thedrifter
09-09-03, 05:57 AM
Run Date: 09/07/2003
New base commander learns what the position is all about
By Eric Steinkopff/Freedom ENC
CAMP LEJEUNE -- Less than a week after taking over at Camp Lejeune, Brig Gen. Robert C. Dickerson Jr. got a taste of what being a base commander is all about.
The call came Wednesday evening, not long after state transportation workers broke a natural gas line along U.S. 17 in Jacksonville.
Dickerson knew what to do.
"I was told that it wasn't our fault and no Marines were hurt," Dickerson said in an interview Friday morning. "We sent out Marines to help with traffic control, set up mobile lighting and put our fire trucks on call."
That's really only the start for the new commanding general at Camp Lejeune.
Dickerson, 52, took over on Aug. 29 from Maj. Gen. David Mize, who retired from the Marine Corps. He inherited a job where base operations are paramount and interaction with civilian leaders a necessity. Large-scale initiatives -- including a joint land use study with Onslow County and a potential water and sewage treatment agreement -- await his attention.
Dickerson, who was still moving into his office on Friday, said he knows what's ahead.
"Logistics is a natural fit in a supporting role -- we're taking care of the troops," Dickerson said. "It's a blend between internal and external operations. You have to consider what's gong to happen with the base and with the local community.
"It's easy to say we'll be fully engaged in everything General Mize was doing," Dickerson said. "In Washington, D.C., there's a tremendous amount of energy looking at base closures, and they'll look at some functions closely. The better and stronger we can build our ties with the community, the better for the area."
As an example, Dickerson said he's in no rush to finalize a controversial deal in which Lejeune would sell water and waste treatment services to the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority. Under Mize, the pact was on a faster track, which concerned some in civilian areas who have questions about the plan.
"We have to find common ground," Dickerson said. "I'm not going to make any course corrections until full consideration has been made. I'm not going to be held to a timeline on ONWASA and neither should the community.
"We don't carry a big stick," Dickerson said. "We need to work through the issues together."
Dickerson returned to Camp Lejeune after a two-year tour as director of Marine Corps headquarters logistical plans, policies and strategic mobility. Before that, he was stationed at Lejeune as commander of the 2nd Force Service Support Group.
He was being considered for a number of joint logistical positions in which he would have worked with all the military services, but received a short-notice call to take over as the Camp Lejeune commander.
"I had no idea we would be coming back here," Dickerson said. "The longer I thought about it, the more I liked it."
As a career logistics officer with more than 30 years in the Corps, Dickerson knows about supply and demand. Those skills will help him as the new "mayor" of Camp Lejeune.
Local military construction includes plans to build new gates at all entrance points to the base to improve security and, hopefully, ease traffic.
The military also continues to renovate the Tarawa Terrace and Paradise Point family housing areas.
Another big issue is making room for more people. Between 800 and 1,000 Marines and sailors will arrive when 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment is activated.
It is still unclear if they will be assigned directly to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, created a month after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, or if they will be assigned to the 2nd Marine Division.
Either would necessitate the yet-to-be-funded $100 million complex proposed for the 4th MEB to be built off Lyman Road.
"We're excited about the 4th MEB -- they have great antiterrorist assets," Dickerson said. "Headquarters Marine Corps is working hard to make (personnel) structure for II (Marine Expeditionary Force) at Camp Lejeune, but a lot of our facilities are old and need to be replaced. We have to work improved roads and new barracks."
And there could me more changes announced soon.
"There are some other initiatives coming on line, but it's premature for me to comment on them right now," Dickerson said.
Dickerson credits his success with a very positive home life and recalled a conversation between himself and his wife, Karin, when he once considered retiring from the Marine Corps in the early 1990s.
"My wife has a career and the moving was tough on the kids," Dickerson said. "But Karin said, 'As long as you love working with the Marines, sailors and civilians on base, we're going to continue with this way of life'."
