Sunday, January 08, 2006
Semper Fi, representative Murtha
In the summer of 1982 I attended the 121st Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. OCS in the U.S. Marines is a starkly unique experience. It is not boot camp; it is not designed to break you down and rebuild you. It is an evaluation. It is designed to strip you bare and determine if you have the necessary mental equipment to lead Marines in combat. It is a 10 week study in the limits of human endurance, a relentless cycle of fatigue and stress. It is a test of heart, of clarity, of motivation.
Over half the Officer Candidates go home prior to graduation having been unable to demonstrate the requirements demanded to lead Marines or physically unable to survive the ordeal. The remaining few are sent to "The Basic School." It is, as it's title describes, a school which teaches the basic skills and knowledge needed to be an effective Marine Officer. Every Marine Officer is trained as a rifle platoon leader first. Everyone. No exceptions. No excuses.
The essence of being a Marine Officer is leadership. The Marines under your charge are a precious item. They deserve leaders who value them, who will do the right thing not matter what the cost and will do all in their power to keep them alive.
It is within this context that I view the conduct of Representative Murtha. He has traded the oath he took in blood and sweat as a Marine Officer in order to exercise his political freedoms. Make no mistake, his political rhetoric is being paid in full by Marines fighting the Global War on Terror. God forgive him, I won't.
Over half the Officer Candidates go home prior to graduation having been unable to demonstrate the requirements demanded to lead Marines or physically unable to survive the ordeal. The remaining few are sent to "The Basic School." It is, as it's title describes, a school which teaches the basic skills and knowledge needed to be an effective Marine Officer. Every Marine Officer is trained as a rifle platoon leader first. Everyone. No exceptions. No excuses.
The essence of being a Marine Officer is leadership. The Marines under your charge are a precious item. They deserve leaders who value them, who will do the right thing not matter what the cost and will do all in their power to keep them alive.
It is within this context that I view the conduct of Representative Murtha. He has traded the oath he took in blood and sweat as a Marine Officer in order to exercise his political freedoms. Make no mistake, his political rhetoric is being paid in full by Marines fighting the Global War on Terror. God forgive him, I won't.
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