Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos is challenging his emerging and veteran leaders to reinvigorate their leadership skills and commitment to building Marines who embody the Corps’ ethos and values.

With that challenge, Marines above the rank of lance corporal are required to read “Leading Marines” and “Sustaining the Transformation” by Nov. 10, which is also the Marine Corps' Birthday. The directive is among a number of tough measures outlined by Amos during a General Officer Symposium last month aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico. The effort is part of an overall crackdown on dishonorable behavior and is intended to “reawaken” the Corps morally.

Both publications emphasize the importance of Marines leading with a sense of legacy, honoring the courage, traditions and sacrifices of those who previously served.

Maj. William Nash, safety officer for Education Command at Quantico, is taking the initiative a step further, offering an education session for Marine Corps University students on the newly required readings.

He said the publications address a critical step in building Marines.  

“It all boils down to the foundation,” Nash said. “When we’re making Marines at Parris Island, San Diego and Quantico, just like a house or church, the most important part is the foundation. [Therefore,] if you get the foundation wrong, what you have is a gelatinous mess and the structure built upon it will collapse.”

Once a Marine graduates from boot camp or Officer Candidates School, it’s the responsibility of leaders at their duty stations to set the standards, cultivate growth, maintain core values and pass down Marine Corps’ traditions, Nash added.

As the institution decentralizes operations during the drawdown and ending of more than 10 years of war, Nash said [lower-ranking leaders such as] corporals will become accountable for a lot more.

“Instead of the staff sergeants, majors or lieutenants taking that leadership role, based on the downsizing, we will task our [noncommissioned officers] with more, which means that individual will be responsible for the lives and care of more Marines,” Nash said.

It’s an honorable weight to carry, but also one that should not be taken lightly.

“Lets wake up and let everybody know that the Marines’ Hymn is not just a song — when it says ‘keep our honor clean,’ we mean it. So, lets keep out honor clean and don’t fray the [fabric of the Marine Corps’] institution as a whole. That eagle, globe and anchor means a lot.”

As Gen. Charles C. Krulak explained in “Sustaining the Transformation,” how a Marine leads could mean the difference between winning and losing battles.

“The Corps does two things for America: they make Marines and they win nation’s battles. The ability to successfully accomplish the latter depends on how well the former is done,” Krulak stated in the book’s foreword. 

Writer: afelton@quanticosentryonline.com