The Dickersons were high school sweethearts who dated for six years before they were married. They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year.
"She's from New England and I'm from Virginia," Dickerson said. "You have to have a strong family to be in the military these days. They have to be supportive."
Their oldest son, Eric, 25, is a new Marine Corps second lieutenant in advanced jet school in Meridan, Miss.
Their 23-year old daughter, Lindsay, lives in Wilmington and is studying to be a dental hygienist at Cape Fear Community College, and 20-year-old Travis is a junior pursuing a criminal justice major at Chowan College in Murfreesboro.
Dickerson describes his wife as a warm, loving, care-giver who has had her own nursing career wherever they have moved.
"She's always been very supportive of me," Dickerson said. "She loves nursing, and I support what she wants to do."
He says that family life is what motivates him to ensure that there is a network of support both on and off base.
"Marines are getting married younger and deployments are a way of life," Dickerson said. "They are uprooted from family and need to be welcomed by the community here. Deployments are usually six months long, but with the global war on terrorism, they can be extended. Marines and sailors didn't join to sit behind a desk, and that's why you have to have a strong family."
Dickerson said he likes what he sees in the Jacksonville area. Support for the military is strong, something that wasn't always the case.
"During Vietnam, there was a divide between the military and the community, but after the Beirut bombing, we have bonded together to become one of the strongest relationships I've ever experienced," he said.
CAMP LEJEUNE -- Less than a week after taking over at Camp Lejeune, Brig Gen. Robert C. Dickerson Jr. got a taste of what being a base commander is all about.
The call came Wednesday evening, not long after state transportation workers broke a natural gas line along U.S. 17 in Jacksonville.
Dickerson knew what to do.
"I was told that it wasn't our fault and no Marines were hurt," Dickerson said in an interview Friday morning. "We sent out Marines to help with traffic control, set up mobile lighting and put our fire trucks on call."
That's really only the start for the new commanding general at Camp Lejeune.
Dickerson, 52, took over on Aug. 29 from Maj. Gen. David Mize, who retired from the Marine Corps. He inherited a job where base operations are paramount and interaction with civilian leaders a necessity. Large-scale initiatives -- including a joint land use study with Onslow County and a potential water and sewage treatment agreement -- await his attention.
Dickerson, who was still moving into his office on Friday, said he knows what's ahead.
"Logistics is a natural fit in a supporting role -- we're taking care of the troops," Dickerson said. "It's a blend between internal and external operations. You have to consider what's gong to happen with the base and with the local community.
"It's easy to say we'll be fully engaged in everything General Mize was doing," Dickerson said. "In Washington, D.C., there's a tremendous amount of energy looking at base closures, and they'll look at some functions closely. The better and stronger we can build our ties with the community, the better for the area."
As an example, Dickerson said he's in no rush to finalize a controversial deal in which Lejeune would sell water and waste treatment services to the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority. Under Mize, the pact was on a faster track, which concerned some in civilian areas who have questions about the plan.
"We have to find common ground," Dickerson said. "I'm not going to make any course corrections until full consideration has been made. I'm not going to be held to a timeline on ONWASA and neither should the community.
"We don't carry a big stick," Dickerson said. "We need to work through the issues together."
Dickerson returned to Camp Lejeune after a two-year tour as director of Marine Corps headquarters logistical plans, policies and strategic mobility. Before that, he was stationed at Lejeune as commander of the 2nd Force Service Support Group.
He was being considered for a number of joint logistical positions in which he would have worked with all the military services, but received a short-notice call to take over as the Camp Lejeune commander.
"I had no idea we would be coming back here," Dickerson said. "The longer I thought about it, the more I liked it."
As a career logistics officer with more than 30 years in the Corps, Dickerson knows about supply and demand. Those skills will help him as the new "mayor" of Camp Lejeune.
Local military construction includes plans to build new gates at all entrance points to the base to improve security and, hopefully, ease traffic.
