Marine Corps Association Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Marine Corps Association Podcasts
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Stephen Camelio to the scuttlebutt. Stephen is a screenwriter, storyteller, and content creator whose most recent project, Mending the Line – a story about a Marine embracing fly fishing to help him through post-traumatic growth – was the #1 movie on Netflix back in 2024. We interviewed the director of that film, Joshua Caldwell, back in Episode 82. Please go back and check it out. Stephen comes to us on the cusp of another project, a story about Col John Ripley and his actions at the Dong Ha Bridge, based on the book, The Easter Offensive. With Col Ripley being posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in back in June and The Easter Offensive having been on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, it was great to get a perspective on this legendary Marine from a storyteller who hasn’t been drinking the Marine Corps Kool-Aid his whole life. It was also interesting to hear about his background and how he became attracted to featuring Marine characters in his stories.
Enjoy!
The post #254: Characters, Storytelling, and Col John Ripley with Stephen Camelio first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Robert Newman to the scuttlebutt. Robert is a retired Marine and author of the book, Guerillas in the Mist. As you will hear, he definitely gives the Dos Equis guy a run for his money on being the most interesting man alive. Joining the Marine Corps in the 70s, he started as a mortarman but quickly moved over to Recon. From there, he ended up in Germany in 1983, working for the Beirut Casualty Assistance Office. He then developed the curriculum for the small boat over-the-horizon amphibious raid package, eventually moving on to become one of the first Marine SERE instructors at the Navy SERE School in Maine. As you can surmise from the title of his book, he now works and advises in the world of counterinsurgency, appearing on multiple news outlets and publications. Robert talks to us about his path to the yellow footprints, shares some anecdotes from his amazing career, and gives us an analysis on the Iran conflict. This was recorded back in early June, so the landscape in the Middle East is much different than it was back then, so where we got it right…ish and where we got it wrong. It’ll be a fun little game of To Quagmire or Not to Quagmire.
Enjoy!
The post #253: Guerillas in the Mist with Robert Newman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of World of Wargaming with Alex Buck. Alex is a major in the Canadian Armed Forces and an advocate for the benefits of wargaming. Alex talks to us about how he came to be in the armed forces, what it was like to be a Canadian in America during September 11th, his deployment experiences and some of the similarities and differences between Canadian and US militaries, and how he was introduced to wargaming, and what it is about wargaming that is so important for militaries to be doing. He’s also a self-professed professional fun seeker, so it was…fun…to hear what that entails. It was really cool to talk to a member of a key allied nation’s military and to get perspectives from outside the American lens. As advertised, talking with Alex was a lot of fun, and it was great to learn more about one of our most trusted and committed allies.
Enjoy!
linkedin.com/in/alexjbuck
instagram.com/rcrbuck
linktr.ee/rcrbuck
The post #252: World of Wargaming with Maj Alex Buck, Canadian Armed Forces first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Timothy Gick to the scuttlebutt. Tim is the founder of the company Not A Very Good Teacher and the creator of the memory adaptation game, Mission Match. Tim is also a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Reserve, so the concept of developing military-friendly educational games for kids is something that hits close to home. Also, back in Episode 247, our gaming experts did a review of Mission Match, so please go back and give that a listen. Today, Tim talks to us about his path to the yellow footprints, some of the projects he worked on in his civilian life and how they influenced the foundation of Not a Very Good Teacher, what Mission Match is and what he’s trying to do with the game, and what he has planned for the future. We just fed off his passion, and as a father, it was great to spend time with someone who is so immersed in the development of children and our future generations.
Enjoy!
www.notaverygoodteacher.com
The post #251: Timothy Gick is Not A Very Good Teacher first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. As you probably have deduced from the episode title, this is Episode 250. We said it when we hit 100, and then again when we hit 200, but we’ll say again how honored, and quite frankly, surprised we are to be going now 250 strong. That being said, we recognize that this is not a solo endeavor. So, we want to use this episode to thank our team, the MCA leadership, our guests, and most importantly, you the listener for keeping this thing going. We are so thankful for your support cause as you know, we literally could not do this without you.
This week, we’re going on a little trip on the way back machine. Yes, this is a clip show, but with a twist. We’ve brought in the team and formed Voltron to bring you a quiz clip show. Nancy, William, and I look back out our amazing guests by quizzing each other on how much we remember of the past 5 years of Scuttlebutt. Just putting this episode together made us laugh and encouraged us with our profoundly insightful, intelligent, and hilarious guests. Hopefully this walk down memory lane is as enriching for you as it was for us to put together.
We started this show with the premise that stories matter and are proud that we never strayed from it. Your stories do matter, and we are so honored that you are willing to share them with us.
Semper Fidelis.
The post #250: A Trip on the Way Back Machine – Some Highlights of 250 episodes of Scuttlebutt first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Jonathan Hackett to the scuttlebutt. Jonathan is a retired MARSOC operator, intelligence specialist and interrogator, the author of the books, Theory of Irregular War and Iran’s Shadow Weapons, and is now a student at Yale Law School. He has been the expert guest on multiple news outlets, such as Al Jazeera and CBS News, so I have no idea how we were able to get him on our show, but we are so honored to have him. Jonathan talks to us about his path to the yellow footprints, his journey in the special forces world and experiences as a key interrogator during the Global War on Terror, and what he is up to now. He’s got some great advice for transitioning veterans and how to balance being goal-oriented and ambitious, while simultaneously slowing down and appreciating where you are. For someone so accomplished, he is remarkably humble and level-headed, which makes his insight and perspective so much more appealing.
Also, we’ll be taking a break for the 4th of July holiday but will be back the following week with our 250th episode. We said this back in episode 100, and then again in 200, but I’ll say it again…we had no idea when we started that we would be going 250 episodes strong. We are so lucky and have all you listeners and our wonderful guest to thank. And the empty sound studio here at the MCA. But mostly you listeners and our guests. A most sincere thank you and appreciation for all your support.
This is Episode 249.
linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
jonathanwhackett.com
The post #249: Interrogator, Author, Lawyer with MSgt Jonathan Hackett (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome the Vice President of the Marine Corps Association Foundation, retired Col Tim Mundy, to the scuttlebutt. With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, we thought it would be fun to bring someone who is the son of, and father of, a Marine. We mention in the conversation how “Hallmark holidays” are not really our bag, but having the opportunity to talk to someone like Col Mundy about the dynamics of both growing up in a Marine family and raising kids in a Marine household seemed really interesting. We’ve wanted to get Tim on the show for some time, so this was the perfect excuse. For those who aren’t familiar with the Mundy name, Tim’s dad, Gen Carl Mundy, was the 30th Commandant of the Marine Corps, serving in that role from 1991 to 1995. Before you roll your eyes, thinking of course we would interview a Commandant’s kid, it was really beautiful to hear Tim’s story of growing up with a father who would become Commandant, serving as an infantry officer during his dad’s tenure as Commandant, and the lessons his dad imparted upon him as he became a father in uniform. This was a great opportunity to hear some of the more human sides of Marine “celebrity” and how, at the end of the day, whether you’re the Commandant or a PFC, the relationship between a father and son knows no rank.
Enjoy!
The post #248: Son, Father, Marine with Col Tim Mundy (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of World of Wargaming with two gamers who need little introduction: Aidan and Noah Ruble. These two were kind enough to come on (under threat of much tearing of clothes and gnashing of teeth from their father) and give us their review of Not AVery Good Teacher’s memory game, Mission Match. Our experts give us their review of the game, discuss the game mechanics and how it is unique from other memory games, and what they like and don’t like about it. It was a lot of fun to have these two on the show and to get an assessment of a kids’ game from the targeted audience: kids. They do a great job and hope it motivates you to check out Mission Match and see what Not A Very Good Teacher is all about.
Enjoy!
notaverygoodteacher.com
The post #247: World of Wargaming review of Mission Match first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome 1stSgt Chase McGrorty-Hunter back to the scuttlebutt. Chase is a first sergeant with 11th Marines, the first winner of the Modern Day Marine Obj 1 wargaming competition (now known as the Commandant’s Cup) and our guest for Episode 200. Clearly, we’re fans of this Marine. Chase is here to talk to us about the Marine Corps Association’s Tactical Decision Game, or TDG, Competition. This was originally Chase’s idea, and as he tells it, the Marine Corps Association was the perfect place to host this competition. We talk about what a TDG is and what it is designed to do, what the competition is and who is eligible (spoiler alert: everyone!), and how a competition like this will enable the critical thinking and imagination we want to foster. This is going to be a fun competition, and we are looking forward to seeing what you all come up with.
Enjoy!
tdgcomp@mca-marines.org
instagram.com/chase_hunter
linkedin.com/in/chase-mcgrorty-hunter-2a3ba9ab
The post #246: The MCA’s TDG Competition with 1stSgt Chase McGrorty-Hunter first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Josh Bates to the scuttlebutt. Josh is a retired Marine infantry officer, podcaster, and author of the book, Baghdad Shuffle, a noir crime thriller set in the backdrop of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It goes without saying that this is a genre-bending story. Josh talks to us about his path to the yellow footprints, serving with his dad, the impetus for writing a book that centers on a geopolitical murder mystery, and how his personal experiences in Iraq shaped the plot of Baghdad Shuffle. One topic Josh shares with us is his experience in getting a book “on the shelves” and the current state of publishing. It was really interesting to get his perspectives on veterans entering the literary world. Also, you can check out more of Josh on the Green Door Podcast, where veterans, innovators, and creatives share stories that bind the battlefield, intelligence, industry, innovation, and creativity.
Enjoy!
linkedin.com/in/josh-bates-8b08a623b
doubledagger.ca/the-baghdad-shuffle
instagram.com/author_josh_bates
instagram.com/green_door_media
The post #245: Doing the Baghdad Shuffle with LtCol Josh Bates (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we dive deep into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking with authors about some of the books on the list. Today, we welcome Kacy Tellessen back to the show. Kacy talks to us about E.B. Sledge’s quintessential war memoir, With the Old Breed. With the Old Breed has been on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List continuously for 14 years and, having his own beautifully written memoir, Freaks of a Feather, Kacy was the perfect person to talk about this book. It was great to hear Kacy’s thoughts on the book and to get a deep dive into literary arts by a literary artist.
Enjoy!
The post #244: Literary Lethality with Kacy Tellessen first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome David Kneiss and Dennis Mannion to the scuttlebutt. David is the director of the films The Gift and The Siege at Khe Sanh, and Dennis is a Marine Vietnam veteran and the subject of The Siege at Khe Sanh. Both The Gift and The Siege are such beautiful films, and David’s skill as a filmmaker is evident in his winning the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s Major Norman Hatch Award for The Gift in 2023and this year’s Sergeant William Genaust Award for The Siege at Khe Sanh. When we heard the award announcement, we knew we wanted to get David in studio, so when he suggested we invite Dennis as well, our collective heads almost exploded. And even with the anticipation, the actual interview exceeded our expectations. What a treat. We talk about the movies, David’s vision and how it is that he sees the story in people, David and Dennis’ backstory, and Dennis’ experiences then and now. But honestly, it’s all really good, and I hope you enjoy spending time with these two as we did.
Enjoy!
youtu.be/88XPMfJ1wfg?si=p3jKGYm5zt5YEBWZ
The post #243: The Siege at Khe Sanh with David Kniess and Dennis Mannion first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we dive deep into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking with authors about some of the books on the list. Today, we welcome Max Uriarte to the show. Anyone who joined the Marine Corps post-2010 knows the name. Max is best known for his comic, Terminal Lance, but he is also an author with a book on the CPRL. White Donkey: Terminal Lance is the first and only graphic novel featured on the Commandant’s Reading List, a testament to both Max and the Reading List. We talk about his service and his transition to becoming a professional artist, how Terminal Lance came to be, the genesis behind White Donkey, and his thoughts on having the first graphic novel on the CPRL. This is a conversation I’ve wanted to have since I first laughed my ass off reading three squares in the back of the Marine Corps Times.
Enjoy!
terminallance.com
instagram.com/tlcplmax
Tweets by TLCplMaxThe post #242: Literary Lethality with Max Uriarte first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema with our review of the 1970 made-for-TV movie, Tribes. Full disclosure, we chose this movie because we wanted to break the Semper Cinema paradigm and veer a bit off our normal course to go with a movie we knew was less than stellar. And Tribes does not disappoint. Aired as the ABC Movie of the Week, it is basically a boot camp movie, starring Jan Michael Vincent of Airwolf fame and Darren McGavin, probably most famously known for playing the dad in A Christmas Story. And although we have our criticisms, it did well, earning three Emmy Awards and ranking as the #8 boot camp movie by Screen Junkies. Tribes clearly influenced some of the more significant Marine Corps movies of the 80s and 90s, but for us, it mostly influenced us to not recommend portraying Marine Corps boot camp in a made-for-TV format. But as always, we have fun with it.
Enjoy!
The post #241: Semper Cinema – Tribes first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we’re super excited to be welcoming retired MajGen James Lukeman to the scuttlebutt. MajGen Lukeman is President and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. To go through his entire career would require a multi-episode documentary series, but needless to say, it is a huge honor to have MajGen Lukeman on the show. In this episode, we talk about his upbringing as a Marine son and how, as a chemical engineer, he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps to the yellow footprints. We also discuss how the Heritage Foundation supports the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the importance of maintaining pride in the Marine Corps’ role in American history. Not only among the ranks, but also to raise the awareness of the public. From sponsoring Major League Baseball Spring Training to the Heritage Foundation Annual Awards Dinner, which will take place this Saturday, April 25th, at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. His authentic passion and love for the Marine Corps are infectious, and we hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
Enjoy!
The post #240: Marine Corps Heritage Foundation with MajGen James Lukeman (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we’re talking Modern Day Marine 2026, so we brought the MCA’s Director of National Military Association Engagement and Expositions, Marta Sullivan, and the Director of Strategy, Plans & Assessment at Headquarters Marine Corps Comms Directorate, LtCol Nick Mannweiler, to the scuttlebutt to talk to us about what’s in store for the premier military exposition. From the key leadership engagements and TedTalk-style presentations to the Commandant’s Cup wargaming tourney at Objective 1, there’s something for everyone. And of course, there’sall the cool stuff. Vendors, large and small, will be presenting their innovations to support Force Design and the Marine Corps’ modernization efforts. If that weren’tenough to get you hyped, we’ll be there recording live from the showroom floor. Come check us out and say hi!
