wrbones
11-22-02, 11:14 AM
ALMAR 056/02
««-----------------------------------------------------»»
Date signed: 10/09/2002 ALMAR Number: 056/02 R 091545Z OCT 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 056/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG TECOM QUANTICO VA/CG//
SUBJ/MARINE COMBAT INSTRUCTOR MOS 8513//
POC/HABBESTAD G.B./COL/TRNGCOM/C474//
REF/A/DOC/MCO P1510.8A//
TEL: DSN 278-3073/TEL: COM (703)784-3073/
EMAIL: HABBESTADGB@TECOM.USMC.MIL//
RMKS/1. THERE ARE CERTAIN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS THAT SERVE AS THE
BEDROCK OF ALL SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS. THEY ARE OF IMMENSE
IMPORTANCE AND THEY TRANSCEND THE TESTS OF TIME, EVEN SURVIVING
SO-CALLED TRANSFORMATIONAL PERIODS. AN ORGANIZATION CANNOT
SURVIVE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE IDEALS THAT DEFINE ITS VERY
EXISTENCE. OUR MARINE CORPS IS ANCHORED ON SUCH IDEALS, ONE OF
WHICH IS THAT EVERY MARINE IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A RIFLEMAN.
FOR SOME TIME, WE HAVE TAKEN GREAT PRIDE IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT
BOTH OUR RECRUIT TRAINING AND OUR OFFICER TRAINING SUCCESSFULLY
"MAKE MARINES" OUT OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO VOLUNTEER TO
JOIN OUR RANKS, BOTH OFFICER AND ENLISTED. THIS FIRST STEP IN
THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR RECRUITS AND CANDIDATES IS ONE OF THE
CORPS MOST ENDURING SUCCESSES. NOT LONG AGO, THIS PROCESS WAS
ENHANCED BY THE ADDITION OF "THE CRUCIBLE", AND TODAY RECRUIT AND
OFFICER TRAINING ARE BOTH BETTER THAN EVER.
2. ONCE YOUNG MARINE OFFICERS ARE COMMISSIONED, THEY PROCEED TO
THEIR SECOND STEP OF TRAINING: THE BASIC SCHOOL. HERE THEY FORM
LIFELONG BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION, LEARN
THE BASICS OF LEADING MARINES, AND JOIN IN THE COMMON EXPERIENCES
THAT EVERY MARINE OFFICER SHARES. AS A CONDITION OF GRADUATING
FROM THE BASIC SCHOOL, WE TRAIN EACH LIEUTENANT TO EMBRACE THE
IDEA THAT, BEFORE THEY LEARN TO DO ANYTHING ELSE, THEY MUST LEARN
TO LEAD A RIFLE PLATOON. THIS DEEP-SEATED UNDERSTANDING IS A
PILLAR OF OUR EDUCATION PROCESS: OUR MARINES AND LEADERS MUST SHARE
A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS REQUIRED TO SUCCEED. IT DEFINES
US SO COMPLETELY THAT THE SUCCESS OF OUR CORPS THROUGHOUT ITS
HISTORY CAN BE TRACED TO THIS FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE. THE BASIC
SCHOOL HAS PROVEN ITS WORTH IN THE MAKING OF MARINE OFFICERS.
3. IT IS NOW TIME TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO "THE SECOND STEP" IN
THE MAKING OF OUR ENLISTED MARINES: OUR TWO SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY.
JUST AS OUR RECRUIT DEPOTS PRODUCE FINE BASIC MARINES, WE EXPECT
THAT OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY WILL LITERALLY BRING TO LIFE THE
FUNDAMENTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MARINE AND HIS/HER RIFLE,
AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MARINES THAT BUILD TRUST AND
RELIANCE ON EACH OTHER.
4. WE HAVE NOT "INVESTED" ADEQUATE RESOURCES, OR PLACED THE
NECESSARY ATTENTION TO THE ALL IMPORTANT "SECOND STEP" IN
MAKING MARINES AT OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY. IN RECENT DISCUSSIONS
DURING THE EXECUTIVE OFFSITE IN KANSAS CITY, MO, THE SENIOR
LEADERSHIP OF OUR CORPS HAS DECIDED TO ENSURE THAT, HENCEFORTH,
THE EXPERIENCE OF MARINES IN OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY WILL BE
PARALLEL TO THAT EXPERIENCED BY OFFICERS IN THE BASIC SCHOOL.
WHEN WE LEAD THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA THROUGH THE
CORPS' RECRUIT TRAINING AND FORGE THEM INTO MARINES, WE CHANGE
THEIR LIVES FOREVER AS WE INCULCATE THEM WITH OUR HIGH STANDARDS
AND CORE VALUES. OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY WILL BUILD UPON THIS
FOUNDATION, TEACHING OUR MARINES THEIR BASIC COMBAT SKILLS AS
THE ALL IMPORTANT SECOND STEP IN THE "MAKING OF MARINES."
