The key issue here is not POG vs. Grunt. It is combat veterans vs. non-combat veterans. The majority of 03 Marines will look at anyone who holds a CAR and consider them proven and worthy, no matter there MOS. The major problem is that many key leaders in the Marine Corps have no combat service and they are driving the divide between combat roles and support roles. Marines are trained to fight and win; going out and obtaining a Combat Action Ribbon (which is the ONLY personal award in the Marine Corps that is not a medal) is similar to an athlete getting Gold at the Olympics. Do not blame the 03 community for being proud, do not blame them for doing their jobs and being awarded for it. The 03 community has approximately 30,000 Marines out of a total force of approximately 194,000. That means roughly 15% of the Marine Corps is made up of the 03 community. The entire rest of the Marine Corps falls into support roles. They account for a small and very elite group of men. In comparison, the U.S. Special Operations Command has over 66,000 personnel. Lets look at this from another angle. What percentage of Marines have earned a Combat Action Ribbon? Approximately 10% of the Marine Corps has a Combat Action Ribbon. The majority, being from the 03 community. The Marine Corps is a warfighting organization and the backbone of the Corps is its 03 Marines. So why keep kicking them to the side and telling them they have not earned their place on the pedestal? Was it cooks who planted the American flag on Suribachi? Was it mechanics who cleared Hue? Was it admins who fought through Fallujah? Chesty was an Infantry Officer. John Basilone was an Infantry Machine Gunner. James Mattis was an Infantry Officer. Dan Daly, Smedley Butler, Peter Pace, all from the 03 community. The majority of Marine MOH and Navy Cross recipients are from the 03 community, including both recent recipients Dakota Meyer and Kyle Carpenter. Lets continue to pride ourselves on our history and never forget that it was the 03s who made it. However, regardless of MOS, Marines who have earned a Combat Action Ribbon should be placed higher than those who have not yet proven themselves within our elite warfighting organization. These are our true leaders and the future of the Marine Corps. It wasnt the new photo copier at IPAC, but the flag raising on Iwo Jima that meant a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years. Semper Fidelis. Spencer H. Walker Board Chairman & CEO The Warfighter Foundation
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 21:02:29 +0000
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