The military also continues to renovate the Tarawa Terrace and Paradise Point family housing areas.
continued
New base commander learns what the position is all about
By Eric Steinkopff/Freedom ENC
CAMP LEJEUNE -- Less than a week after taking over at Camp Lejeune, Brig Gen. Robert C. Dickerson Jr. got a taste of what being a base commander is all about.
The call came Wednesday evening, not long after state transportation workers broke a natural gas line along U.S. 17 in Jacksonville.
Dickerson knew what to do.
"I was told that it wasn't our fault and no Marines were hurt," Dickerson said in an interview Friday morning. "We sent out Marines to help with traffic control, set up mobile lighting and put our fire trucks on call."
That's really only the start for the new commanding general at Camp Lejeune.
Dickerson, 52, took over on Aug. 29 from Maj. Gen. David Mize, who retired from the Marine Corps. He inherited a job where base operations are paramount and interaction with civilian leaders a necessity. Large-scale initiatives -- including a joint land use study with Onslow County and a potential water and sewage treatment agreement -- await his attention.
Dickerson, who was still moving into his office on Friday, said he knows what's ahead.
"Logistics is a natural fit in a supporting role -- we're taking care of the troops," Dickerson said. "It's a blend between internal and external operations. You have to consider what's gong to happen with the base and with the local community.
"It's easy to say we'll be fully engaged in everything General Mize was doing," Dickerson said. "In Washington, D.C., there's a tremendous amount of energy looking at base closures, and they'll look at some functions closely. The better and stronger we can build our ties with the community, the better for the area."
As an example, Dickerson said he's in no rush to finalize a controversial deal in which Lejeune would sell water and waste treatment services to the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority. Under Mize, the pact was on a faster track, which concerned some in civilian areas who have questions about the plan.
"We have to find common ground," Dickerson said. "I'm not going to make any course corrections until full consideration has been made. I'm not going to be held to a timeline on ONWASA and neither should the community.
"We don't carry a big stick," Dickerson said. "We need to work through the issues together."
Dickerson returned to Camp Lejeune after a two-year tour as director of Marine Corps headquarters logistical plans, policies and strategic mobility. Before that, he was stationed at Lejeune as commander of the 2nd Force Service Support Group.
He was being considered for a number of joint logistical positions in which he would have worked with all the military services, but received a short-notice call to take over as the Camp Lejeune commander.
"I had no idea we would be coming back here," Dickerson said. "The longer I thought about it, the more I liked it."
As a career logistics officer with more than 30 years in the Corps, Dickerson knows about supply and demand. Those skills will help him as the new "mayor" of Camp Lejeune.
Local military construction includes plans to build new gates at all entrance points to the base to improve security and, hopefully, ease traffic.
The military also continues to renovate the Tarawa Terrace and Paradise Point family housing areas.
Another big issue is making room for more people. Between 800 and 1,000 Marines and sailors will arrive when 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment is activated.
It is still unclear if they will be assigned directly to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, created a month after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, or if they will be assigned to the 2nd Marine Division.
Either would necessitate the yet-to-be-funded $100 million complex proposed for the 4th MEB to be built off Lyman Road.
"We're excited about the 4th MEB -- they have great antiterrorist assets," Dickerson said. "Headquarters Marine Corps is working hard to make (personnel) structure for II (Marine Expeditionary Force) at Camp Lejeune, but a lot of our facilities are old and need to be replaced. We have to work improved roads and new barracks."
And there could me more changes announced soon.
"There are some other initiatives coming on line, but it's premature for me to comment on them right now," Dickerson said.
Dickerson credits his success with a very positive home life and recalled a conversation between himself and his wife, Karin, when he once considered retiring from the Marine Corps in the early 1990s.
"My wife has a career and the moving was tough on the kids," Dickerson said. "But Karin said, 'As long as you love working with the Marines, sailors and civilians on base, we're going to continue with this way of life'."
The Dickersons were high school sweethearts who dated for six years before they were married. They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year.
"She's from New England and I'm from Virginia," Dickerson said. "You have to have a strong family to be in the military these days. They have to be supportive."
Their oldest son, Eric, 25, is a new Marine Corps second lieutenant in advanced jet school in Meridan, Miss.
Their 23-year old daughter, Lindsay, lives in Wilmington and is studying to be a dental hygienist at Cape Fear Community College, and 20-year-old Travis is a junior pursuing a criminal justice major at Chowan College in Murfreesboro.
Dickerson describes his wife as a warm, loving, care-giver who has had her own nursing career wherever they have moved.
"She's always been very supportive of me," Dickerson said. "She loves nursing, and I support what she wants to do."
He says that family life is what motivates him to ensure that there is a network of support both on and off base.
"Marines are getting married younger and deployments are a way of life," Dickerson said. "They are uprooted from family and need to be welcomed by the community here. Deployments are usually six months long, but with the global war on terrorism, they can be extended. Marines and sailors didn't join to sit behind a desk, and that's why you have to have a strong family."
Dickerson said he likes what he sees in the Jacksonville area. Support for the military is strong, something that wasn't always the case.
"During Vietnam, there was a divide between the military and the community, but after the Beirut bombing, we have bonded together to become one of the strongest relationships I've ever experienced," he said.
CAMP LEJEUNE -- Less than a week after taking over at Camp Lejeune, Brig Gen. Robert C. Dickerson Jr. got a taste of what being a base commander is all about.
The call came Wednesday evening, not long after state transportation workers broke a natural gas line along U.S. 17 in Jacksonville.
Dickerson knew what to do.
"I was told that it wasn't our fault and no Marines were hurt," Dickerson said in an interview Friday morning. "We sent out Marines to help with traffic control, set up mobile lighting and put our fire trucks on call."
That's really only the start for the new commanding general at Camp Lejeune.
Dickerson, 52, took over on Aug. 29 from Maj. Gen. David Mize, who retired from the Marine Corps. He inherited a job where base operations are paramount and interaction with civilian leaders a necessity. Large-scale initiatives -- including a joint land use study with Onslow County and a potential water and sewage treatment agreement -- await his attention.
Dickerson, who was still moving into his office on Friday, said he knows what's ahead.
"Logistics is a natural fit in a supporting role -- we're taking care of the troops," Dickerson said. "It's a blend between internal and external operations. You have to consider what's gong to happen with the base and with the local community.
"It's easy to say we'll be fully engaged in everything General Mize was doing," Dickerson said. "In Washington, D.C., there's a tremendous amount of energy looking at base closures, and they'll look at some functions closely. The better and stronger we can build our ties with the community, the better for the area."
As an example, Dickerson said he's in no rush to finalize a controversial deal in which Lejeune would sell water and waste treatment services to the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority. Under Mize, the pact was on a faster track, which concerned some in civilian areas who have questions about the plan.
"We have to find common ground," Dickerson said. "I'm not going to make any course corrections until full consideration has been made. I'm not going to be held to a timeline on ONWASA and neither should the community.
"We don't carry a big stick," Dickerson said. "We need to work through the issues together."
Dickerson returned to Camp Lejeune after a two-year tour as director of Marine Corps headquarters logistical plans, policies and strategic mobility. Before that, he was stationed at Lejeune as commander of the 2nd Force Service Support Group.
He was being considered for a number of joint logistical positions in which he would have worked with all the military services, but received a short-notice call to take over as the Camp Lejeune commander.
"I had no idea we would be coming back here," Dickerson said. "The longer I thought about it, the more I liked it."
As a career logistics officer with more than 30 years in the Corps, Dickerson knows about supply and demand. Those skills will help him as the new "mayor" of Camp Lejeune.
Local military construction includes plans to build new gates at all entrance points to the base to improve security and, hopefully, ease traffic.
The military also continues to renovate the Tarawa Terrace and Paradise Point family housing areas.
continued