( Cont.)
««-----------------------------------------------------»»
Date signed: 10/09/2002 ALMAR Number: 056/02 R 091545Z OCT 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 056/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG TECOM QUANTICO VA/CG//
SUBJ/MARINE COMBAT INSTRUCTOR MOS 8513//
POC/HABBESTAD G.B./COL/TRNGCOM/C474//
REF/A/DOC/MCO P1510.8A//
TEL: DSN 278-3073/TEL: COM (703)784-3073/
EMAIL: HABBESTADGB@TECOM.USMC.MIL//
RMKS/1. THERE ARE CERTAIN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS THAT SERVE AS THE
BEDROCK OF ALL SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS. THEY ARE OF IMMENSE
IMPORTANCE AND THEY TRANSCEND THE TESTS OF TIME, EVEN SURVIVING
SO-CALLED TRANSFORMATIONAL PERIODS. AN ORGANIZATION CANNOT
SURVIVE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE IDEALS THAT DEFINE ITS VERY
EXISTENCE. OUR MARINE CORPS IS ANCHORED ON SUCH IDEALS, ONE OF
WHICH IS THAT EVERY MARINE IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A RIFLEMAN.
FOR SOME TIME, WE HAVE TAKEN GREAT PRIDE IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT
BOTH OUR RECRUIT TRAINING AND OUR OFFICER TRAINING SUCCESSFULLY
"MAKE MARINES" OUT OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO VOLUNTEER TO
JOIN OUR RANKS, BOTH OFFICER AND ENLISTED. THIS FIRST STEP IN
THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR RECRUITS AND CANDIDATES IS ONE OF THE
CORPS MOST ENDURING SUCCESSES. NOT LONG AGO, THIS PROCESS WAS
ENHANCED BY THE ADDITION OF "THE CRUCIBLE", AND TODAY RECRUIT AND
OFFICER TRAINING ARE BOTH BETTER THAN EVER.
2. ONCE YOUNG MARINE OFFICERS ARE COMMISSIONED, THEY PROCEED TO
THEIR SECOND STEP OF TRAINING: THE BASIC SCHOOL. HERE THEY FORM
LIFELONG BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION, LEARN
THE BASICS OF LEADING MARINES, AND JOIN IN THE COMMON EXPERIENCES
THAT EVERY MARINE OFFICER SHARES. AS A CONDITION OF GRADUATING
FROM THE BASIC SCHOOL, WE TRAIN EACH LIEUTENANT TO EMBRACE THE
IDEA THAT, BEFORE THEY LEARN TO DO ANYTHING ELSE, THEY MUST LEARN
TO LEAD A RIFLE PLATOON. THIS DEEP-SEATED UNDERSTANDING IS A
PILLAR OF OUR EDUCATION PROCESS: OUR MARINES AND LEADERS MUST SHARE
A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS REQUIRED TO SUCCEED. IT DEFINES
US SO COMPLETELY THAT THE SUCCESS OF OUR CORPS THROUGHOUT ITS
HISTORY CAN BE TRACED TO THIS FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE. THE BASIC
SCHOOL HAS PROVEN ITS WORTH IN THE MAKING OF MARINE OFFICERS.
3. IT IS NOW TIME TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO "THE SECOND STEP" IN
THE MAKING OF OUR ENLISTED MARINES: OUR TWO SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY.
JUST AS OUR RECRUIT DEPOTS PRODUCE FINE BASIC MARINES, WE EXPECT
THAT OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY WILL LITERALLY BRING TO LIFE THE
FUNDAMENTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MARINE AND HIS/HER RIFLE,
AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MARINES THAT BUILD TRUST AND
RELIANCE ON EACH OTHER.
4. WE HAVE NOT "INVESTED" ADEQUATE RESOURCES, OR PLACED THE
NECESSARY ATTENTION TO THE ALL IMPORTANT "SECOND STEP" IN
MAKING MARINES AT OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY. IN RECENT DISCUSSIONS
DURING THE EXECUTIVE OFFSITE IN KANSAS CITY, MO, THE SENIOR
LEADERSHIP OF OUR CORPS HAS DECIDED TO ENSURE THAT, HENCEFORTH,
THE EXPERIENCE OF MARINES IN OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY WILL BE
PARALLEL TO THAT EXPERIENCED BY OFFICERS IN THE BASIC SCHOOL.
WHEN WE LEAD THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA THROUGH THE
CORPS' RECRUIT TRAINING AND FORGE THEM INTO MARINES, WE CHANGE
THEIR LIVES FOREVER AS WE INCULCATE THEM WITH OUR HIGH STANDARDS
AND CORE VALUES. OUR SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY WILL BUILD UPON THIS
FOUNDATION, TEACHING OUR MARINES THEIR BASIC COMBAT SKILLS AS
THE ALL IMPORTANT SECOND STEP IN THE "MAKING OF MARINES."
( Cont.)