Giving presentation on Genral Orders and Chain of Command

[Juicemang]

Come on Marine, you're telling me you don't remember what the purpose of general orders and the chain of command are? I was with the Wing too, and I never heard of anything like that.

[Hanzo]

My first and most memorable lesson on why knowing your General Orders came during bootcamp. It was Team Week and I was assigned to stand post near in front of the PX on family day. The base had received a lot of threats recently and while I wasn't carrying any live ammo, I guess the idea was to have an extra pair of eyes out there. So I'm standing there with my weapon slung and a Drill Instructor comes out of nowhere and starts screaming at me.

"Oh, so I guess we just look around whenever we want, right? Just eyeballin' every civilian and my whole base, right?"

I snapped to attention and stated "This recruit's second general order is to walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing, sir!"

At the time, it got me out of an a$$ chewing, but it also taught me a valuable lesson. A Marine on post has no friends, and its a lot easier to point to a general order as a reason. They are a hard and fast set of RULES with no room for interpretation, just like any other regulation.

[kenrobg30]

The post I put in this thread yesterday, bothered me all night. I decided, if allowed, to give an example of obedience, to the General Orders. I was on Guard duty one night, in a high security installation. I was patrolling through a part of the Building, which was Off limils to everyone, except the Marine guards. We had to have top security clearances, including having the FBI, send agent to our homes and to our neighbors, to determine whether we could be trusted, to stand watch in that place. As I was making my way through the building, I heard someone open a door, on the upper level, where noone was supposed to be. I stopped, drew my .45, and racked a round into the chamber. As the individual stepped out onto the landing, at the head of the stairs, I had to make a choice. Challenge, or shoot.The orders, covering tthat post, gave me the choice. I chose to challenge. The injtruder, turned out to be the Officer of the Day, who according to those same orders, had no authority, in that section of the building, unless summoned by the Marine Guard. I held that Officer, a Navy Lt., under guard, and marched him to the main duty desk. I called the Sgt. of the guard, and gave him my report. He took the Lt. to the ODs quarters, and placed him under guard, until the Commanding Officer came in, Then he turned the Lt. over to The commander.The Lt. got a reprimand, on his record. I got a letter of commendation, from the Commander, and an endorsement of that letter, from my commanding Officer,The Colonel in charge of the Marine Guard, at the Naval Gun Factory. The Commander asked me why I didn't shoot, Which I was authorized to do. I said, ' Be cause I wasn't mad at him, Sir.' I hope this will help make it clear, just how serious those orders can be. S/F!!! Ken

[Juicemang]

The post I put in this thread yesterday, bothered me all night. I decided, if allowed, to give an example of obedience, to the General Orders. I was on Guard duty one night, in a high security installation. I was patrolling through a part of the Building, which was Off limils to everyone, except the Marine guards. We had to have top security clearances, including having the FBI, send agent to our homes and to our neighbors, to determine whether we could be trusted, to stand watch in that place. As I was making my way through the building, I heard someone open a door, on the upper level, where noone was supposed to be. I stopped, drew my .45, and racked a round into the chamber. As the individual stepped out onto the landing, at the head of the stairs, I had to make a choice. Challenge, or shoot.The orders, covering tthat post, gave me the choice. I chose to challenge. The injtruder, turned out to be the Officer of the Day, who according to those same orders, had no authority, in that section of the building, unless summoned by the Marine Guard. I held that Officer, a Navy Lt., under guard, and marched him to the main duty desk. I called the Sgt. of the guard, and gave him my report. He took the Lt. to the ODs quarters, and placed him under guard, until the Commanding Officer came in, Then he turned the Lt. over to The commander.The Lt. got a reprimand, on his record. I got a letter of commendation, from the Commander, and an endorsement of that letter, from my commanding Officer,The Colonel in charge of the Marine Guard, at the Naval Gun Factory. The Commander asked me why I didn't shoot, Which I was authorized to do. I said, ' Be cause I wasn't mad at him, Sir.' I hope this will help make it clear, just how serious those orders can be. S/F!!! Ken

Outstanding.