Enjoy!
marinemilitaryexpos.com
The post #239: Modern Day Marine 2026 first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome August Cole back to the scuttlebutt. August joined us last year at Modern Day Marine in Episode 193 and was kind enough to come on again. Please go back and check that out. For those who missed it, August is the co-author of the books Ghost Fleetand Burn-In, managing partner of Useful Fiction, and a nonresident senior fellow in the Forward Defense practice of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. He was also a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and he talks to us about being a journalist and how his experience informs his fiction writing. We also dive into narrative and the power of storytelling, and how telling stories about what could be helps tell the story of what is. Also, with this being the ten-year anniversary of Ghost Fleet, he shares some insights into how “right” his books are.
Enjoy!
augustcole.com
instagram.com/augustcole
useful-fiction.com
The post #238: The Power of Narrative with August Cole first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we will be doing a deep dive into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking with authors about some of the books on the list. Today, we welcome Ian Brown back to the show. Ian has been on a few times, participating in our World of Wargaming series and is one of the most prolific advocates for the benefits of wargaming and robust military education. He is also the author of A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare and Snowmobiles and Grand Ideas: John Boyd’s Vision for Thriving in Chaos. Ian talks to us about A New Conception of War, the genesis of the project, and what it means to him to have his book on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List three years running. And more than anything, why A New Conception of War deserves to be on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List.
Enjoy!
linkedin.com/in/ian-brown-41b2bb94
x.com/ian_tb03
The post #237: Literary Lethality with Ian Brown first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us at the scuttlebutt. This week, the team comes together to form Voltron to recognize this month as the 110th anniversary of the Marine Corps Gazette being in continuous publication. It’s no small feat for any publication to continuously be in circulation for this long, especially in this digital age where literary works, particularly those in pulp, are in decline. But the significance of the Gazette goes beyond the dates. Nancy, William, and I talk about some of the significance, in particular the Gazette’s role in institutionalizing maneuver warfare.
This is a wonderful milestone and it’s awesome that the Marine Corps Association continues to provide a forum for the presentation of ideas and professional discourse. Congratulations to the Gazette staff, past and present.
Enjoy!
The post #236: Celebrating the Gazette’s 110th Anniversary first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Josh Cannon to the scuttlebutt. Josh is a veteran Marine of OIF and the Director of Research for the Frederick Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the author of Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad, a book that overlays his experience in combat with the themes of the Iliad. This was a fascinating discussion about what it is that the narrative of the Iliad did for the ancient Greeks, and how it applies to us today, especially those who wear the uniform. We joke about the action heroes of the 80s and 90s and how fun those movies were, but how those stories are infamous for being shallow and for having one-dimensional characters. Josh helps us understand that this tradition is actually prevalent throughout history, with the Iliad in particular (a text written around the 8th century BC) as not only one of the oldest surviving literary works, but possibly the first recorded action story, as it is so similar to the action genre of the Schwarzenegger and Stallone films.
Also, we want to recognize that March is the 110th anniversary of the Marine Corps Gazette being in continuous publication. A wonderful milestone and congratulations to the Gazette staff, past and present.
Enjoy!
veteransiliad.com
The post #235: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad with Josh Cannon first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we will be doing a deep dive into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking to different authors about some of the books on the list. Today, Michael Jerome Plunkett was kind enough come on and talk to us about Karl Marlantes’ novel, Matterhorn. Matterhorn is on the CPRL as part of the Leadership category, and Michael, as the creator of the PBA Abbate Book Club and host of the LitWar podcast, discusses the aspects of this novel that speak to leadership and decision making, some good and some bad, in life-or-death situations. We also discuss the origins of the novel, which actually started as a memoir written in the 70s, who the intended audience is, what Marlantes is trying to communicate with the book, and some of the takeaways for today’s service members. And more than anything, why Matterhorn deserves to be on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List.
Enjoy!
mca-marines.org/commandants-professional-reading-list-leadership/?pg=2
michaeljeromeplunkett.com
Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam WarThe post #234: Literary Lethality – Matterhorn with Michael Jerome Plunkett first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Editor-in-Chief of Leatherneck and Gazette magazines, Col Chris Woodbridge, to the scuttlebutt to talk about the US’s military operation in Iran. We recorded this episode on day 10 of the war, knowing that by the time you listen, things may have changed dramatically. But we didn’t want to release an episode early in the conflict, given that much of the information, including the actual strategic objectives, was still not publicly known. Now that the campaign is in its second week, we figured we would jump into the fray. Col Woodbridge talks to us about the history of US-Iranian relations and the US’s previous involvement in Iran to give us a better idea of how we got here and what the stated objectives of the conflict are. We also touch on what may be next. Hope is not a course of action, but hopefully you take something away from this that helps shape your impressions of what is going on and at least make some sense of the ever-churning new cycle.
Enjoy!
The post #233: Observation Post – Iran Conflict first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This is an episode that we wanted to do when we first thought up the idea of hosting a podcast, but never really thought we would actually get to do it. This week, it is an honor to welcome the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Eric Smith, and the 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMaj Carlos Ruiz to the scuttlebutt. The Commandant and Sergeant Major talk to us about prioritizing the amphibious ready group and MEUs, their thoughts on what a MEU should like look and the demand signal from the combatant commanders for this capability, how important the quality of life improvement initiatives are to them, their focus on suicide prevention, and the impact seven years of force design has had on the Marine Corps’ role in the Joint Force.
Also, a huge shout-out to Maj Nick Cline and GySgt Jordan Gilbert for their hard work in making this happen.
Enjoy!
The post #232: A Conversation with the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Mike LeBlanc to the scuttlebutt. Mike is a veteran Marine ground intelligence officer who is now the co-founder of Foundation, a company that specializes in robotics. He is also the author of the book, What If Anger is the Answer?, due out in June of this year, that touches on the transformational aspects of anger and aggression. Mike talks to us about his journey as Marine ground intel bubba, how he navigated transitioning out of the Marine Corps, and how the lessons and attributes he learned in the Corps have helped him succeed in a world that, on its surface, has nothing to do with the Marine Corps, especially Marine operators. Mike insists that the leadership training he learned in the Marine Corps, especially the way Marines cultivate an aggressive attitude, has made him successful. Mike is all about helping Marines, so please feel free to reach out to him. His email is below.
Enjoy!
mike@foundation.bot
mikejleblanc.com
The post #231: What If Anger is the Answer with Mike LeBlanc first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us at the scuttlebutt. This week, we welcome retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Adam Walker back to the show. Adam is on deck to talk with us about the Marine Corps’ new E-8 Redesignation pilot program, which gives master sergeants and first sergeants a one-time option to “lat move” between the E-8 designations. Adam helps us understand the career progression for senior enlisted Marines, namely what happens when a gunnery sergeant is promoted, the differences between a first sergeant and master sergeant, how the Marine Corps views its E-8s differently from the other Services, and the significance of this policy change. Talking with Adam is always a lot of fun and super informative. This is a unique opportunity to see behind the curtain on how Marines are promoted and how this program addresses two of the primary things Marines are opposed to: how things are and change.
You can also catch more of Adam’s wit and insight in his recurring segment, Lessons from the Smoke Pit, in Leatherneck magazine. Shameless plug, but it’s definitely worth checking out.
Enjoy!
The post #230: Thoughts on the E-8 Redesignation Board Pilot Program with MGySgt Adam Walker (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema in reviewing the documentary, The Last 600 Meters, detailing the battles of Fallujah and Najaf during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Released last year, The Last 600 Meters chronicles the two deadliest battles of the Iraq War, Najaf in the south against the Shi’a Madhi Militia and Fallujah in the west against Sunni insurgents. Both battles occurred in 2004 and the interviews for this documentary were recorded in 2007. Due to internal issues at PBS, many of which have been revealed to be political, it was shelved until last year. We mention this dynamic in our review, but mainly focus on the specifics of the film, such as the narrative style and cinematic art, and how well the filmmakers used these tools to tell the story. Another controversy surrounding the release of the film is its use of graphic combat footage, including the deaths of US service members, so we also dive into the ethics of depicting graphic imagery and the moral decisions that go into it when trying to be authentic in illustrating the savagery of war.
Enjoy!
The post #229: Semper Cinema – The Last 600 Meters first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. In Dec of 2025, the Commandant’s office released Gen Smith’s update to the Commandant’s Professional Reading List. In our pursuit of enabling professional development and self-study, throughout 2026, we will be doing a series of deep dives into the CPRL and some of Gen Smith’s selections through “Amazon reviews,” sometimes with the help of some of friends of the show and distinguished authors. This week, the editor-in-chief of Leatherneck and Marine Corps Gazette magazines, Col Chris Woodbridge, helps us introduce the series by providing background and history on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, what it is, and the Commandant’s office’s intent in publishing this list of books. I always thought the CPRL was a staple of the Marine Corps since Gen Lejeune first made intellectual development a focus of combat readiness, so it was really interesting to hear about how the CRPL came to be and how it has evolved.
Enjoy!
mca-marines.org/commandants-professional-reading-list
marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4351724/update-to-the-commandants-professional-reading-list-for-fiscal-year-26
The post #228: Introduction to our Commandant’s Professional Reading List Series first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week we welcome Peter Cook to the scuttlebutt. Peter is a former Marine turned high school economics teacher and author of the book, Bootleg Heroes. Released last year, the fictional narrative of Bootleg Heroes is inspired and informed by his time serving as a Marine embassy security guard in Ecuador, Spain, and Haiti. Peter talks to us about his experiences in the Marine Corps, how it informs the way he teaches, and how it served as the impetus behind the book. He puts a strong emphasis on literacy, the power of literature, and his passion for education is infectious. Peter dedicates his life to making a difference, and it was great to share insome of that with him.
Enjoy!
peterdanielcook.com
The post #227: Bootleg Heroes and the Power of Literacy with Peter Cook first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. If you’re like me, the news cycle churns at a dizzying pace, and events come and go off the radar like submarines in The Hunt for Red October. To that, the situation in Venezuela is still very fluid and fraught with hazards. Carrier groups remain in the Caribbean, and there are clearly forces still operating in the Pacific near Central and South America. To help us digest all that has transpired in Venezuela and understand the implications, Ben Connable was kind enough to come down and help us conclude our discussion of Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro. Ben was recently on in Episode 219 to talk us through the cautionary tale of military intervention in Venezuela, so it only made sense to have him come and give us his thoughts on the raid and to speculate what’s next. We also talk through how operational and tactical success doesn’t guarantee strategic victory, and what a foreign policy that embraces spheres of influence means to the global community. We made this caveat during our conversation, but it is important to continue to emphasize that none of us are experts on Venezuela, and so we discuss our ideas and theories based on the open-source, unclassified information available at the time, which oftentimes leads to speculation.
Enjoy!
benconnable.com
battleresearchgroup.org
The post #226: Impacts of Military Action in Venezuela with Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we continue our discussion of Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro, with the editor-in-chief of the Gazette and Leatherneck Magazine, Col Chris Woodbridge. Whereas last week we dove into the implications of Absolute Resolve for Taiwan and great-power competition in the first island chain, this week we zero in on, what we know, of the Venezuelan military operation. Col Woodbridge discusses the history of Marine Corps operations in Latin and South America, what it means for a military operation to be legal, what may lay ahead for US-Venezuelan relations, and finally what the implications operations like this and those in Iran and Nigeria have on the Marine Corps’ Force Design. We made this caveat during our conversation, but it is important to continue to emphasize that at the time of this recording, the situation was still very fluid, and so we discuss our ideas and theories based on the open-source, unclassified information available at the time.
Enjoy!
The post #225: US military action in Venezuela with Col Chris Woodbridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Welcome to 2026 and thank you for listening and your continued support. We hope you all had fun holidays and a safe New Year’s Eve celebration. This week, we kick off 2026 with another Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker. Earlier this week, the US executed Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro. Mike is here to talk to us about the implications this operation has on cross-Strait relations. Being that China just finished its military demonstration/exercise in the Taiwan Strait, named Justice Mission 2025, at the end of last month, what does the unilateral US action in South America signal to our allies and adversaries? Mike also discusses his efforts in establishing the Taiwan Security Monitor, a student-driven initiative using a range of satellite imagery, mapping, and data visualization tools. He has also recently published the book, America’s Taiwan Dilemma: Allies’ Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation, which offers a rigorous open-source analysis of how America’s key allies—Japan, South Korea, and Australia—would respond to US intervention or inaction in a Taiwan conflict. It goes without saying that he has been a busy guy so we’re really happy that he was able to make some time for us to talk about the ripple effects of recent events.
Enjoy!
tsm.schar.gmu.edu
cambriapress.com/pub.cfm?bid=1182
The post #224: Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and pray that you will be safe as we enter into the new year. This week, we welcome the founder and executive director of History Flight and honorary Marine, Mark Noah, to the show. This is our last episode of 2025, and we are ending the year on a high note with Mark Noah. Mark talks to us about how he came to start History Flight, its mission’s impact not only on the force but on American society, and his feelings on becoming an honorary Marine.
Also, we at the MCA know how stressful and challenging the holiday season can be. Mental health challenges and suicide continue to take far too many of our active-duty service members and veterans. We want you to know that you are not alone. If you need help, please ask for it. And if you think of someone you haven’t heard from in a while, please reach out to them. You cannot dismiss the power of contacting someone, even in a text, asking how they are doing. Do your comm checks, and if you need help, please reach out. We all want to see you in 2026 and beyond.
Semper Fidelis.
historyflight.com
The post #223: History Flight Founder and Honorary Marine, Mark Noah first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Michael Jerome Plunkett to the show. Michael is a former machinegunner, EMT, co-founder and executive director of the Literature of War Foundation (with friend of the show, LtCol Tom Schuemann) and host of The LitWar Podcast. He was also a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow in 2021, was a scholar in the 2024 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Presidential Center and was a 2025 resident in the Edith Wharton Writing Residency. He also led the PB Abbate Book Club for veterans. And if that wasn’t enough, he is the author of the amazing book, Zone Rouge, which was published in September of this year and has received high praise for his beautiful prose. Michael talks to us about his journey from a teenager in New York during 9/11, to stepping on the yellow footprints, to becoming an author. This was such a fun conversation and we totally nerd out on the beauty of good writing and the value veterans bring to the art. We have to get him back on, but we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do.
