Commanders' Forum Program

Marines are mentored by those who’ve served before them.

Marines Learn from the Past

From Day One at Boot Camp and Officer Candidates School, Marines embrace their heritage and learn to appreciate the study of military history. These lessons continue throughout a Marine’s career and are directly supported by our Commanders’ Forum Program. This program provides battlefield studies and guest speakers to help Marines grow as tactical decision makers and leaders. By studying the lessons of history, a great deal about leadership, warfighting, and the complex challenges faced before our time can be learned, and those lessons applied to today’s operations.

Units all over the world engage in Professional Military Education experiences through this program to learn from historic battles ranging from the D-Day Landing at Normandy and Marine amphibious landings on Pacific islands, to the Battle of Marathon between Athenians and Persians in 490BC, to military engagements in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, to battles which took place in the United States during the Revolution and Civil War.

If you are a Marine interested in the Commanders’ Forum Program, please fill out the form below. Support and funding are based upon the type of PME you are planning. The PME must hold an operational, cultural, or historical significance, and be a battlefield study, hosting guest speakers, or visiting some other venue that helps Marines understand military history and apply the lessons to today’s Marine Corps operations. These PME’s can encompass experiences worldwide. Though valuable in their own right, visits to sites in the national capital region, such as the National Museum of the Marine Corps, White House, Capitol building, area museums, and monuments are not supported by this program. For approved PME’s, Marines should dress and conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, so as to reflect the high standards of Marines, and not be confused with a high school field trip.

For questions or additional information, please contact MSgt Preston Mitchell, USMC (Ret) at [email protected], 703-640-0144

A minimum of 6 weeks is required for processing. All approvals must be in place BEFORE the PME is executed. Reimbursement will not be authorized. NO EXCEPTIONS.

PLEASE NOTE: These funds, when offered, constitute an unconditional gift and require the Commanding Officer (under $3000) or Commanding General (over $3000) holding Special Court Martial Authority, to accept the offer under the authority of MCO 5800.16-V8 (Legal Support and Administration manual) 01 May 2018. A letter of gift acceptance is required no later than 2 weeks prior to date of PME.

COMPLETE ALL FIELDS BELOW – PLEASE DO NOT ALTER THIS FORM

This information is needed for future contact as well as any correspondence regarding your current request.

Complete Name of Unit

Unit Address

City

State

Zip

If this is for an overseas unit, please indicate city and country

Unit Point of Contact

Include Rank and Name

POC Phone

POC Email

OIC Attending PME

OIC Phone

OIC Email

Date and Location of PME

Estimated Number of Marines Attending PME

Battalion or Squadron Commanding Officer

Include Name and Email

Complete description of program (The PME must hold a significant military educational benefit to all Marines in attendance. Please include all elements of the PME.)

How will the funds be spent? (Provide an itemized, detailed accounting, for the amount of funds you are requesting. We cannot fund items that are governmental in nature. We cannot issue funding directly to the unit. We do not provide funding for fuel expenses and cannot reimburse individual Marines)

Prior to or shortly after the date of the PME, please contact your area representative for an MCAF brief. A brief summary of action will be required by the OIC attending. You may be contacted by our writing staff, they will be requesting information regarding the PME and how it impacted the Marines in attendance. We would also be appreciative of any professional looking photos available to share.