recruits can undergo more required training.
Also while Huly was at the Depot's helm, the Corps introduced to recruit training its Marine Corps martial-arts program and its new boots and Marine-unique camouflage uniform.
Huly's familiarity with the Depot dates back more than three decades when he arrived in 1972 to serve as a series commander. Subsequently, he became a recruit company commander and a battalion staff officer before directing the Recruit Administration Center.
Today, the Corps recruits and trains its recruits somewhat differently from how it did in the early 70s, and Huly discovered some differences when he returned to command the Depot and WRR.
"The biggest difference I noticed was the quality of recruits and the quality of the drill instructors had improved markedly since the time I left," said Huly. "The training schedule had changed with the addition of formalized core values instruction and with the Crucible. While they were certainly significant changes, they weren't the biggest things; I think the most striking difference was the quality."
Counting his years on the Depot in the 70s and his Depot commanding general tour, Huly has been a Depot warrior for about seven combined years of his more-than-33-year career. He said his Depot-commander tour ties for second place as the longest commanding general's tour at the Depot. "I think I'm tied. The records that I just perused very quickly, only do it by month (instead of days), so I'm tired for second place with one of the other commanding generals," said Huly. "He too had three years and four months. And someone had about three years and six or seven months." That someone was Maj. Gen. John N. McLaughlin, who happened to be Huly's commanding general when Huly was at the Depot the first time.
In all his time as commanding general, Huly said dealing with the tragic loss of his people has been his most difficult challenge. And he has seen not only recruits die, but also Marines and a sailor throughout the WRR and the Depot, to include WFTBn.
"Even though we're tough as Marines and sailors," Huly said, "we're still not invincible. It's bad enough to lose men like Hospital Corpsman Third Class Michael Vann Johnson Jr. who we deployed from here and lost in combat," Huly said. What's even harder to bear, he added, is the needless loss of life from things that can be avoidable, like car accidents. "You can accept the loss when you know it's part of what we do as a living, but when it was preventable - avoidable - that's the hardest thing."
Huly said death is not the only way the Corps loses its men and women. Stupid things such as drug involvements or violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice ruin careers and cause great harm to futures, and according to Huly, those losses are also tragic.
Huly must move on, but he wishes he could still do more.
"I don't care if it's looking into other MCCS activities, how we train, how we administer, how we communicate, how our security posture is; there's just a myriad of things that I would have loved to continue looking into and ask, 'Alright how can we do this more efficiently and effectively?' There are always projects and things that you would like to look into and see a little bit closer. What is it that we're doing? How can we do it better? What would be the result of change?"
Huly also said he would have loved to have been able to figure out a way to have even more time for recreation and enjoyment of the locale. "We get all wrapped up in what we do too frequently," said Huly. "We need to seriously take a good hard look at what goes on in our environment out here and how we can get out here and have a good time."
If Huly was staying longer, he said, he would look at ways to do things more efficiently and better, and he would try experimenting. "Then I'd look at ways in which to have more fun," said Huly. "This is probably my favorite place on earth. All because of what goes on here and who the people are and their attitudes.
"I think it's the atmosphere and the attitude. If I go for a run on the depot, people wave. It's such a good feeling to know that people have a positive and friendly enough attitude in this atmosphere. I don't care if it's a Marine, a civilian employee, or a sailor; as they drive past and they honk and they wave, that means that people are happy, and they're happy to see you out and about; that's probably one of the most rewarding and satisfying feelings and experiences a commander could have."
"But then again, maybe they're just honking at me to get out of the way," joked Huly. "But I don't think so."
At the aft end of his career, Huly puts his love and appreciation for the Depot into perspective: "If I could go back and do any of it all over again and trade positions with the most junior Marine just checking in here, I would do it."
Unfortunately for the major general, Washington isn't buying that trade.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2003829185658/$file/CG_Farewell_Dom_lr.jpg
Maj. Gen. Jan Huly, commanding general, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, and the Western Recruiting Region, gives his farewell address to Marines of Weapons and Field Training Battalion Aug. 25 on the battalion's parade deck. WFTBn is one of the units under Huly's command.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200382919128/$file/CG_Farewell_handshake_lr.jpg
Sgt. Maj. Frank E. Pulley, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, presents Huly a plaque on behalf of the Depot staff noncommissioned officers, deeming Huly an honorary SNCO.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 2003829182635
Story by Sgt. Scott Dunn
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(August 29, 2003) -- In a ceremony today on freshly cut grass outside his Depot quarters, Maj. Gen. Jan Huly will take off his Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Western Recruiting Region commander hats for Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton's wear.
About three years and four months ago in the same spot, Huly expressed enthusiasm about being in San Diego and becoming the Depot's commander. Now he will report back to Headquarters Marine Corps, the place from which he came before his Depot tour.
"Returning to Washington, I guess you would just have to say they thought I've had it too good for too long," the commanding general joked.
To bid farewell to all of his people, Huly gathered his Marines and sailors in formations Monday and Tuesday at Weapons and Field Training Battalion and the Depot respectively.
At WFTBn., Huly spoke to rifle-shooting competitors, and Marines were thrilled to have a general officer come and recognize the efforts of those Marines in the competition in arms and their excellent performance. "It's a little different because usually it's a warrant officer or a lieutenant," said Sgt. Guillermo M. Sandoval, Bravo Range coach. "But when the person you actually represent takes time out of his schedule to give to you, it's an honor. It will be sad to see him leave."