Enjoy!
michaeljeromeplunkett.com
instagram.com/michaeljeromeplunkett
The post #222: Zone Rouge with Michael Jerome Plunkett first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for hanging out with us. We’re excited to have Gunnar Spafford from Toys for Tots back on the show this week. Gunnar first came on the show with John Haehn this spring during Modern Day Marine, and it was great that we had a chance to catch up with him. As we jump into the holiday season with both feet, it’s really easy for our focus to turn inward and, whether intentionally or unintentionally, ignore the struggles of those to the left and right of us. Toys for Tots is the balm for our holiday season tunnel vision. One of Toys for Tots’ slogans is, “It’s more than just a toy,” and having personal experience supporting Toys for Tots, I can say that is totally true. Gunnar talks to us about the ways that a toy is so much more than just a toy, Toys for Tots year-round and disaster-relief initiatives, and ways for both individuals and corporations to give. I can’t emphasize enough what an amazing charity organization Toys for Tots is and I’m happy that Gunnar was able to carve out some time during this busy season to come hang out with us to get the word out about Toys for Tots.
Also, we at the MCA know how stressful and challenging the holiday season can be. Mental health challenges and suicide continue to take far too many of our active-duty service members and veterans. We want you to know that you are not alone. If you need help, please ask for it. And if you think of someone you haven’t heard from in a while, please reach out to them. You cannot dismiss the power of contacting someone, even in a text, asking how they are doing. Do your comm checks, and if you need help, please reach out. We all want to see you in 2026 and beyond.
Semper Fidelis.
Enjoy!
toysfortots.org
The post #221: Toys for Tots with Gunnar Spafford first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Douglas K. Daniel to the show. Douglas is a journalist who served for nearly three decades as a reporter and editor for the Associated Press and teaches journalism at Kansas State University and Ohio University. He is also the author of Kill – Do Not Release: Censored Marine Corps Stories from WWII, which explores the use of censorship in the Marine Corps during WWII. He uncovers a trove of previously classified material withheld from the public because of government and public relations concerns at the time. Douglas talks to us about his background in journalism, how he stumbled on this topic and the existence of combat correspondents, and how he came into this topic by researching various journalists who served as Marine combat correspondents during the war. The book is so interesting, and it is great to hear about the experiences of the Marine combat correspondents and the previously unpublished stories from WWII.
Enjoy!
fordhampress.com/kill-do-not-release-hb-9781531510398.html
The post #220: Marine Corps Censorship and Combat Correspondents with Douglas K. Daniel first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we welcome Ben Connable back to the show. Ben recently co-authored (with Colin P. Clarke) an issue brief for The Soufan Center titled, “War Against the Cartels,” and we are fortunate that he was willing to go low-brow and come on the show to discuss it. As a former Marine intelligence officer who served during the Long War, he is a true subject-matter expert and has personal experience in the perils of engaging in conflicts thought to be easy wins. Ben talks us through his threat analysis, intelligence preparation of the battlefield, second- and third-order effects of a potential conflict, the significance of labelling transnational criminal organizations as terrorist organizations, and recommendations for dealing with the threat of drugs, trafficking, and the fact that most of these organizations have deep roots in every major US city.
Enjoy!
thesoufancenter.org/research/war-against-the-cartels-prospects-and-perils-for-the-trump-administrations-military-led-campaign
battleresearchgroup.org
The post #219: War Against the Cartels with Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we want to start of by saying, Happy 250th Birthday, Marines! As our final, concluding episode of our Road to 250 series, we have Col Chris Woodbridge, Nancy, William, and me in studio to talk about the Marine Corps’ 250th Birthday video. In standard Semper Cinema format, we give our reviews, detail some of the messaging and imagery, and give our opinions on what message we think this video is trying to communicate, and what audience is the video targeting.
We also look back at the history of the Marine Corps birthdays by exploring the very first Marine Corps birthday a hundred years ago. You can check out this event in more detail in the pages of the November edition of Leatherneck Magazine. It turns out, the first birthday celebration entailed more than just getting your uniform ready, going to the Birthday Ball, and praying your regrets aren’t unforgivable in the morning.
We are so proud that we were able to bring you various aspects of Marine Corps history throughout this series and hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and fun 250th birthday celebration. You deserve it. And keep your wits as sharp as your steel. The nation will be calling you to write the stories of the Marine Corps for the next 250 years.
Happy Birthday and Semper Fidelis.
See the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Message here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vw0jTk4rqQ
The post #218: Happy 250th Birthday, Marines! first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you joining us and your continued support. This week, we’re Catching Up with Old Friends and hanging out with Brian O’Hare again. Depending on your definition of “old friends,” it hasn’t been a long time since Brian was last on the show, nor is Brian long in the tooth, but that’s the name of the segment, so we’re sticking with it. Much like the last time Brian was on (go listen to Episode 198 if you haven’t. We’ll wait), trying to summarize what went on is an effort in futility, wrapped in a quagmire, and sprinkled with good times. Brian happened to be in the AO, attending the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, where he’s working on a novel. Brian fills us in on his creative process and talks about his upcoming documentary, Cannon Shot, which covers the most attended croquet match in the world, the Annapolis Cup, between the Naval Academy and St. John’s College. There’s a ton of other non-sequiturs, off-colored jokes, and trains of thought that never quite find their station. It is such a genuinely great time hanging with Brian and we are so glad he took the time to spend it with us.
Enjoy!
The post #217: CUWOF with Brian O’Hare first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continue support. This week, as we recognize the 42nd anniversary of the Beirut bombings, we welcome Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff to the show. I’m not really sure where to begin in introducing Rabbi Resnicoff. He didn’t begin his career behind the pulpit but on the front lines. Rabbi Resnicoff served in Vietnam as naval officer on a small craft patrolling the rivers to deny enemy movement. He went to rabbinical school after his time in Vietnam and served 25 years as a Navy chaplain. Rabbi Resnicoff was instrumental in the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC and he was one of the three chaplains on site at the Marine Barracks in Beirut on that fateful day. Rabbi Resnicoff recounts his service in Vietnam, the challenges of attending rabbinical after having served in the war, and his experiences on the ground in Beirut on October 23rd, 1983. This is a very special episode and we are so excited to share it with you.
Enjoy!
https://resnicoff.net
The post #216: Remembering Beirut bombings with Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we are joined by Col John Atkinson and SgtMaj Justin LeHew to give us updates on the Amphibious Tractor Memorial. Since we last spoke with John and JD, these two, and the entirety of the Amphibious Tractor Association, have been working tirelessly on building the memorial, and finally, after seven and a half years, have a date for the groundbreaking. We talk about the legacy of the amphibious tractor and why it matters, the significance of the groundbreaking, and what is in store for the festivities.
The groundbreaking will be at 3pm on Thursday, Oct 23rd, on the Memorial Walk of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. For those in the National Capital Region, please join us in celebrating this achievement, and those Marines who proudly wear the moniker, “Amtrac’er”
YAT YAS!
amphibioustractormemorial.com/golf-tournament
The post #215: Amphibious Tractor Memorial Updates first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we bring you the penultimate episode of our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, we’ll continue featuring stories and history from throughout the 250 years of the Marine Corps. These episodes are nested within the MCA’s overall Road to 250 Campaign, where we have featured articles in both the Gazette and Leatherneck highlighting events and battles within specific periods in Marine Corps history. The MCA also has a commemorative Road to 250 coin collection. These commemorative challenge coins can only be found through the MCA. Go to marineshop.net to order individual coins or email customerservice@mca-marines.org to order the entire set or learn more.
This month, we walk the Road to 250 during the Global War on Terror era of Marine Corps history. Walking with us is LtCol Michal Wyrsch, an artillery officer turned Harrier pilot who eventually flew F-35s before retiring. Michael shares his experiences as an artillery forward observer during Operation Phantom Fury and a Harrier pilot during Operation Odyssey Dawn, the air campaign in Libya during the Arab Spring. As a member of multiple MEUs, his participation during the Long War spans the land, sea, and air, and we are excited to engage with his unique perspective on the decades-long war across multiple theaters.
Enjoy!
The post #214: Road to 250 – Operation Odyssey Dawn first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Adam Walker to the show. Adam is the creator of Leatherneck Magazine’s newest segment, Lessons from the Smoke Pit. Adam is a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant who has found a lot of value in telling the sometimes tragic, but oftentimes funny, stories of his experiences in the Marine Corps. He talks to us about the value of having a creative outlet, especially for veterans. There’s only so much room in our packs, and finding a way to process our experiences is a valuable way to lighten the load and work through the things we’ve been through. He also shares his road to the yellow footprints, his experiences recruiting during September 11th, and his time serving during the Long War. Adam’s perspectives are so profound, and his genuine humility is so infectious and disarming. This is a great conversation, and we can’t wait to get more lessons from the smoke pit.
Enjoy!
The post #213: Lessons from the Smoke Pit with Adam Walker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome a saxophonist from the Marine Corps’ President’s Own Band, Gunnery Sergeant Connor Mikula. This is a conversation we’ve been wanting to have for a while, so it was a real treat to have Gunny Mikula take time out of his busy schedule to come down and hang out with us. Gunny takes us through his journey to being a member of the President’s Own, how the President’s Own fits into the overall mission of the Marine Corps, and his experiences touring and performing at the White House and 8th and I. It was a lot of fun learning about this extremely niche organization within the Marine Corps and getting to see behind the curtain on the President’s Own and what it’s like to be a member of this elite musical organization.
Enjoy!
marineband.marines.mil
instagram.com/connor_james_mikula
The post #212: Jam Sesh with the President’s Own’ saxophonist, GySgt Connor Mikula first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Chaplain CDR David Duprey and Dr. Lelia Brady to the show. Chaplain Duprey is a Navy chaplain currently attending Naval War College and Dr. Brady is the Assistant Branch Head- Prevention & Response, Behavioral Programs. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we are so lucky that CDR Duprey and Dr. Brady were able to make time in their busy schedules to come on and talk to us about their work in this important endeavor. Both of our guests have dedicated their lives to holistic health and well-being and are devoted to helping Marines and service members thrive both mentally and physically. This episode is full of great nuggets, wisdom, and resources. As always, if you need help, get help. And if you haven’t heard from a friend in a while – reach out. Too many of the people we’ve served with have the words, “I had no idea” or “I hadn’t talked to them in years,” when we find out about a fallen brother or sister. Don’t underestimate the power of something as simple as a text or phone call.
Enjoy!
linkedin.com/in/lelia-b-b4933914a/
https://www.marines.mil/News/Marines-TV/videoid/507397/dvpTag/Chaplains
The post #211: Recognizing Suicide Prevention Awareness Month with Chaplain CDR David Duprey and Dr. Lelia Brady first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, we’ll feature stories and history from throughout the 250 years of the Marine Corps. These episodes will be nested within the MCA’s overall Road to 250 Campaign, where you will find featured articles in both the Gazette and Leatherneck highlighting events and battles within specific periods in Marine Corps history. The MCA also has a commemorative Road to 250 coin collection. These commemorative challenge coins can only be found through the MCA. Go to marineshop.net to order individual coins or email customerservice@mca-marines.org to order the entire set or learn more.
This month, we walk the Road to 250 with another Semper Cinema crossover. The team decided to watch Heartbreak Ridge. Luckily, the film is set around the 1983 invasion of Grenada, which fits into September’s era of Marine Corps history, or else we might be accused of just using the podcast as an excuse to watch cheesy Marine Corps movies on the association’s dime. And, to add further legitimacy to this segment, we brought our editor-in-chief, Col Chris Woodbridge, into the studio to talk about the movie, the invasion of Granada, and what influences both have had on a generation of Marines coming up in the 80s and 90s.
Enjoy!.
The post #210: Road to 250/Semper Cinema – Heartbreak Ridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. This week is the conclusion of our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. In this series, we’ve covered conversations ranging from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots, so if you missed any, please go back and check them out. We’ve really enjoyed sharing these conversations with you. Hope to see you at Modern Day Marine 2026.
Our final episode features Gunnar Spafford and John Haehn from Toys for Tots. Gunnar is the Deputy Vice President of Business Development and John is not only the Media Manager but also the voice of and mascot of Gunny Bear, the Toys for Tots mascot. Gunnar and John talk to us about what it is that Toys for Tots does, some of the history of the foundation and it’s links to Walk Disney, some of the successes and challenges, and how people can support providing for children at need. One of the mottos of Toys for Tots is that it’s more than just a toy and we’re really happy that we were able to put a spotlight on the good things this foundation is doing for kids and the community.
Enjoy!
linkedin.com/in/gunnar-spafford
linkedin.com/in/john-haehn-184a63102
toysfortots.org
The post #209: MDM 2025 – Toys for Tots first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. For the next few weeks, we will be releasing these audio-only conversations that range from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots. We’re really looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.
This week’s episode features George Leone from Homecoming 250 Navy and Marine Corps. George is the founder and president of Homecoming 250 Navy and Marine Corps. George discusses with us his foundation’s plan for the Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th celebration and shares with us the impetus behind this charity volunteer foundation, as well as his personal background on how he came to create it.
Enjoy!
homecoming250.org
linkedin.com/in/george-s-leone
The post #208: MDM 2025 – Homecoming 250 with George Leone first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. For the next few weeks, we will be releasing these audio-only conversations that range from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots. We’re really looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.
This week’s episode features Matt Watkins from Operation Headshot. Matt talks to us about his journey to the yellow footprints, transitioning from active duty to the reserves, and Operation Headshot. Operation Headshot provides tools for transitioning military members, veterans, and spouses to help build a brand, expand their network, and become self-sufficient in pursuit of success as they navigate life beyond military service. He explains how his battles with mental health led to his desire to give back and create Operation Headshot to lower unemployment rates among veterans and military spouses, ease financial distress, and improve mental health and well-being of military families.
Enjoy!
operationheadshot.com
linkedin.com/in/matthewwatkins13
The post #207: MDM 2025 – Matt Watkins and Operation Headshot first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, we’ll feature stories and history from throughout the 250 years of the Marine Corps. These episodes will be nested within the MCA’s overall Road to 250 Campaign, where you will find featured articles in both the Gazette and Leatherneck highlighting events and battles within specific periods in Marine Corps history. The MCA also has a commemorative Road to 250 coin collection. These commemorative challenge coins can only be found through the MCA. Go to marineshop.net to order individual coins or email customerservice@mca-marines.org to order the entire set or learn more.
For August, we walk the Road to 250 during the Vietnam War era with our guest and Leatherneck legend, Paul Thompson. As a young Marine Combat Correspondent, Sgt Paul Thompson was assigned to the staff of Leatherneck in the 1960s. He traveled throughout Vietnam, telling Marines’ stories as he covered the war for the magazine. Paul joins us in studio to tell us what it was like being recording history as it unfolded.
Enjoy!
Related Leatherneck Articles:
The People of Leatherneck, November 2017
Hue, July 1968 – Republished February 2022
The post #206: Road to 250 – Vietnam War with Leatherneck Legend Paul Thompson first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from the showroom floor, but as some of you know, this year we recorded some on video for our YouTube channel and others we recorded as audio-only podcasts. For the next few weeks, we will be releasing these audio-only conversations that range from veteran support organizations to future ops and wargaming to Toys for Tots. We’re really looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.
This week’s episode features the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab’s Sergeant Major, SgtMaj Christopher Singley. SgtMaj Singley joins us after having presented at the Warfighting Pavilion on Day 2 of Modern Day Marine, speaking on the 30 years of innovation at the Warfighting Lab. SgtMaj talks to us more about that, and he gives us some history on the Warfighting Lab and the genesis of its mission, his thoughts on the value of experimentation, and MCWL’s role in the projection and implementation of Force Design.
Enjoy!
The post #205: MDM 2025 – MCWL Sergeant Major, SgtMaj Christopher Singley first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs,
The post #204: MDM 2025- GySgt Kevin Harris, SOI-E first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we begin our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were
The post #203: MDM 2025 – Marine Scout Sniper Heritage Foundation President, Tim Parkhurst first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Ryan Pavel to the show. Ryan is the CEO of the Warrior-Scholar Project
The post #202: Warrior Scholarship and Transitioning into Higher Education with Ryan Pavel first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout
The post #201: Road to 250 – WWII Amphibiosity with SgtMaj Justin LeHew first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. Well, here we are, episode 200. We can say with all sincerity that this milestone is as much
The post #200: Capturing the Narrative with 1stSgt Chase McGrorty-Hunter first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Jonathan “JT” Taylor to the show. JT is a retired sergeant, a former scout
The post #199: Telling the Scout Sniper story with the President of the Scout Sniper Association, Jonathan “JT” Taylor first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Brian O’Hare to the show. Using the term “welcome to the show” is a
The post #198: Shenanigans with the author of the book Surrender, Brian O’Hare first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #197: Road to 250 – The Interwar Period with Col Chris Woodbridge, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in an your continued support. This week, we welcome adjunct professor at Georgetown University, executive director for Battle Research Group, and author of
The post #196: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War with Dr. Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in an your continued support. This week, we have another episode in our segment, Catching Up with Old Friends. In this episode, we
The post #195: Catching Up with Old Friends – Will Schick first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome the ballistician and co-creator of the 6.5 Creedmore, Dennis DeMille, to the show. Dennis
The post #194: A Conversation with the Co-Creator of the 6.5 Creedmoor, Dennis DeMille first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This is episode 193. This week, we welcome August Cole to the show. August is the co-author of the books Ghost Fleet and Burn-In, managing partner of
The post #193: Useful Fiction with August Cole from Modern Day Marine first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #192: Road to 250 – Semper Cinema review of Devil Dogs: Hero Marines of WWI first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week we bring you another installment of our World of War(gaming) series with the Halo Infinite Team
The post #191: World of War(gaming) talks the All-Marine E-Sports Team with GySgt Matthew Springer first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. Just wanted to give you all a heads up that our MDM 2025 content will not be released as audio-only podcasts via the Scuttlebutt channels but will
The post MDM 2025: Scuttlebutt is going to the YouTubes first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we bring you another installment of Strait Talk with Dr. Mike Hunzeker. A lot has happened
The post #190: Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema with our review of David Kniess’ award-winning documentary
The post #189: Semper Cinema – David Kniess’ powerful documentary, The Gift first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #188: Road to 250/”This is My Rifle” Spanish-American War historical crossover with Sam Lichtman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we welcome LtCol Nick Gregson and Kelsie Meade to the show. LtCol Gregson is the Director
The post #187: The Marine Corps Fittest Instructor Competition with LtCol Nick Gregson and Kelsie Meade first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we are very excited to be welcoming back to the show Capt Riley Tejcek to the
The post #186: Capt Riley Tejcek Talks Her Book, Getting Gold, and Enjoying Calendar White Space first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Riane Donoho and Saje Mrowinski to the show. Riane and Saje join us to
The post #185: Female Engagement Team (FET) veterans, Riane Donoho and Saje Mrowinski talk the Lioness/FET Program first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #184: Road to 250 – William Treuting gets into the trenches of Marine Corps history during the Civil War first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Virginia State Park Ranger, photographer, and retired Marine, CWO5 Jonathan Knauth. Jonathan is the
The post #183: CWO5 Jonathan Knauth gets a double okie-doke, tickets to the big game first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we recognize the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima by welcoming
The post #182: Remembering Iwo Jima with Dr. Robert Burrell first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #181: Walking the Road to 250 – 1840-1860. Archibald Gillespie and the California Adventure first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome the Outreach Curator and Exhibit Chief from the National Museum of the Marine Corps,
The post #180: How a Museum Exhibit is Made with Kater Miller and Chuck Girbovan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, the Long Road takes us across the Overseas Highway with SgtMaj Justin LeHew. For those unaware,
The post #179: Walking the Long Road with SgtMaj Justin LeHew – the history and significance of the Overseas Highway first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #178: Paul Westermeyer talks the Grand Old Man of the Marine Corps, Archibald Henderson first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Mac Caltrider to the show. Mac is a veteran Marine, former Baltimore police officer,
The post #177: Mac Caltrider talks his book, Double Knot and using writing as a way to remember first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners, today we have another episode from our series of Fallujah bonus content. These episodes are part of our 20th anniversary of Fallujah II/Operation Phantom Fury programming. These
The post Corps Voices Season 2: Col Michael Shupp Reflects on Fallujah 20 Years Later first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we get the pleasure of having Nate Boaz back on the show for a third time.
The post #176: Nate Boaz talks meaning, sacrifice, and Running Toward Fire first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners, today we have another episode from our series of Fallujah bonus content. These episodes are part of our 20th anniversary of Fallujah II/Operation Phantom Fury programming. These
The post Corps Voices Season 2: Col Michael Del Palazzo Reflects on Fallujah 20 Years Later first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome LtCol Tom Schueman and Nate Boaz back to the show. Tom and Nate are
The post #175: LtCol Tom Schueman and Nate Boaz talk PB Abbate and Staying Left of Bang with Veteran Suicide first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over
The post #174: Road to 250 Part 2 – Barbary Pirates, The Battle of Derna, and the Shores of Tripoli with Dr. Mike Miller first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners, today we have another episode from our series of Fallujah bonus content. These episodes are part of our 20th anniversary of Fallujah II/Operation Phantom Fury programming. These
The post Corps Voices Season 2: SSgt Luis Agostini Reflects on Fallujah 20 Years Later first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, as a continuation of our 20th anniversary of Fallujah II/Operation Phantom Fury programming, we welcome the
The post #173: Six Days in Fallujah updates with Victura Founder and CEO, Peter Tamte first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we’re featuring the first of a series of bonus episodes we’ll be running over the course
The post Corps Voices Season 2 with Col Ben Venning, USMC first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, as a continuation of our 20th anniversary of Fallujah II/Operation Phantom Fury programming, we welcome Col
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 172: Corps Voices Season 2 with Col Willie Buhl, USMC (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Jeremiah Workman back to the show. Jeremiah is a veteran of Operation Phantom Fury/Al-Fajr,
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 171: Catching Up with Old Friends with Jeremiah Workman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we begin our newest segment, Road to 250, in celebration of the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 170: Washington’s Marines with MajGen Jason Q. Bohm, USMC (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome the founder of the Artist Preservation Group—Mike Stelzel. Following his service in the Marine
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 169: Artist Preservation Group with SgtMaj Mike Stelzel, USMC (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome the founder of PreVeteran and retired Air Force LtCol, Jason C. Anderson, to the
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 168: PreVeteran Founder, LtCol Jason C. Anderson, USAF (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we welcome the Marine Corps Shooting Team’s Capt John Bodzioch and SSgt Stephen Corson. These two Marines
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 167: Marine Corps Shooting Team first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we welcome Elliot Ackerman to the show. Elliot is a veteran Marine, infantry, and MARSOC officer,
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 166: Elliot Ackerman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Isaac Lee to the show. Isaac Lee is a retired Marine CH-53 pilot and
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 165: Hanger 4 with LtCol Isaac Lee , USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we dive into the 39th Commandant’s Planning Guidance. Last month, The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Smith, released his vision for the Service and his intent to provide strategic direction for the Marine Corps. Col Chris Woodbridge joins us again to talk about some of the history behind the Commandant’s Planning Guidance document, the challenges that the Commandant identifies, and how the criticisms of the document remain as omnipresent and as persistent as they were in previous iterations of the CPG. Recent Gazette articles have discussed some of the experimentation and innovation that the Marine Corps is experiencing based on the CPG. Check those out on our website as well as links to the the Aug 2024 CPG.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 164: Commandant’s Planning Guidance 2024 first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. It’s been a while since we did an update on the war in Ukraine and as the major media outlets have shown us, you can’t do a Ukraine discussion without a retired Col in attendance. So, we brought in our own Editor-In-Chief, Col Chris Woodbridge back to the show to help legitimize us. It goes without saying that the war has gone on a lot longer than most would have predicted while at the same time, there have been some moves that no one saw coming. After spring and summer offensives that have spent a ton in the way of blood and treasure but do not seem to have yielded the same in territory gained, the Russians are gaining ground in the south while the Ukrainians have punched through in the north, penetrating in the Kursk region of Russia, which is fascinating being that this is the site of the Battle of Kursk, a major battle between the Nazis and Soviet Union during WWII, the largest battle in the history of warfare. Every time Col Woodbridge comes on the show, we learn something.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 163: Ukraine Update with Col Chris Woodbridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we welcome Nate Boaz and his wife, Martha Contreras on the show. Nate is a veteran Marine human intel officer, the chairman of the board of directors for Patrol Base Abbate, and the author of the book, Running Toward Fire: Following the Warrior Path. Nate and Marta talk to us about his journey to and in the Marine Corps, the purpose and intent behind the writing of this book, how necessary it is for veterans to find their sense of purpose and community again, and how veteran support organizations like PB Abbate help. Also, this is Suicide Prevention Month, and specifically, this is National Suicide Prevention Week, so this conversation is not only timely but the stories that Nate and Marta share are moving.
Thank you for joining us in this important conversation.
www.linkedin.com/in/nate-boaz/
www.barstoolballads.com/
www.pbabbate.org
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 162: Running Toward Fire with Nate Boaz first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we welcome Sarah Kallassy to the scuttlebutt. Sarah is a veteran Marine linguist and host of the Veterans Affairs YouTube show, BLUF, where she gives you all of the up-to-date information going on with the VA. Sarah is so kind to spend some time with us sharing her fascinating story. The daughter of a Marine Silver Star recipient from WWII, we talk about what brought her to the gun club, through to graduate school, work with DC United, and ultimately the VA. It was awesome spending time with Sarah and we are excited to be able to share her amazing story with you.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-abdella-el-kallassy
https://x.com/sarahkallassy
https://www.instagram.com/sarahkallassy
https://thedistrictpress.com/author/sarahkallassy
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 161: The Bottom Line Up Front with Sarah Kallassy first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we have another installment of Semper Cinema, where we talk to our own real historian, Director of MCA Films, and co-host of the show, William Treuting. William is here to discuss the release of his latest project, a documentary on the First Battle of Manassas, or Battle of Bull Run, depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon Line you are on. We talk about the process behind making the film, its intended audience, what we can take away from doing battle studies, and why it is important to preserve these historic battlefields. You can catch the film on the MCA YouTube channel.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 160: Semper Cinema with William Treuting first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week we welcome our Amtracker in Residence, SgtMaj Justin LeHew back to the show. SgtMaj loves this country so much, he refuses to take it in at any speed faster than six miles an hour. Which is why he is going on another walk through this great country of ours. This time, he is going to walk the 113 mile Overseas Highway in Florida that connects Key Largo to Key West starting on September 11th. He talks to us all about this generous and honorable journey, what it means for him to take these walks, and how it gives him a deeper sense of the beauty and wonder of America. We then talk about his continued work with History Flight and the challenges they are having bringing Americans home from the Pacific Islands due to Chinese influence and interference in the region.
Enjoy!
historyflight.com
Team Long Road Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/698444134910085/
www.linkedin.com/in/justin-lehew-080aa94b/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 159: SgtMaj Justin LeHew first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week welcome the MCA’s Director of Engagement and Outreach, Marta Sullivan back to the show. We are excited to be introducing the MCA’s new military spouse advocacy initiative, Behind the Camoflauge. Marta is the lead on this and she shares with us how this all started with the Spouse Summit at Modern Day Marine and some of the other great programs within the Behind the Camouflage project, such as a website, and its own podcast which you can find here and on the other streaming services. This is such a great idea and can’t wait for the podcast to launch in September.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 158: Behind the Camouflage with Marta Sullivan first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. World of Wargaming returns as William interviews returning guest Don Vandergriff about conducting successful after-action reports of wargames. Don also recently helped to write the New Maneuver Warfare Handbook, which is available here:
https://amzn.to/3M0a4GN
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 157: World of Wargaming with Don Vandergriff first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. Speaking of outstanding support, our guest this week is a strong supporter of veterans and is dedicated to helping veterans transition. But more than that, she is dedicated to ensuring veterans see their worth. We are so excited to be welcoming Cheryl Cross to the scuttlebutt this week. Cheryl is the author of the best selling book, CIVILIAN MISSION: The Three-Year Guide for Military Professionals Planning Civilian Careers, and is the host of the Military to Civilian Transition Power Hour. She has a wealth of experience that she brings in advocating for veterans and we are honored that she was willing to take the time out of her busy schedule to share her story with us. This is honestly like having a free transition seminar localized in your airbuds!
Enjoy!
www.xchangepodcast.com
www.linkedin.com/in/cherylcross
mil2civ
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 156: Military to Civilian Transition with Cheryl Cross first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. We’re back after a brief hiatus. Thank you for sticking with us and for your continued support. Well, after going radio dark we figured we needed to come out the gate swinging and our guest this week does not disappoint. We are excited to be welcoming Jose Torres to the show. Jose is a retired Force Recon gunnery sergeant, served in various roles through the agency alphabet soup, and is the author of the book, When Colonialism Wins: A Case Against Statehood for Puerto Rico. His book references decades of scholarship to analyze 500 years of Spanish and U.S. colonialism on Puerto Rico. In it he highlights the island’s ongoing societal collapse and dependency mindset challenging Puerto Rico’s future and cultural preservation. Jose’s personal story is fascinating and the genesis of this book is so compelling. He speaks with us about how he felt compelled to write this book and how his past, his experiences in service of our country, and his views on the future of Puerto Rico.
Enjoy!
Check out When Colonialism Wins: A Case Against Statehood for Puerto Rico here
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 155: When Colonialism Wins with Jose Torres first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Col Chris Jackson, USMC (Ret) to the show. Chris is the Warrior PATHH Program Director for Sheep Dog IA. Warrior PATHH — Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes — is based on the science of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) and is one of the many programs offered to veterans through Sheep Dog IA. Chris talks to us about his path to the yellow footprints, his experiences as a leatherneck, what brought him to Sheep Dog IA, and the work he is doing to help veterans realize that trauma does not have to be the end of the road. Especially being that today is National Posttraumatic Growth Day, this is a really important conversation that we should all be having with our loved ones and with ourselves.
Enjoy!
https://sheepdogia.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjacksonyeti/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 154: Col Chris Jackson, USMC (Ret) and Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (IA) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. On this episode we are happy to welcome LtCol Robert “Butch” Bracknell, USMC (Ret) to the show. Butch is a former Marine JAG and is currently a practicing attorney in Norfolk, VA. From his small town roots in rural North Carolina to having deployed multiple times in support of combat operations, Butch is a true subject-matter expert in the application of the Law of Armed Conflict. Butch shares his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Guantanamo Trials, proportionality, and his perspectives on the challenges AI will present to the Law of Armed Conflict and how to hold actors accountable in this new world where the term “actor” may not be as obvious in war as it once was. This was a really fascinating discussion and we hope you take away as much from it as we did.
Of note, as awesome a job as our technical engineer did in post-production, there was only so much they were able to do. We want to apologize in advance for some of the audio. There were some connectivity challenges as we tried to have this conversation remote.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbutchbracknell/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 153: Lawfare and the Law of Armed Conflict with LtCol Robert “Butch” Bracknell, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us for another segment of Strait Talk. Dr. Michael Hunzeker comes to the scuttlebutt and learns us up on what is going on with Taiwan post-election, how there is very little historical precedent for accidental war, how appeasing autocratic regimes isn’t the deterrent policy some may think it is (the power behind believing autocrats will do what they say they will do), and bumper boats in the South China Sea.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 152: Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. One of the things we try to focus on here is people’s stories. All of the nitty-gritty details, so let’s get into the sausage-making, shall we? (That pun will make sense later. It may not be funnier, but it will make sense) This week we welcome Jordan and Laura Green of J&L Green Farms and Farmbuilder (they raise pigs on their farm – see the pun works). This is our first husband and wife combo, which is super cool in and of itself, but these two are part of a movement of sustainable and regenerative farming that is hopefully revolutionizing not only the food industry, but how we view the ways we are getting our food (the pun is still working), so we are go glad that they agreed to come on the show together. It was great to be able to hear about their journey from each of their perspectives, the reasons behind the way they farm, the importance of transparency, and how the Marine Corps was the easiest job Jordan had!
Enjoy!
jlgreenfarm.com
farmbuilder.us
Farmbuilder YouTube channel
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 151: Semper Sustainable with Jordan and Laura Green of J&L Green Farms first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Not sure there is a lot I can say that the name of this week’s guest doesn’t say for itself. We are so excited and honored to be welcoming MajGen William Seely to the show. MajGen Seely is currently the commandant of the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University and was the director of Marine Corps Intelligence. MajGen Seely talks to us about immigrating to the US, navigating cultures, his remarkable career, and how diversity in the Marine Corps is a force multiplier. MajGen Seely was so generous with his time to spend it with us. Hope you take away as much from this conversation as we did.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 150: MajGen William Seely, USMC first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. MDM 2024 is behind us now and it was a wonderful time. Huge thank yous to all of you who tuned in and especially to those who stopped by our swanky new booth. It was great to shake some hands, bro hug, and meet everyone who took the time to come by. Well, to avoid a post-MDM hangover, we knew we had to come of the gate strong. So we are stoked to be welcoming now LtCol Tom Schueman back to the show. Its great to catch up with him and talk about his promotion, his views on being an field-grade officer, updates on the Return to Base program through PB Abbate, and has been going on with his friend and former Afghan interpreter Zac (Zainullah Zaki) now the his book Always Faithful has been out on the street for a minute now. Regardless of the topic, spending time with Tom is always awesome.
Enjoy!
www.pbabbate.org
Find Always Faithful here
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 149: Catching Up with Old Friends – LtCol Tom Schueman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Closing time here at Modern Day Marine 2024. This was a lot fun and the expo was outstanding. As we reflect on the past three days, LtGen Chiarotti gives us his thoughts on this years MDM.
Enjoy!
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 148: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Closing Thoughts with LtGen Charles Chiarotti first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. We bring you more World of Wargaming here on Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. We are really stoked to welcome Sebastian Bae back to the show and it is awesome to be here with him at Modern Day Marine as the Commandant’s Cup tourney is coming to a close. Sebastian’s game, Littoral Commander, was one of the games competitors used in the round robin format, so it was cool to get his perspectives on the tournament, MDM’s Objective 1 wargaming area, and how wargames are developed and the ideas that lead to the formation of wargames. It’s always great spending time nerding out with Sebastian, and we were really glad we were able to catch up with him here.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-bae/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 147: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Sebastian Bae first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. This expo is so large and immersive, it takes three days to get to everything that MDM has to offer. Thankfully, Nancy found Aldric Stockton of Chinook Medical Gear and he was nice enough to come over to hang out with us. Ric works on medical training tools. We’re not talking PowerPoint slides and boring, dry videos. Chinook is taking medical training to the next level. We mention the “meat pocket” in the conversation, but they offer life-like, realistic prosthetics that Marines can wear to simulate the types of wounds that they will experience in combat. It’s like Fangoria! Ric shares with us his path to becoming and MArine and what brought him to Chinook and why this type of medical training is so important.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldric-stockton-05028927a/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 146: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Aldric Stockton first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. One of the enduring themes of Modern Day Marine is how to continue to build our relationships with our allies and partners, so it was really cool to be able to spend some time with Ross Douglas, the manager for Navy and Marine Corps relations for Echodyne. Ross is an Australian army veteran, and it was great being able to pick his brain on being a service member in Australia and get his perspective on partnering with US forces. Now with Echodyne, Ross enjoys being able to work in a field that focuses on service members and providing them with capabilities that will help them complete the mission and come home. It was also great getting his perspective on the differences in surfing between San Diego and Australia.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-douglas-b5263a18/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 145: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Ross Douglas first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024 brings us an amazing guest. CWO5 Jason Pierce, the senior supply management officer for HQMC. Jason’s story is fascinating. So much so that he’s mentioned by name in the Marine Corps’ Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month announcement. Jason shares with us stories of his background coming to the US from the Philippines, his path to the yellow footprints, and what made him want to become a chief warrant officer.
Enjoy!
www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3757653/2024-national-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month/
www.linkedin.com/in/cwojasonpierce/
www.instagram.com/nottodaybcp/
www.instagram.com/thejasonpierce/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 144: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – CWO5 Jason Pierce first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. We have a great start to Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. The senior director for program management for Osh Kosh, LtCol Janet Keech, USMC (Ret), was kind enough to spend some of her busy morning with us. Janet shares her experiences coming from Wisconsin to the Marine Corps, her time as a logistician, and what brought her to Oshkosh Defense. She also gives us some of the details of ROGUE Fires/NMESIS, a platform that is directly tied to expeditionary advanced basing and deterrence against peer and near-peer threats.
Enjoy!
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 143: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – LtCol Janet Keech, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!! We bring World of Wargaming to Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024, which demands that we spend some time with the Director of Wargaming for the Krulak Center for Innovation & Future Warfare, Col Tim Barrick. Tim gives us updates on Objective 1 here at Modern Day Marine, but most importantly, gives us the goods on the status of the Commendant’s Cup. Hear all about the teams competing, some of the strategies behind the design of the tournament and how the teams have responded, and the big reveal of the mystery game. This is a fun conversation and it looks like we have a real Cinderella story brewing in this wildly creative wargaming tourney. Can’t wait to see how it finishes but I think its safe to say that it won’t be boring.
Two may enter, one may leave!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-barrick-918b5b14/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 142: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Col Tim Barrick, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024 awesomeness continues. William and Vic get to spend some time with LtGen Thomas Conant, USMC (Ret) talking about his amazing career, his passion for saving history, and his advice for transitioning through the various aspects of life.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-conant-b11637158/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 141: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – LtGen Thomas Conant, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024. A reoccurring theme of Modern Day Marine is how it is the biggest Marine Corps reunion of the year. Well, Vic ran into one of his amtracker buddies, who happens to now be the deputy commander or Marine Forces Korea, Col Jacob Robinson, and he was kind enough to spend some time with Vic and William schooling us up on the mission of MarFor Korea, the similarities between the U.S. and ROK Marine Corps, and the nuances of partnering with one of our longest standing allies. This is a fascinating discussion.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-robinson-47277a19/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 140: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Col Jacob Robinson first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024. Nancy and William sit down with Alyson Schumacher to talk about the MCA’s Spouse Summit, panel discussion, luncheon at Modern Day Marine. It’s great to hear wisdom from a military spouse and it’s awesome that the Marine Corps is behind this initiative.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyson-m-b-schumacher-75273180/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 139: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Alyson Schumacher first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024. How could the Scuttlebutt team be at MDM and not rope the Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault and friend of the show, Col Tim Hough, into spending some time with us. And a nice surprise, he brought his deputy, Chris Melkonian along with him. To be honest, there was some suspicion that he was going to “make a head call” and then just leave Chris alone and unafraid with William and Vic. But he did come back, and it was great to pick their collective brains on the status of the ACV and modernization, program strategy, and how the Marine Corps is leveraging small business to field innovations to the fleet as quickly as possible. There’s a reason why we keep inviting Tim back, and as per SOP, we had a great time and learned a lot.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyhough/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-melkonian-4291a1/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 138: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Col Tim Hough and Chris Melkonian first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024 kicks off in the biggest way possible. The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major Carlos A. Ruiz was kind enough to stop by and share some his time with us. Nancy and Vic are giddy to spend time with the Sergeant Major and he does not disappoint. Sergeant Major shares his wisdom on the current generation of Marines, what it really means to partner with industry, the role of the veteran community, and how investing in Marines and their families is not just investing in national security but is the right thing to do. Sergeant Major’s passion for Marines is so genuine it is infectious. It has to be said that after being so generous with his time on Scuttlebutt, he spent about 45 min outside of our booth talking to every Marine who wanted to speak with him. He didn’t leave until every person, Marine or otherwise, was able to see him. Even the most cynical could see that this wasn’t a performance but the actions of a Marine leader who truly cares about people. Semper Fidelis, Sergeant Major!
Enjoy!
Tweets by USMCSgtMaj
https://www.facebook.com/USMCSgtMaj/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 137: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMaj Carlos Ruiz first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 1 of Modern Day Marine 2024 continues to rock! We’ve been having such a good time with our guests today, we decided to have two on for this one, Col Bob Danko, USMC (Ret) and CWO5 Chad Wade, USMC (Ret) from Polaris Goverment and Defense. Bob and Chad talk to us about their experiences in the logistics community, retirement and transitioning, and the capabilities that Polaris’ MRZR ULTV brings to the sustainability and survivability of Marines operating inside of the enemy’s weapons engagement zone.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-danko-028a5557/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-wade/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 136: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 1 – Bob Danko and Chad Wade, Polaris Government and Defense first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. When you come to a convention that is titled with the words, “Modern” and “Marine”, you know you’re in for one hell of a Day! And Day 1 did not disappoint. We were so happy to run into American Legion post commander extraordinaire and friend of the show, Liz Hartman. The awesome meter for this episode is fully pegged. “Unhinged” is the word of the episode and it is just that on many levels. If for nothing else, just randomly running in Liz totally validates our new, swanky booth.
I dare you not to be smiling at the end of this episode.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartmanea/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 135: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 1 – Liz Hartman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for stopping by. Day 1 of Modern Day Marine is here and we are so happy to welcome Carl Forsling from Airbus US Space and Defense to the hot seat. William and Vic talk to Carl about his experiences as a CH-46 and MV-22 Osprey pilot in the Marine Corps, his views on the challenges the Marine Corps is going to face supporting its new employment concepts (EABO and Stand-in Forces), and how Airbus’ UH-72 unmanned logistics connector platform can help meet these challenges. Carl’s experience brings a ton of credibility to the discussion of autonomous connector capabilities.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlforsling/
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 134: Modern Day Marine Day 1 – Carl Forsling, Airbus US Space and Defense Senior Business Development Manager first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning and your continued support of the show. Well, today is the day we’ve talking about for a while now, Modern Day Marine 2024. As promised, Nancy, William, and Vic are recording from the show room floor. And to kick things off, William and Nancy sit down with the President and CEO of the Marine Corps Association, LtGen Charles Chiarotti, USMC (Ret). to give us his thoughts on this year’s experience.
If you’re going to be at the expo, please come by and say hi!
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 133: Modern Day Marine 2024 Opening Comments first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. This week Nancy and Vic welcome the American Legion’s Executive Director of Government and Veteran Affairs, Chanin Nuntavong. For those keeping track, last week Liz Hartman caught us up on what’s been going on at the American Legion post level. Chanin takes us to the 35-thousand foot view of what it is that the American Legion does for veterans at the national level. As daunting as that may seem, Chanin is no stranger to this high visibility world. Before he retired, Chanin was the senior staff advisor to the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. He tells us all about his experiences advising three sergeants major, growing up in the Bay Area as a first-generation American, and his current duties advocating for veterans. His story is so fascinating and his passion for the quality of life and welfare of veterans is admirable.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnuntavong/
Twitter and Instagram: @Khun_Chanin
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 132: Advocating for Veterans with Chanin Nuntavong first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Not sure how much of an intro is needed for this episode. Our guest’s name alone pretty much speaks to quality of this episode. Liz Hartman, the commander of American Legion Post #539, comes back and Nancy and Vic have a great time catching up. Liz brings up to speed on what is going on with the American Legion at the local and national levels, her trips to D.C., and all of the work she is doing advocating for veterans. Her passion and zeal are infectious so it’s hard to have a bad day after spending some time with Liz. Hope you enjoy catching up with her as much as we do.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartmanea/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 131: Catching Up with Old Friends – Liz Hartman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another episode of our World of Wargaming segment. William welcomes back the Director of Wargaming for the Marine Corps University’s Krulak Center for Innovation & Future Warfare, Col Tim Barrick, USMC (Ret.) to talk about Modern Day Marine 2024 and the second year of the Objective 1 Wargaming Conference. For those who missed it last year, Objective 1 was awesome! An entire section of the show room floor dedicated to wargaming, from digital to table top to card games. Don’t miss it this year. For those who did participate last year, Tim outlines all of the new stuff being introduced for this year’s tourney, to include a Commandant’s Cup and mystery table top game, so you’re gonna want to come back. It’s clear that Tim is serious about service members getting their reps and sets in a way that is fun but continues to expand and refine professional development. Really excited to see what Objective 1 has to offer at this year’s Modern Day Marine.
Enjoy!
Modern Day Marine
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 130: World of Wargaming with Col Tim Barrick, USMC (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week the MCA’s own Director of Engagement and Expositions, Marta Sullivan joins us to talk about the upcoming Modern Day Marine Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. It was great to be able to sit with Marta and talk about all that this year’s MDM is going to offer. From the Obj 1 Wargaming Convention, to the Spouse Summit, to the Veteran and Spouse Transition and Employment Fair, there’s something for everyone. There’s also a small business industry day and a chance to see the non-profit side of Marine Corps acquisitions as well. And of course, all of the Marine Corps industry partners will be there displaying all of the innovations and emerging technologies to keep the Marine Corps America’s 9-1-1 force. Scuttlebutt will be there as well, recording live from the show room floor. Stop by and say hello!
Enjoy!
Modern Day Marine
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 129: Modern Day Marine 2024 with Marta Sullivan first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy, William, and Vic breakdown Stanley Kubrick’s film, Full Metal Jacket. This quintessential cinematic masterpiece has been talked about, analyzed, and dissected ad nauseam (rightfully so!) but its such a great movie and has such an imprint on Marines and the Marine Corps, there’s no way that we could have a movie review segment without talking about it. William tees up some great questions and forces us to focus on some of the aspects of the movie’s artistic expression that go beyond just watching a movie. Hope you enjoy our review of this film and are able to take away as much from Kubrick’s vision as we did.
Also, check out the Museum of the Marine Corps’ newest exhibit, Full Metal Modine, which includes photographs by Matthew Modine (who plays the character Joker) featuring large-scale aluminum prints of photos he took while on the set.
https://www.marineheritage.org/fullmetalmodine.html
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 128: Semper Cinema – Full Metal Jacket first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic have so much fun welcoming Kacy Tellessen back to the show. This is Kacy’s third trip to the scuttlebutt and the scuttle just keeps getting better. For those who missed the first two episodes with Kacy, first off, SHAME! Secondly, go back and bookmark them. And now listen to this one. Kacy is a former Marine machinegunner, award winning author, and now practicing attorney. Even with all of these accolades, Kacy is still a grunt at heart and just such a joy to spend time with. Hope you all have as much fun listening as we have recording these.
Enjoy!
Check out Kacy on LinkedIn and on Instagram
Get Freaks of a Feather here. You’re welcome!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 127: Catching Up with Old Friends – Kacy Tellessen first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic have the pleasure of welcoming the National Executive Director and CEO at Young Marines, Col William Davis, USMCR (Ret) to the show. Due to a technical difficulty, we had the wonderful opportunity to have this conversation twice. Well, before any operation you have to rehearse, right? William was kind enough to give us another go and it was a lot of fun to be able spend additional time with him. He talks to us about the Young Marines program, how youth programs like Young Marines are counter-cultural, and what it’s like to literally create a school. His passion for developing, educating, and mentoring the youth is infectious.
Enjoy!
youngmarines.org
linkedin.com/in/william-davis-9b80b6124
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 126: Young Marines with Col William Davis, USMCR (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we’re starting a new segment we’re calling, Catching Up With Old Friends. To kick this thing off, I called on my amtrack brother Aeron Sullivan and he was kind enough to spend some time catching up. Aeron was a guest of ours back in the summer 2022 (Episode #39) so there was plenty to catch up on. Please go back and give it a listen if you missed it. Aeron is a super fascinating person. Former assault amphibian officer turned business start-up expert, he was once named a part of Inc. Magazine’s 30 under 30. He also worked with BibleProject helping to building them up to becoming the global Christian media presence they are today. His experiences there led him to his current project, Pangea, using AI to help businesses solve their global currency issues. Aeron shares his thoughts on taking risks, what it is about the Marine Corps that fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, and what talent management means beyond recruitment and retention. This conversation is like a free seminar, so…you’re welcome. It was really great spending time catching up.
Enjoy!
www.linkedin.com/in/aeronsully
www.pangea.io
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 125: Catching Up With Old Friends – Aeron Sullivan first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic are excited to welcome Capt Riley Tejcek back to the show. Riley has recently returned from the US Bobsled Team trials, where she placed fourth…on a broken foot! This Marine will not be denied! By placing fourth, she is officially on the US Team and is currently in Germany preparing for World Championships in Mar. And there is no rest for the weary. Almost as soon as she gets back, she’s slated to deploy. Oh, and she has a children’s book due to be released in the late summer/early fall of this year. Whew. It was great to spend time with Riley and hear her perspectives on resiliency, the benefits of facing adversity, and the gift of giving back.
Enjoy!
Check out Leatherneck Magazine’s article about Riley here:
www.mca-marines.org/magazines/leatherneck/
Follow Riley’s journey on her Instagram page here
www.instagram.com/riley.tejcek/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 124: Dream It, Be It with Capt Riley Tejcek, USMC first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic are honored to welcome Maj Olaolu Ogunyemi to the show. Olaolu is one of the most dynamic people you could hope to meet. A communications officer by trade, Olaolu is also an author of children’s books, a philanthropist, YouVersion contributor, and public speaker. He also recently had an article published in the Marine Corps Gazette discussing talent management which is up on the website now (now). With everything he has going on, it was so generous of him to carve out some time for us. It was great picking his brain on topics of his upbringing and path to becoming a Marine, his drive to constantly give back, and the necessity of having a creative outlet.
Enjoy!
https://parent-child-connect.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olaolu-ogunyemi-465ba453/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 123: Parent-Child-Connect with Maj Olaolu Ogunyemi, USMC first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic have the pleasure of spending some time with famed, and recently retired, television journalist and author of the book, Battle Scars, Chip Reid. Chip was embedded with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in 2003 as they made their push to Baghdad during the invasion. Battle Scars not only chronicles his time with this storied battalion, but follows up with the Marines – and their families – twenty years later to tell their stories of their lives since the invasion, their heroism, loss, and the new appreciation for life that results from post-traumatic growth. Chip discusses the impetus behind the book, what it was like being an embedded journalist, and his experiences putting these stories together.
Enjoy!
You can find Battle Scars here.
And if you’re in the Northern VA/DC area, Chip will be doing a book signing at MCB Quantico on Wed, Feb 21st. Here is the link for more details.
https://quantico.usmc-mccs.org/activity/02280669-bb04-470b-bd0e-371142b52a07
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 122: Battle Scars with Chip Reid first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Our last movie review was so much fun, we decided to create a new segment called, “Semper Cinema.” This week, we review the Academy Award winning short documentary, With the Marines at Tarawa. If you haven’t seen it, you need to check it out. Released in 1944, this gritty film came out during the height of the island-hopping campaign and it’s graphic depictions of the horrors of combat, particularly in the Pacific, were so controversial that it required approval from President Roosevelt to be released. Vic, William, and Nancy discuss the merits of the film and what reasons the Marine Corps may have had in wanting to release the film during a time when America was sending so many of it’s citizens off to fight.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 121: Semper Cinema review of With the Marines at Tarawa first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome the former Virginia Secretary of Education and veteran Marine, Atif Qarni to the show. Atif was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to be with us and we are so glad that he did. Atif is currently campaigning to be the next Virginia 10th District congressional representative so it really means a lot that he was willing to sit with us and talk about his life. And what a fascinating life it has been. He shares with us his experiences immigrating from Pakistan to Baltimore as a child, his appreciation for the discipline and direction the Marine Corps has given him, the value of education and the challenges in trying to educate our kids, and the need to bring your A-game with mom. Atif was so engaging and his passion for education is infectious. Hope you find his story as compelling as we did.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 120: Atif Qarni first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. In this installment of World of Wargaming, William discusses the history of Marine Corps wargaming with returning guest Ian Brown accompanied by Sebastian Bae: a former Marine, research analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses, and adjunct assistant professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University. In recounting the history of wargaming in the Marine Corps, they also addressed ways in which to ensure that wargaming remains a prominent tool for professional military education.
For more information, check out their article, “Promise Unfulfilled: A Brief History of Educational Wargaming in the Marine Corps.” published in the Vol 12, No. 2 edition of the Journal of Advanced Military Studies.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 119: World of Wargaming with Sebastian Bae and Ian Brown first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome LtCol David Kelly back to the show to talk about his new book, First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq, April 2004. Like David’s first book, Hell in the Streets of Husaybah, First Fights in Fallujah, his book chronicles the firsthand accounts of the Marines who fought in Operation Vigilant Resolve, also known as the first battle of Fallujah. But unlike his first book, First Fights includes accounts from more than just the infantry Marines kicking down doors. Amtrac’ers, tankers, helo crews, all of the various Marines that make up the Marine Air-Ground Task Force – of whom were so critical to the tactical and operational success of this first fight in Fallujah – are all featured in this book. David’s use of the actual words of the Marines really gives a visceral quality to his narrative. David gives us his thoughts on the uniqueness of this kind of retelling of history and shares with us his experiences conducting all of these interviews, in country, just on the heels of the end of the operation.
Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kelly-4781a7132/
Get the book here
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 118: First Fights in Fallujah with LtCol David Kelly (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Happy 2024 everyone! We’re back! We hope that you had a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and that your 2024 is off to a great start. Speaking of great starts, we are going to kick off 2024 right! By bringing in two Amtrackers to talk about Amtracker stuff. Wait, where are you going? Seriously, stick around because we talk about a really fascinating topic: how a monument gets made. I think we all take for granted that when we see a statue, obelisk, or rendering, that all it took was a great idea, a righteous cause, a ton of money and then BOOM! You’ve got a monument right? Actually there is a ton of imagination, planning, preparation, art, creativity, hard work, and diligence (and butt loads of money) to create something that commemorates legacy. No one knows this more than the Amphibious Tractor Association and Memorial. John and Marc help lead the charge on the creation of a Amphibious Tractor Memorial to be placed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Memorial Walk. We step behind the curtain and let John and Marc walk us through the process how a monument comes to be, from impetus to ribbon cutting.
They’re on a upward glide slope, but there is still a lot work to be done. If you would like to contribute to this endeavor or show your support, please go to www.amphibioustractormemorial.com and check out the artistic renderings of the monument and share in preserving the legacy of this particularly unique Marine Corps capability.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 117: Making of a Monument with Col John Atkinson and SgtMaj Marc Chabot first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. I wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know that Scuttlebutt will be taking a break over the holidays but will be back in Jan. We are excited for all of the new content and offerings coming up in 2024 with some exciting new segments and guests. Maybe even some return visits from some of our friends to see what their up to. Please feel free to hit us up at scuttlebutt@mca-marines.org and let us know what you think. Please share any ideas you have on what you would like to see on the podcast and we’ll make it happen.
As we embark on our holiday leave block, no good Marine message is complete without an obligatory safety brief: Let this season be a time that you and your loved ones make cherished memories. Not a season that is forever tarnished because you were being stupid.
On behalf of everyone at the Marine Corps Association we want to wish you all a fun and safe holiday season.
Semper Fidelis
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 116: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic welcome Adam Lazarus to the show. Adam is the author of the book, The Wingmen the story of the unlikely, unusual, unbreakable friendship between John Glenn and Ted Williams. Adam has also authored multiple books that focus on sports history such as Hail to the Redskins, Best of Rivals, Super Bowl Monday, and Chasing Greatness. Adam talks to us about his decision to write this book, being that it takes a step away from the specifics of sports history and looks at the shared history of these two American icons. Within the public consciousness, this is a fairly unknown story of these two giants. It is one of friendship and dynamics of a decades long relationship, sometimes contentious, between the men that existed behind the mythology.
You can find more about Adam and his wonderful collection of books at:
www.adamlazarusbooks.com
on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @lazarusa57
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lazarus-b0117011
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 115: The Wingmen with Adam Lazarus first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another edition of World of Wargaming. William and Vic were able to spend some time with the founder and CEO of Victura studios, Peter Tamte. Peter talks to us about his newest project, Six Days in Fallujah, a first-person tactical military shooter that recreates true stories of Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians during Operations Vigilant Resolve and Phantom Fury. This game is so nuanced. It’s not your standard first-person shooter that is generally placed in a semi-historical setting based on a conflict that is far removed from history. He walks us through the highs and lows of developing a video game, the change in the standard lone wolf, run-and-gun-style gameplay, and the challenges of making a game that accurately recreates a battle that many people playing it have actually participated in. As you can imagine, there was a lot of criticism when the project was first announced, but interestingly, most of it came from those who never served. Peter treats this project with the passion and sensitivity of someone who wants to do this right and have it be something that is authentic to those who were there. When we talk about wargaming providing the reps and sets that will help future servicemembers in future wars, Six Days in Fallujah is definitely shooting on target. And now, here’s our conversation with Peter Tamte.
Check out their website at www.sixdays.com and get all the latest updates, news, and videos. And check out these trailers. Be prepared to have your mind blown!
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 114: Six Days in Fallujah with Peter Tamte. first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome Andrew Biggio back to the show to discuss his most recent book: The Rifle 2. When Andrew returned home from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan he had huge questions about the price of war. He decided to ask those who he knew would understand – veterans of War War II. William and Nancy talk to Andrew about his book and how it delves into the suffering and complexity of war that World War II veterans experienced. Andrew reveals the darker side of the greatest generation while illuminating the struggles they endured to create a better world. In recounting the stories of these veterans, Andrew takes the greatest generation off its pedestal to demonstrate that we may have more in common with them than previously thought, wrestling with their share of weaknesses and flaws while answering the call of duty.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 113: The Rifle 2 with Andrew Biggio first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Vic sits down with Col Eric “Ferris” Buer, former Cobra pilot and author of the book, Ghosts of Baghdad: Marine Corps Gunships on the Opening Days of the Iraq War. As the title suggests, his book looks at the war in Iraq from 2003-2004 from the perspective of a Cobra pilot supporting troops on the ground. His perspectives were really interesting because most of the narratives coming out of the Long War have either been from the ground or from fixed-wing aviators. It’s embarrassing to admit that his point of view from the cockpit was a perspective from our operations during the Long War that haven’t been highlighted, especially considering that many of us owe our current existence to the actions of rotary-wing close air support. Being that he and his rotary-wing brethren are so inextricably linked to ground maneuver and thus exposed to a threat level, and quite frankly, a grit level that many of the fixed-wing community are not, his experiences and views on the war are fascinating.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 112: Ghosts of Baghdad with Col Eric “Ferris” Buer, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another episode of our series Strait Talk with Dr. Mike Hunzeker. We recorded this episode on 10 November, so what kind of Marines would we be if we didn’t celebrate the Marine Corps birthday properly. And what better way to celebrate than to get into the weeds on the current state of one of our primary operating environments, the Taiwan Strait. Mike gives us his valuable insight on the upcoming elections in Taiwan and what it means for the future US-Taiwan relations, what the outcome of the election could mean for Taiwan’s force posture, and the implications of China’s gray-zone campaign and the potential for overstretch. It’s always great to talk to Mike and pick at his 10-pound brain for some tasty nuggets.
Here are the articles we reference in the interview:
Taiwan’s Most Pressing Challenge Is Strangulation, Not Invasion
China’s Gray-Zone Tactics Show the U.S.-Philippine Alliance Is Working
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 111: Strait Talk with Dr. Mike Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Happy 248th Birthday Marines and welcome to episode 110 everyone. Thank you for joining us. To help celebrate our birthday we are trying a new segment we’re calling Tun Tavern Talks. For all of us who have spent time around service members, especially Marines, we know that sea stories abound. I’ve heard it said that the only difference between a fairy tale and a sea story is that one starts with once upon a time and the other starts with, this no kidding happened. So, we thought why don’t we get some of these gems immortalized on air, and what better place than a podcast called Scuttlebutt. Well, Scuttlebutt fans and fans of Scuttlebutt…scuttlebutt you shall have. To kick off our inaugural episode of the series, we brought our own Col Chris Woodbridge and SgtMaj Justin Lehew into the studio to join Vic on the panel, moderated by Nancy. What could possibly go wrong?! This was a lot of fun and we hope to have many more Tun Tavern Talks in our future.
Happy Birthday, Marines!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 110: Tun Tavern Talks with Col Chris Woodbridge and SgtMaj Justin Lehew first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another edition of World of Wargaming. William has a chat with Tom Knowles and Keith Martin-Smith from HexWar to discuss their series of games available on Mac, PC, iPhone, and iPad. Given the previous Commandant’s desire to increase wargaming usage throughout the Corps, HexWar’s mobile wargaming allows Marines to get their reps and sets in at their own convenience. Check out the full library of HexWar games at:
www.hexwar.com
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 109: World of Wargaming with HexWar first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we are very excited to be welcoming Michael Armistead not only to the show, but to the Marine Corps Association staff. Michael is our new Director of Communications and comes to us from HQMC Communications Directorate where he served as the Branch head of Occupational Field support. He retired as a LtCol in September of this year. Michael was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and sit down with us to talk a little about his background, his career in unform, and his goals and vision for the Marine Corps Association’s communication plan. It was a lot of fun getting to know Michael beyond the workplace.
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 108: Welcome Aboard LtCol Michael Armistead, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners and welcome to a special episode of Scuttlebutt. William and I sit down with the Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of The Marine Corps Gazette & Leatherneck and Vice President of Professional Development, Col Chris Woodbridge to talk about current events in the Ukraine-Russia War and the current state of the things in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Like with our other warzone update segments, there is no shortage of media outlets, news organizations and social media influencers rushing to weigh-in on these conflicts and provide a hot take. As much as we don’t want to add to the noise, it seems like it would be irresponsible to ignore what is going on, especially as hundreds of Marines head into these areas, while thousands more stand-by awaiting orders to go. We fully admit that we at the MCA are distanced from these conflicts not only in proximity but in the kind of information we have access to. But what we try to do with this episode is avoid the rhetoric and give a strategic, operational, tactical assessment of the way we understand the events as they are unfolding from the perspective of people who have a decent amount of time operating in warzones in this region and the scholarhip of military history. Hopefully we can help move the conversation beyond the black-and-white narrative of good versus evil and highlight the extreme complexity of what is going on in the world right now while acknowledging the tragedy of it all.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 107: Ukraine and Gaza Discussion with Col Chris Woodbridge, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are super excited to welcome Captain Riley Tejcek to the show. Riley is the Support Officer for the Expeditionary Warfare School at the Marine Corps University here at MCB Quantico. On top of that, Riley is in contingency for the US National Bobsledding Team. She is currently on the National Team, out at team trials right now to make the final cut for the Winter Games in 2024. We talk to Riley about her path to the yellow footprints, what drives her to constantly excel at everything she does, and why representation matters. We had a lot of fun talking to Riley and look forward to tracking her progress toward international competition at the highest level, and hopefully some hardware around her neck when it’s all said and done.
You can find Riley on Instagram and follow her progress:
https://www.instagram.com/riley.tejcek/
If you want to donate to help augment the costs of her pursuit, you can contribute here to her GoFundMe page here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/riley-compton-bobsled-journey
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 106: Sledding Toward Gold with Capt Riley Tejcek first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are happy to welcome Col Patty “Bacon” Klop to the show. Patty is the Assistant Chief of Staff, Reserve G-1 for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. October 10th was the World Mental Health Day as recognized by the World Health Organization. The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. Patty was kind enough to come on and share her story of struggles with post-traumatic stress. Vic and Nancy talk to Patty about her her upbringing as an elite college athlete, her decision to join the Marine Corps and upcoming retirement, her article in Leatherneck Magazine, and her efforts to raise awareness on the mental health crisis and veteran suicide.
Check out the article in Leatherneck Magazine chronicling her journey here:
www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/the-healing-of-a-marine
To get her full story regarding PTSD, please check it out on Freedom Fitness America:
https://freedomfitnessamerica.org/patty-Klop-advisory-group-member-1
And please check out SheForce – Ninth Fold here:
https://www.facebook.com/TheNinthFold/
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 105: The Healing of a Marine with Col Patty Klop first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. On this installment of World of Wargaming, William enjoys a conversation with Rich Hamilton, the Chief Operations Officer of Wargame Design Studio. The two discuss the evolution of John Tiller’s gaming software to the now-titled Wargame Design Studio, which focuses primarily on in-depth historical wargaming. As a special gift to our dedicated listeners, Wargame Design Studio is partnering with the Marine Corps Association to offer a 25% discount on all products with the code: MCA25.
Check out their website (https://wargameds.com/) and start getting your historical wargaming reps and sets in!
Enjoy!
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 104: World of Wargaming with Rich Hamilton from Wargame Design Studio first appeared on Marine Corps Association.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Today we welcome SgtMaj Lynn Kimble, USMC (Ret) to the show to talk about USAA’s Face the Fight Campaign. Mental health and suicide are issues that our country faces everyday and the impact is felt by veterans well above that of the rest of the American public. Face the Fight is a coalition of philanthropic foundations, veteran-oriented nonprofit organizations and corporations that are pooling resources ($41 million to start) and sharing a nationwide concerted effort, with the goal of cutting the veteran suicide rate in half by 2030. As the Military Affairs Relationship Director at USAA, SgtMaj Kimble shares with us his insight into the Face the Fight Campaign, as well as his experiences as a Marine rising through the ranks to become the Marine Corps Embassy Security Guard Sergeant Major and eventually the Command Sergeant Major of Marine Corps Reserve Forces and Marine Corps Forces North. If you would like more information on the USAA Face the Fight Campaign or would like to support it, please check them out at:
https://wefacethefight.org/
Enjoy!
Quick note: This recording occurred the week after our 100th episode aired but to better synch the release of this episode with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, we pushed it out to today. That’s why Vic refers to this episode as “101”. Apologies for any confusion.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we’re giving movie reviews a try and we begin with the documentary, The United States Marine Corps: 1775 – 1916: A History of Heroes. As
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. On this episode of MCA Scuttlebutt, we continue our World of Wargaming series with Jeremy Sepinsky, the lead wargame designer for the Center for Naval Analyses. Enjoy!
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. After interviewing dozens of people the past two years, we turn the mic toward our very own Vic Ruble for our 100th episode of MCA Scuttlebutt. For
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. If you want to write about veterans you need to earn their trust, listen to their experiences, and get it right. On this episode, William and Nancy
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. On this episode of Scuttlebutt, World of Wargaming returns as William interviews Mr. Joseph Miranda, a former Army officer and prolific board wargame designer, and Dr. Christopher
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we welcome veteran Marine machine gunner, Marine Corps Heritage award winner, recent law school graduate, and current Bar exam hostage Kacy Tellessen back to the
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. “Science is expanding” and thank goodness we have a friend of the show like Dr. Adam Hunzeker to help us understand it better. This week we welcome
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Balloons, office hours with Kevin McCarthy, and the problem with simple solutions to complex problems. We seem to run the gamut with Dr. Michael Hunzeker in this
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 91: Modern Day Marine Day 2 – OBJ 1 Wargaming Convention with Col Tim Barrick USMC, (Ret) first appeared on MCA.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 90: Modern Day Marine Day 2 – Being a student of leadership with CMDR Becky Calder, USN (Ret) first appeared on MCA.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 89: Modern Day Marine Day 2 – Comedian and Military Spouse Advocate, Ashley Gutermuth first appeared on MCA.
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are recording from the floor of Modern Day Marine so that we can bring you the events and personnel of this outstanding convention as
Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. We had the recent pleasure of sitting down with director, producer, writer Joshua Caldwell to talk about his newest movie, Mending the Line. The film follows his
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. Modern Day Marine is next week (June 27-29 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C.) and we are excited that the MCA’s Director of Engagement
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. SgtMaj Justin LeHew returns to the show to talk about his epic journey. It’s very commonplace these days to use hyperbolic language as part of our everyday
Hello, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we welcome Amy Forsythe, the author of the book, Heroes Live Here: A Tribute to Camp Pendleton Marines Since 9/11, to the show. Amy is
Hello, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week on MCA Scuttlebutt we had the distinct pleasure of welcoming Terry Salman. Terry is the author of the book, What We Give, and the Chairman of New Pacific Metals Corp, and President & CEO of Salman Capital Inc. As President, CEO and Co-Director of Research he helped raise over $20 billion for more than 400 exploration and mining companies. He was the recipient of the 2016 Murray Pezim Award in recognition of his remarkable career in Canadian mining finance and he was inducted to the Cambridge House Resource Hall of Fame in 2018. Mr. Salman is the Chair Emeritus of the Vancouver Public Library Foundation, Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore, and was recently appointed to the Order of Canada for his contributions to mining exploration and for his generous philanthropy and community activism. But before all these wonderful accomplishments in development and charity, he was a US Marine. Terry served in Vietnam with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines as a 81mm mortar section leader and forward observer. Terry shares with us his experiences being a Canadian coming to the US to step on the yellow footprints, his time in Hawaii, his philanthropic experiences, and what it was like for a Vietnam veteran to return to exact same place where he experienced horrific combat four decades earlier. Terry explains that the ethos the Marine Corps has taught him has been foundational throughout his life. Hope you take away as much wisdom from this conversation as we did.
Enjoy!
https://www.whatwegivebook.com/
Leatherneck magazine will be featuring an article with Terry Salman in the August addition. Please check it out when it hits the shelves, or at https://mca-marines.org/magazines/leatherneck/
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, Tai Frazier, and Nancy Lichtman. Music is “I Am The Hammer” by Soularflair.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 78: From Marine to Philanthropist with Terry Salman appeared first on MCA.
Hello, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week on MCA Scuttlebutt, the World of Wargaming Series continues with author, Marine, and prolific wargamer Major Ian T. Brown. Ian is the operations officer at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare, Marine Corps University. He is also the author of the book, “A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare”, which is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Professional Reading List, and wargames so much, he decided to create his own so he would finally have some competition. Ian joins Vic and William to discuss how wargaming has influenced his career as a Marine as well as some of the Marine Corps’ current wargaming initiatives. This is actually take 2 of this interview. Unfortunately, the audio took a total dump on us the first time, and we were really bummed because it was a great interview. But, Ian goes next level and even provides updates from our first conversation, so it was a very nice benefit of going at this twice.
Enjoy!
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, Tai Frazier, and Nancy Lichtman. Music is “I Am The Hammer” by Soularflair.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 77: World of Wargaming with Major Ian Brown appeared first on MCA.
Hello, Scuttlebutt listeners. There’s a common misconception that there are only two types of people that work at NASA: astronauts and scientists. If Hollywood has it right, the only buildings are the control center and the launching pad. And everyone in the control center is sweating profusely and chain smoking. But in reality, it takes a lot more than astronauts and scientists to contribute to mission success at NASA. This week, Vic and Nancy sit down in the studio with veteran Marines Katie Maynard, NASA’s chief of protocol, and Randolph Harris, the deputy chief of enterprise management, to talk about how their Marine Corps training prepared them for their current roles at NASA. Come and join us for a look behind the curtain as we learn that there are a lot more opportunities for veterans at NASA other than just going into space.
Enjoy!
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, Tai Frazier, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 76: From the Yellow Footprints to NASA appeared first on MCA.
Hello Scuttlebutt listeners! This week we are truly honored to have the President and CEO of the MCA, LtGen Charles Chiarotti, USMC (Ret), back on the show. March was the logistics-themed edition of the Marine Corps Gazette, so we thought there couldn’t be any logistician better (or closer to our sound studio) than the former Deputy Commandant of Installations and Logistics to talk to us about what it means when the Commandant says that logistics is the “pacing function” for operations. As we look to our pacing threat in the Indo-Pacific and first island chain, what does it mean for the Marine Corps’ vision of stand-in forces and expeditionary advanced base operations that logistics, more than any of the other warfighting functions, will dictate our operational reach. LtGen Chiarotti shares with us his views on how we can support distributed operations in a contested environment, what utility emerging tech (read: AI/ML) will have to facilitate distributed operations, and how we need to lean into the current and future generations of Marines, give them the tools, and sit back and be impressed. Ok, enough buzz words and phrases. I’m probably using old ones anyway. This is a great conversation (just because I’m supposed to say that doesn’t mean it’s not true) and I hope you all get as much out of it was William and I did.
Enjoy!
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, Tai Frazier, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 75: Logistics in a Contested Environment with LtGen Charles Chiarotti appeared first on MCA.
Hello Scuttlebutt listeners! This week Vic and Nancy have a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Adam Makos about his book, “Devotion,” about naval aviators LT Tom Hudner and ENS Jesse Brown.
Now a major motion picture, starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, Devotion is a powerful story of Hudner’s unsuccessful attempt to save his squadron mate Jesse Brown, the first Black naval aviator, after Brown’s Corsair crashed during a mission to provide air support to Marines fighting on the ground during the Korean War. Hudner received the Medal of Honor for his actions that day.
