QUANTICO MARINE CORPS BASE, Va. --
The Headquarters Marine Corps Program and Resources department at the Pentagon is the primary group of people who work to develop, preserve and administrate financial requirements including policies and programs for the Marine Corps.
Working under the direction and guidance of the commandant of the Marine Corps, the P&R department’s research and findings help make critical financial decisions that help ensure Marines are equipped do their jobs in garrison and in combat.
“We spend a lot of time listening to the briefs for keeping these kinds of programs alive,” said Col. P.T. Patrick, resource analysis branch chief. “We run the process that figures out where the money is allotted.”
To help P&R department employees understand the importance of their jobs and to reward the result of their tireless work, a group of about 30 employees visited MCB Quantico, June 6. They visited Marine Helicopter Squadron One, Weapons Training Battalion and the Transportation Demonstration Support Area.
During their visit to HMX-1, the group learned about Marine Corps aviation, toured the hangers and were able to sit in aircraft such as the Osprey.
“Our guidance was to expose our civilian personnel, who work day-in and day-out doing a lot of heavy lifting for the Marine Corps when it comes to budgeting, programming and analyzing data everyday, to experience things Marines get to do,” said Lt. Col. Ricardo Miagany, a resource strategy analyst.
While visiting WTBn., the group learned about various weapons systems used in the Marine Corps today, including which weapons individual Marines carry and the importance of marksmanship training. The group fired weapons such as the Infantry Automatic Rifle M27, Glock, AK-47 and M4 with the guidance of Marines from WTBn.
“I liked it a lot,” said Randal Cole, an operations analyst. “It’s great to get out and get a chance to see what they [Marines] do.”
In their roles at P&R, the employees play a critical part in the Marine Corps’ ground tactical vehicle strategy, helping analyze data, developing charts, tables and other information that helps determine what vehicles the Marine Corps should hold onto and what vehicles need to be improved.
Currently the ground tactical vehicles are managed by Program Executive Office Land Systems that researches, tests and delivers the vehicles to Marines in the fleet.
“The Marine Corps is working hard on their ground tactical vehicle strategy moving forward, based on our latest concept documents,” said Miagany. “For them to be able to come here and be briefed on the vehicles, walk around in them and go for a ride in them, gives them a visual and makes it tangible for them.”
— Writer: twertz@quanticosentryonline.com