At the Depot, Huly gave his Marines encouraging words: "You're more highly capable, more highly qualified, stronger, smarter, more physically fit, healthier and more positively motivated than that long green line of successors who have preceded you for over 225 years now. You ought to feel mightily proud of who you are and who you represent."
During his tenure, the Depot made noteworthy accomplishments for which Huly accepts little credit. "I'm only the commanding general here," said Huly. "I try to orchestrate and ensure that people of the recruit Depot are doing all the accomplishing of things." While Huly was the commanding general, the Depot successfully stepped up its interior guard duties and security as vigilance throughout the Corps increased because of world events. Moreover, Huly oversaw the tweaking and re-sequencing of a recruit training schedule that would later reduce injured recruits missing training events, thus sending healthier Marines to Marine Combat Training and the School of Infantry. The Crucible and the emblem ceremony were among events in that augmentation. Even the messhalls - which now operate under civilian contractors - have changed so recruits no longer perform mess and maintenance duties, said Huly. As a result, recruits can undergo more required training.
Also while Huly was at the Depot's helm, the Corps introduced to recruit training its Marine Corps martial-arts program and its new boots and Marine-unique camouflage uniform.
Huly's familiarity with the Depot dates back more than three decades when he arrived in 1972 to serve as a series commander. Subsequently, he became a recruit company commander and a battalion staff officer before directing the Recruit Administration Center.
Today, the Corps recruits and trains its recruits somewhat differently from how it did in the early 70s, and Huly discovered some differences when he returned to command the Depot and WRR.
"The biggest difference I noticed was the quality of recruits and the quality of the drill instructors had improved markedly since the time I left," said Huly. "The training schedule had changed with the addition of formalized core values instruction and with the Crucible. While they were certainly significant changes, they weren't the biggest things; I think the most striking difference was the quality."
Counting his years on the Depot in the 70s and his Depot commanding general tour, Huly has been a Depot warrior for about seven combined years of his more-than-33-year career. He said his Depot-commander tour ties for second place as the longest commanding general's tour at the Depot. "I think I'm tied. The records that I just perused very quickly, only do it by month (instead of days), so I'm tired for second place with one of the other commanding generals," said Huly. "He too had three years and four months. And someone had about three years and six or seven months." That someone was Maj. Gen. John N. McLaughlin, who happened to be Huly's commanding general when Huly was at the Depot the first time.
In all his time as commanding general, Huly said dealing with the tragic loss of his people has been his most difficult challenge. And he has seen not only recruits die, but also Marines and a sailor throughout the WRR and the Depot, to include WFTBn.
"Even though we're tough as Marines and sailors," Huly said, "we're still not invincible. It's bad enough to lose men like Hospital Corpsman Third Class Michael Vann Johnson Jr. who we deployed from here and lost in combat," Huly said. What's even harder to bear, he added, is the needless loss of life from things that can be avoidable, like car accidents. "You can accept the loss when you know it's part of what we do as a living, but when it was preventable - avoidable - that's the hardest thing."
Huly said death is not the only way the Corps loses its men and women. Stupid things such as drug involvements or violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice ruin careers and cause great harm to futures, and according to Huly, those losses are also tragic.
Huly must move on, but he wishes he could still do more.
"I don't care if it's looking into other MCCS activities, how we train, how we administer, how we communicate, how our security posture is; there's just a myriad of things that I would have loved to continue looking into and ask, 'Alright how can we do this more efficiently and effectively?' There are always projects and things that you would like to look into and see a little bit closer. What is it that we're doing? How can we do it better? What would be the result of change?"
Huly also said he would have loved to have been able to figure out a way to have even more time for recreation and enjoyment of the locale. "We get all wrapped up in what we do too frequently," said Huly. "We need to seriously take a good hard look at what goes on in our environment out here and how we can get out here and have a good time."
If Huly was staying longer, he said, he would look at ways to do things more efficiently and better, and he would try experimenting. "Then I'd look at ways in which to have more fun," said Huly. "This is probably my favorite place on earth. All because of what goes on here and who the people are and their attitudes.
"I think it's the atmosphere and the attitude. If I go for a run on the depot, people wave. It's such a good feeling to know that people have a positive and friendly enough attitude in this atmosphere. I don't care if it's a Marine, a civilian employee, or a sailor; as they drive past and they honk and they wave, that means that people are happy, and they're happy to see you out and about; that's probably one of the most rewarding and satisfying feelings and experiences a commander could have."
"But then again, maybe they're just honking at me to get out of the way," joked Huly. "But I don't think so."
At the aft end of his career, Huly puts his love and appreciation for the Depot into perspective: "If I could go back and do any of it all over again and trade positions with the most junior Marine just checking in here, I would do it."
Unfortunately for the major general, Washington isn't buying that trade.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2003829185658/$file/CG_Farewell_Dom_lr.jpg
Maj. Gen. Jan Huly, commanding general, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, and the Western Recruiting Region, gives his farewell address to Marines of Weapons and Field Training Battalion Aug. 25 on the battalion's parade deck. WFTBn is one of the units under Huly's command.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200382919128/$file/CG_Farewell_handshake_lr.jpg
Sgt. Maj. Frank E. Pulley, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, presents Huly a plaque on behalf of the Depot staff noncommissioned officers, deeming Huly an honorary SNCO.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: