An Open Letter to our Membership!

[Gary W]

Good morning. Been watching/reading all of the public and private posts the last few days. Appreciate everyone's participation on the forums and that you all feel comfortable and confident posting your thoughts, opinions, and recommended solutions on them.


There seems to be a number of issues that have surfaced of late and I though this would be a good time to address them all.


First, there have been some public and private comments regarding the fact that I am not a Marine and how can a non Marine run a website for Marines. To be clear, I have never stated I was a Marine, have always said when asked I have worked on various projects with the Marine Corps for the last 18 years and still do that today.


What I have said is that I am a "fan" of the Marine Corps, Marines, and what they have done and will do for our country. I have raised money for Marine Corps charity's, met with families of wounded and KIA Marines, spoken to various ground and aviation units on teamwork and other topics, and have a brother-in-law who retired from the Marine Corps after 32 years of service a couple of years back.


I have countless friends and business associates who served or are now serving our country in the Marine Corps. I also work with hundreds of Marines across the country with various Young Marines, Marine Corps League, MCCS and other events and activities across this great nation of ours.


So with that question cleared up, I want to address from a www.leatherneck.com company position the events of the recent days regarding posts and the removal of threads.


I think the first and most important item that needs to be communicated on this subject is that Rocky C is acting on behalf of our company, not himself. He is today and will always be your Marine Corps brother. Rocky is doing his job which is what the Leatherneck.com leadership has asked him to do. If you want to point fingers and be upset with anyone, please direct that toward me.


Leatherneck.com is today and will always be a place where Marines, Marine family members and friends can say whatever they want about whatever they want. The issue here is how we say it and the impressions those harsh statements have on others who come on the site for the first time, go into the forums and do not feel this is a place they would want themselves or their family members to be.


As I am sure all of you know, first impressions never really change and that is what we are dealing with here. Think about your own experiences with first impressions. If you walk into a house/store, etc. for the first time, it's a mess and and the people inside are acting inappropriately, that impressions stays with you for a long time and effects your decisions to re-engage. The same is true with anyone who logs on to the forums for the first time, goes into Open Squad Bay and reads hurtful and negative comments on a topic being discussed.


We could talk about the website terms/standards/etc. here however I just feel its about each and every one of us thinking about who could be reading what we post. In fact, the reason we have The War Room is that you can go there and be a little more "opinionated" without risking turning anyone away.


I have read the posts, threats to leave, comments that an individual Marine or a group of you will shut the forums down. That is today and will always be your choice. If representing your opinions in a more "honorable" way or posting them in our private forums are things you cannot do on Leatherneck.com, then you should leave.


Being responsive to the needs the all Marines, those who served, those who are serving and those who will serve will always be first and foremost on Leatherneck.com. And we will do it in a way that represents "Honor" which I know runs through the veins of each and every one of you.


With the utmost respect and admiration.

Gary Weisbaum

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[Rocky C]

Thank you Gary for your post, explanation and providing us with a forum.

Rocky C

[MunkyVsRobot]

Cant say ive seen the name Gary W mentioned too much on the forum...


*** Gary W is one of the owners of this forum ***

Rocky C

[MunkyVsRobot]

Oh good to go, I am not one of the originals here. Maybe too obvious by the join date of 2011...

[ChuckH]

And speaking of The War Room.... what happened to it?

Was it deleted??

[Rocky C]

The " War Room " was dismantled yesterday per Forum ownership after many discussions. Tony ( HST ) was sent a courtesy PM from me informing him of the decision because it was his thread, he responded and that was that.

[silveradomick]

The ridiculous childish behavior of both the active membership and the site staff here is certainly distasteful. It's amazing to me that other Marine Corps related forums can get by just fine without power struggles, petty squabbles, ass kissing, hurt feelings, and delusions of grandeur that I've witnessed here over the years.im not surprised though. I'm here to help new and future Marines if I can, and to fellowship with current and former jarheads with whom I have things in common. Unfortunately, as a combat vet and a currently serving LEO, I've got little in common with peacetime Marines and civilians. That's not any sort of slight, it's just a fact. Fortunately, there are other places on the internet where connections between like minded people are not dramatized or regulated by the whimsy of arbitrarily appointed individuals.

[DaShadow]

The ridiculous childish behavior of both the active membership and the site staff here is certainly distasteful. It's amazing to me that other Marine Corps related forums can get by just fine without power struggles, petty squabbles, ass kissing, hurt feelings, and delusions of grandeur that I've witnessed here over the years.im not surprised though. I'm here to help new and future Marines if I can, and to fellowship with current and former jarheads with whom I have things in common. Unfortunately, as a combat vet and a currently serving LEO, I've got little in common with peacetime Marines and civilians. That's not any sort of slight, it's just a fact. Fortunately, there are other places on the internet where connections between like minded people are not dramatized or regulated by the whimsy of arbitrarily appointed individuals.

This post deserves to be its own sticky!!!

This post certainly characterizes the state of this forum for quite a while. It amazes me - the trolls that comment daily about things they have NO experience with.

Lastly, many of the posters are always posting (sometimes daily) about how High Speed, Low Drag they are, when it's obvious their experience is based solely on their Internet searches, rather than actual experience.

I think many who (frequently) post on here suffer from
CMD.

[RoyBatty]

The ridiculous childish behavior of both the active membership and the site staff here is certainly distasteful. It's amazing to me that other Marine Corps related forums can get by just fine without power struggles, petty squabbles, ass kissing, hurt feelings, and delusions of grandeur that I've witnessed here over the years.im not surprised though. I'm here to help new and future Marines if I can, and to fellowship with current and former jarheads with whom I have things in common. Unfortunately, as a combat vet and a currently serving LEO, I've got little in common with peacetime Marines and civilians. That's not any sort of slight, it's just a fact. Fortunately, there are other places on the internet where connections between like minded people are not dramatized or regulated by the whimsy of arbitrarily appointed individuals.

I hate you

[silveradomick]

You would. Fortunately your mom doesn't share your loathing.

[RoyBatty]

It's about time, ***** needs those cobwebs cleared out

[RoyBatty]

OMFG profanity is censored?

[Rocky C]

Only in the " Open Forum " where children can read without logging in.
Not censored just procedures in place on autopilot.

[marine6551]

The ridiculous childish behavior of both the active membership and the site staff here is certainly distasteful. It's amazing to me that other Marine Corps related forums can get by just fine without power struggles, petty squabbles, ass kissing, hurt feelings, and delusions of grandeur that I've witnessed here over the years.im not surprised though. I'm here to help new and future Marines if I can, and to fellowship with current and former jarheads with whom I have things in common. Unfortunately, as a combat vet and a currently serving LEO, I've got little in common with peacetime Marines and civilians. That's not any sort of slight, it's just a fact. Fortunately, there are other places on the internet where connections between like minded people are not dramatized or regulated by the whimsy of arbitrarily appointed individuals.

well sir; i'm the" fng" here and a former LEO (sheriff's officer and as well as you should know, no one is perfect, whether a marine or civvie, so sometimes you just have to suck it up and try to get along with them the best way you can.i've learned over the years on many forums, you should take what you like and leave something on a positive note.
semper fi, 8th and I...hold 'em high!

[silveradomick]

Yep. And presumably your experience in the Corps and in Law Enforcement would have taught you that sometimes we are duty bound to stand up and have the intestinal fortitude to call BS when we see it.

Kill.