2021 MCA Fall Newsletter
Posted on: January 31,2022Greetings Marines and Friends of the Corps,
I’m excited to join the Marine Corps Association as the new President and Chief Executive Officer and look forward to communicating with you about the many great things this organization does for Marines. I realize many of you are supporters of our Foundation, and you already know about the programs we have that assist the personal growth and development of the men and women of our Corps. Having been on active duty until my recent retirement in July, I’ve been able to see firsthand the impact your contributions and support have had on Marines.
We continue to find ways to respond to the needs of Marines and support the Commandant’s emphasis on personal study and development. In this newsletter, you’ll read about some recent battlefield staff rides, one of our programs that has a dramatic impact on Marines. Read the quotes from the Marines who participated in these staff rides, and you’ll know that your support truly makes a difference and enhances their career professional development. Additionally, you will read how we support Marines through professional dinners, which were largely curtailed last year because of the pandemic.
These are exciting times for the Corps and your Marine Corps Association, and I’m proud to continue my service to Marines as part of this tremendous organization. With your support, we will find new and better ways to help those
in our Corps.
LtGen Charles G. Chiarotti USMC (Ret)
President & CEO
Marine Corps Association
Commanders’ Forums
In 2020, the Marine Corps Association program that was impacted the most by the COVID-19 pandemic conditions was our ability
to support units gathering in large groups to conduct staff rides and battlefield tours. These Commanders’ Forums provide unique and often once-in-a-lifetime professional experiences. With the generous support of our donors and the lessening of pandemic restrictions, we’ve been able to start providing those learning experiences for Marines again this year. We are especially indebted to Tim Day, whose support of battle staff rides has helped fund these outstanding events.
“The conversations had during the PME [Professional Military Education] forced me to think in different ways that I normally wouldn’t in regards to signature management. I was able to come back from the PME and bring the discussion up to my Marines, which forced them to think differently during a very productive (almost heated) debate between some of my team leaders. I am very grateful for the Marine Corps Association’s support to the 22nd MEU’s PME opportunity.”
— 1stLt Thomas Mitchell (SIGINT officer)
“The importance of PME cannot be overstated and is absolutely critical in the continued refinement of a leader’s development. The study of the Tullahoma Campaign…was insightful in understanding how [the battles] unfolded and why decisions were made by leaders of that era. Being able to dialogue, share thoughts, opinions, and learn from one another not only opened one’s mind to critical thinking but helped foster and build camaraderie amongst the senior staff.”
— SgtMaj Jonathan Wyble
“This allowed me the opportunity to compare and contrast the leadership styles from the Civil War era to our present day battles. I was able to take away a lot of great examples, both good and bad, on command and control, decision making from the top down, to the different leadership styles that ultimately led to both victories and defeats during that era which enabled me as an adjunct faculty member for our young staff noncommissioned officers to provide more lessons learned as it relates to the command and control or lack thereof during our warfighting weeks of Career School.”
— SgtMaj Douglas Gerhardt
“Although we were discussing the tactical and operational decision making of commanders from a conflict more than 150 years ago, the staff ride demonstrated how many of the same tenets and lessons apply to the MEU’s mission today. The importance of understanding commander’s intent, updating your METT—T [Mission, Enemy, Terrain & Weather, Troops & Fire Support—Time] analysis, considering operational and strategic context in tactical decision making, assessing and mitigating risk, and fostering initiative in small unit leaders, were all lessons reinforced throughout our study of these campaigns.”
— LtCol Chris Myette
“While I have conducted several staff rides throughout my career, this was the first one I have conducted on a Civil War battlefield that felt applicable above the tactical level and generated debate across the warfighting functions in a way that is extremely relevant to today’s Marines. This staff ride inspired me to conduct additional readings beyond what was required and to develop my own logistics-focused staff ride/PME for use in future assignments.”
— Maj Tara Patton
“This allowed me the opportunity to compare and contrast the leadership styles from the Civil War era to our present day battles. I was able to take away a lot of great examples, both good and bad, on command and control, decision making from the top down, to the different leadership styles that ultimately led to both victories and defeats during that era which enabled me as an adjunct faculty member for our young staff noncommissioned officers to provide more lessons learned as it relates to the command and control or lack thereof during our warfighting weeks of Career School.”
— SgtMaj Douglas Gerhardt
Reading the impact of this program on the Marines who walked the battlefield shows how vital this program is for professional development. The Marine Corps Association has also enabled battlefield studies and staff rides in other locations as Marine leaders are able to get their Marines off bases and out on battlefields. Your support to us will help this program return to pre-pandemic levels and provide more career enhancing experiences to our Marines.
Marine Corps Association Foundation’s Inaugural GIVING DAY
This year, the Marine Corps Association Foundation held our inaugural Giving Day in June, and it was a remarkable success! A ‘Giving Day’ is a special annual fundraising event separate from typical end-of-year fundraising, which is designed to reach out to existing and new supporters and make them aware of our programs and needs. We set a goal which would help us respond to the demand from Marine leaders for our programs in the coming years, and thanks to our community of supporters and Friends of the Corps, we raised more than $49,000 in support of Today’s Marines, nearly double our original goal of $25,000!
Our Giving Day featured several challenges throughout the day. Our former President and CEO, LtGen W. Mark Faulkner, USMC (Ret), had two matching gift challenges, one in the morning and one later in the day, each for $1,000. Many of you contributed and ‘unlocked’ those challenges for us, which meant the CEO had to match and provide both $1,000 gifts. We also had veteran Marine Staff Sergeant Jim Purcell create a matching gift challenge for $1,250 – he didn’t want the officers getting all the spotlight! His challenge was to get staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) to match his amount, which of course, they did! We know Marine NCOs and SNCOs always lead and get the job done, and in this case, their support ‘unlocked’ Jim’s challenge! We’re extremely grateful to both Jim Purcell and LtGen Faulkner, but also to all of you who gave as part of the Giving Day campaign.
Our next Giving Day is scheduled for April 2022, and we’re looking forward to helping even more Marines next year!
We raised MORE THAN $49,000 during MCAF’s inaugural Giving Day campaign.
These DONATIONS from 270 DONORS all go towards MCAF’s mission of supporting Today’s Marines and enhancing their professional development.
Thank you to the Marines, family members, and friends of the Corps who donated. Together we can continue to provide Marines with the support they need to be successful leaders.
One key element of the Marine Corps Association’s support to Marines is hosting professional and awards events with major Marine Corps commands and various Deputy Commandants and other Directors at Headquarters, Marine Corps. These headquarters and organizations represent the broad communities of our Corps, such as ground forces, logistics, information, acquisition, and our Fleet Marine Forces. Our Marine Corps Association professional development events not only allow Marines, corporate sponsors, and other guests to see Marines receiving excellence awards but also provide a forum in which to hear from the senior leaders in the Corps, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of Defense. These venues are rare opportunities for Marines of all ranks to hear directly from the Commandant, Marine Expeditionary Force Commanders and even other Services’ senior leaders.
Our professional events include time to meet senior leaders during cocktail hour, sitting with those leaders and other guests during dinner, and participating in the formal program with distinguished speakers and, on many occasions, award presentations.
Marines on active duty are able to attend at no cost because your Marine Corps Association Foundation pays for their participation in these valuable professional development events. Because of the many restrictions COVID imposed on large group gatherings in 2020, we had to be innovative (to include hosting events outdoors under tents), but many Marines missed out on these opportunities. In 2021, we are back in
full swing!
Fair Winds and Following Seas to LtGen William M. “Mark” Faulkner
LtGen Faulkner led the Marine Corps Association and its supporting Foundation through many significant changes during his tenure. One of his most important was overseeing the growth and expansion of our support to Marines through the programs and opportunities you have read about in this newsletter. As a special tribute to him, the Board of Governors of the Marine Corps Association and Board of Directors of the Foundation pledged $25,000 of their own money and contributed it to the Foundation in honor of our outgoing Chief Executive Officer. This is a testament to his leadership but also shows the Board’s and LtGen Faulkner’s commitment to helping our Marines!