Adam tells us about earning Hudner’s trust so he could write this story of courage, perseverance and friendship. We also talk about some of his other books, namely Voices of the Pacific, an unflinching, brutal, and relentless firsthand chronicle of United States Marine Corps’ actions in the Pacific during World War II. We definitely want to have him back on the show to talk about this one!
Enjoy!
https://adammakos.com/
https://amzn.to/3lSkDlM
https://www.valorstudios.com/
https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/devotion
https://www.instagram.com/adammakos
Tweets by DevotionMovie
Tweets by AdamMakos
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, Tai Frazier, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 74: Devotion with Adam Makos appeared first on MCA.
Hello again Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining. On this World of Wargaming episode of MCA Scuttlebutt, William speaks with the CEO and Founder of Nemertes, Johna Till Johnson, on the application of wargaming in the cyber realm. Nemertes is a research-based advisory and consulting firm that analyzes the business value of emerging technologies—which involves developing new means of preventing cyber-attacks. Using lessons gleaned from Nemertes employee Col Don Vandergriff’s experiences in military and as a wargamer, Johna developed “cyberwargaming” to help companies learn how to both deter and defeat potential cyber-attacks. In doing so, her clients must embrace the tenets of the OODA Loop to overcome new threats in a world where threats in the cyber domain are increasingly present.
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, Tai Frazier, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 73: OODA Loop and Cyber-wargaming with Nemertes CEO Johna Till Johnson appeared first on MCA.
Hello again Scuttlebutt listeners. Hope Daylight Savings Time is treating you all well and that the one-hour change isn’t messing with your sleep patterns too much. If it is, go take a nap because you definitely don’t want to fall asleep on this week’s episode as we welcome Col Greg Jones and CWO5 John Costa to the studio. Col Jones and Gunner Costa hail from Weapons Training Battalion, and made the journey all the way from the west side of the I-95 here in Quantico to be part of the show, and we are so glad they did. As busy as they are, they took the time to talk to us about the new Advanced Marksmanship Training Program, how weapon proficiency and accuracy are foundational to sustaining operations as part of the Marine Corps’ new concepts of employment, and how for the first time in a long time, the Marine Corps is instituting marksmanship training our grandfathers’ grandfathers’ generation won’t be able to recognize. Hope you all take away as much from this discussion as we did. Enjoy!
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 72: Advance Marksmanship Training Program with Col Jones and Gunner Costa appeared first on MCA.
Hello Scuttlebutt listeners! Today William and Nancy sit down with Marine veteran Andrew Biggio, author of the book “The Rifle: Combat Stories from America’s Last World War II Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand.” We had a great conversation with Andrew about the real cost of war and the lessons he has learned from talking to World War II veterans, and telling their stories.
Andrew’s book can be purchased at www.TheWWIIRifle.com or on Amazon https://amzn.to/3F8XSQK.
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 71: The Rifle with Andrew Biggio appeared first on MCA.
Hey Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. We at the MCA really appreciate all your continued support. This week, we welcome Col Chris Woodbridge, USMC (Ret) and Editor of the Marine Corps Gazette to the studio to talk the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. It’s funny to say “welcome” because his office is only about thirty feet from the studio, but he was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with us. We join the feeding frenzy of media outlets, podcasts, expert pontificators and retired military officers who seem to be coming out of the woodwork discussing the state of the war. One thing we try to offer in our discussion is the so what. What does what a prolonged war in Europe mean for the Marine Corps, that is fully entrenched in the Pacific and first island chain? For China’s expansionist ambitions? Concepts such as expeditionary advanced basing and Stand-in Forces? Does this war support shifting toward the integration of advanced tech or is this a case study of how all wars end up being a conventional maneuver warfare fight? Col Woodbridge has some great insight and for anyone wanting to go beyond the surface analysis of Russia’s continued invasion, please give this episode a listen. Enjoy!
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 70: One-Year Anniversary of the War in Ukraine with Col Chris Woodbridge, USMC (Ret) appeared first on MCA.
Hello again Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we welcome Chris Pavlak, Marine ground intelligence officer and author of the book, From Lawyer to Warrior, to the show. Chris’ journey to the yellow footprints is best captured by the term, persistence, which is a theme I think resonates for all of us. We joke that failure is just an opportunity to succeed and Chris epitomizes that. He is very forthcoming about his failures in his book, as he chronicles for us the times where expectations and reality don’t seem to gel in the way that we want. But pushing through adversity not only reveals to us our true path but reveals a lot about who we truly are. Chris talks to us about his book, the cultural shifts he had to embrace as he went from aspiring lawyer to Marine officer, the value of esprit de corps, and the enriching experiences he found in the comradery of being a leader of Marines. Enjoy!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-r-pavlak-0a523730/
https://lawyertowarrior.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LawyerToWarrior/
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 69: Chris Pavlak – From Lawyer to Warrior appeared first on MCA.
William sits down with one of his wargaming opponents, the author, historian, former Marine, and Army officer, Donald Vandergriff. The two discuss Donald’s wargaming experience and expertise and give an overview of their current wargame scenario: Wargame Design Studio’s Overland Campaign, Crossing the James (an American Civil War scenario). Can Donald’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia stop William’s Army of the Potomac from taking Petersburg and Richmond? Tune in later to hear an AAR of the battle.
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 68: World of Wargaming with Donald Vandergriff appeared first on MCA.
In this episode of Scuttlebutt, Vic sits down with LtCol David Kelly USMC (ret), Marine Corps historian and the author of the book, Hell in the Streets of Husaybah. In April 2004, while fighting in Iraq raged throughout Al Anbar Province, most of the attention was focused on Fallujah. However, at the same time, out west in a little town on the border of Syria, fighting was just as intense and went mostly unnoticed. As a field historian, LtCol Kelly was there within weeks of the battle, and his book chronicles the firsthand accounts of the Marines who fought in Husaybah from interviews conducted at all levels – the battalion commander to the infantrymen walking point.
LtCol Kelly talks to us about his experiences as a Marine, his path to becoming a field historian, his motivations for writing this book, and what he would like for readers to take away from it. There is a sense of immediacy in the narrative of this book and he was kind enough to take the time to recount his perspectives with us. We hope you enjoy the interview and if you haven’t had the chance, please go check out Hell in the Street of Husaybah.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kelly-4781a7132/
https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Streets-Husaybah-Battalion-Marines/dp/1636241506
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 67: Hell in the Streets of Husaybah with LtCol David Kelly appeared first on MCA.
This week on MCA Scuttlebutt, William meets with John Currie. John is a retired Marine who served as a helicopter pilot in the Balkans as well as several combat tours in the Middle East. John, who was working in Iraq at the time of the recording, also offers some insight on recent developments in the country. John is also the founder of Semper Savage, a company specializing in sauces and salad dressings.
https://sempersavage.com/
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 66: Semper Savage with John Currie appeared first on MCA.
Happy Lunar New Year, Scuttlebutt listeners. I hope the Year of the Cat is off to a start for everyone. This week, we welcome Dr. Michael Hunzeker for first ever segment crossover – Strait Talk and World of Wargaming (Strait Wargaming? War Talk?) – discussing the recent CSIS wargame of a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait (spoiler alert: everyone dies!) Just a few weeks ago, the Center for Strategic and International Studies published results of their recent wargame of a Chinese amphibious invasion of Taiwan. Vic, William, and Dr. Hunzeker discuss the results, the benefits and drawbacks of these types of simulations, and the harsh realities of conducting war in the Taiwan Strait. Dr. Hunezeker recently returned from a trip to Taiwan, so his on-the-ground perspective is really interesting. He’s back doing in-person classes at George Mason University in the spring, so if you’re looking to take a class in strategic studies or feel like your GI Bill is burning a hole in your pocket, check him out. Hope you all enjoy the show and thanks for your continued support. Chuc Mung Nam Moi!
https://www.csis.org/analysis/first-battle-next-war-wargaming-chinese-invasion-taiwan
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 65: Michael Hunzeker appeared first on MCA.
Welcome to MCA Scuttlebutt’s new series: World of Wargaming. In this series, we will discuss the application of wargaming as a teaching tool. For our first episode in this series, William sits down with the Director of Wargaming at the Krulak Center for Innovation & Future Warfare, Marine Corps University, Tim Barrick. They discuss how wargaming should be used for PME, the future of Marine Corps wargaming, and their own experiences with wargaming.
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 64: Tim Barrick appeared first on MCA.
Hello again, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are joined by Kacy Tellessen, veteran Marine infantryman and author of the book, Freaks of a Feather. He comes to us from Spokane, WA where is attending Gonzaga Law School. Kacy joined the infantry directly out of high school and deployed twice to Iraq as a machine gunner with Second Battalion, Third Marines from 2005-2009. Freaks of Feather is a memoir that reads like narrative non-fiction. His wonderful prose takes the reader through more than just a, “so there I was” retelling and explores not only the nuances of being a Marine in combat and the challenges of being a combat veteran returning home, but of being a young man trying to find your place in a world that you aren’t sure you truly fit into. His book is a must read and we were so happy to spend time talking to him about his time in the Marines, the genesis of the book and the process of writing. Hope you take away as much from it as we did. Enjoy!
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 63: Kacy Tellessen appeared first on MCA.
Miles Vining returns to recount his experiences working as a historical consultant for the 2021 Chinese film, “The Battle at Lake Changjin.” Grossing over $900 million, “The Battle at Lake Changjin” offers a historically dubious account of the Korean War from the Chinese perspective, including depictions of the Battle of Inchon, the Chinese counteroffensive, the destruction of Task Force Faith, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and the UN withdrawal from North Korea.
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 62: Miles Vining and Battle at Lake Changjin appeared first on MCA.
This week we welcome to the show, Navy Cross recipient and author of the book, Shadow of the Sword, Jeremiah Workman to talk to us about his amazing journey from Ohio native, to his time with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, to writing his book, to being on the GOP ticket for deputy governor of Ohio.
He shares with us his thoughts on everything from stepping on the yellow footprints to returning home and wanting to be a vehicle for change. Jeremiah is a super interesting guy and I think you all will take a lot away from his perspective, especially for in the process of transition, particularly those dealing with the mental health challenges of returning from combat. I know we all certainly did.
You can find Jeremiah’s book, Shadow of the Sword, here:
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Sword-Marines-Journey-Redemption/dp/034551212X
And for those in Ohio, you can find him on the campaign trail coming in 2023.
Produced by Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 61: Jeremiah Workman appeared first on MCA.
Writer Geoff Roecker joined us in studio recently to talk about how the search for information about a family member’s death on Saipan in 1944 led him to become a volunteer MIA researcher. We also talked about his book, “Leaving Mac Behind,” his website, MissingMarines.com and his articles for Leatherneck. As an added bonus, there
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 60: Missing Marines with Geoff Roecker appeared first on MCA.
Ben Kesling—journalist, author, and Marine combat veteran—joined us to discuss his newly released book, “Bravo Company: An Afghanistan Deployment and Its Aftermath.” “Bravo Company” recounts the experiences of a company from the 82nd Airborne Division as they grappled with the enemy in the Arghandab Valley of Afghanistan before then returning and readjusting to civilian life.
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 59: ““Bravo Company” by Ben Kesling appeared first on MCA.
Join us for the 39th anniversary of the devastating bombing of the Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut as we talk to Elisa Camera and Michael Ivey about their documentary project “We Came In Peace” which chronicles the stories of those who were there in 1983. Elisa, who lost her brother, Mecot, in the bombing and
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 58: “We Came In Peace” Talking about Beirut and Making a Documentary appeared first on MCA.
Dr. Theresa Schulz (LtCol Air Force Ret.) and Dr. Amy Boudin-George are some of the most preeminent hearing experts in the country and they have devoted their pursuits to helping combat hearing damage in our warfighters. Naturally, we really needed a science lesson to get Nick and Vic up to speed on how hearing works
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 57: Sound, Noise, Hearing, How to Pronounce Tinnitus. Audiology appeared first on MCA.
Andy Hesterman and his lifelong friend Rob Einaudi joined us on Scuttlebutt to chat it up about Andy’s broad-reaching experiences from 25 years in the Marine Corps and some of the effort it took turn those experiences into the excellent book “Radioman.” Andy served as a Radioman with ANGLICO in the Gulf War, became a
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 56: “Radioman” by Andy Hesterman and Rob Einaudi appeared first on MCA.
It is hard to believe that in 8 short months, Ukraine has gone from having a lightly armed and trained Territorial Defense Force, to defending its capital city from one of the world’s most powerful militaries, to now possessing one of the best trained and equipped armies in the world. The turnaround in Ukraine is
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 55: Ukrainian Counteroffensive appeared first on MCA.
Hello everyone. Recently we welcomed to the studio Amy Rupertus Peacock and Don Brown, authors of “Old Breed General: How Marine Corps General William H. Rupertus Broke the Back of the Japanese in World War II from Guadalcanal to Peleliu” for an awesome and informative conversation. Among many things, General William H. Rupertus is the author of the
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 54: Old Breed General appeared first on MCA.
Amy Rupertus Peacock and Don Brown, authors of “Old Breed General: How Marine Corps General William H. Rupertus Broke the Back of the Japanese in World War II from Guadalcanal to Peleliu” joined us in studio for an awesome and informative conversation. We chat about the author of the Rifleman’s Creed, General William H. Rupertus,
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 54: “Old Breed General” William H. Rupertus appeared first on MCA.
National Museum of the Marine Corps Aviation Curator Dr. Larry Burke joined us on Scuttlebutt this week to talk about Marine Corps Aviation. Dive into the very birth of aviation from the invention of the airplane, through the birth of armed forces aviation, then World War I and into the Caribbean and Central America as
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 53: At Dawn of Airpower with Dr. Larry Burke appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt Vic and Nancy lift the veil on the American Legion with Elizabeth Hartman, formerly a Cryptologic Linguist in the Corps, and now the Commander AL Post 539. Elizabeth’s journey began became a Marine to break out of New Cairo, Ohio, and has led to her current job as a financial advisor
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 52: Elizabeth Hartman, The American Legion, and Best Friends appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt Vic and William sit down with best selling author Nick Reynolds, writer of the sterling “Need to Know” which covers the rise of American Intelligence during World War II. From his experience in 1975 when he was told “You don’t want to be in Intel,” through his USMC and CIA career,
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 51: “Need to Know” Author Nick Reynolds appeared first on MCA.
Sara Bock joins us for a special 50th episode of Scuttlebutt! From her interview with Charles Bolden at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, to her stories about John Warner, to her story about Randy Norfleet, a survivor of the Oklahoma City Bombing, to her work cover PTSD and more, Sara’s Leatherneck articles represent a “Greatest
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 50: Telling Marine’s Stories with Sara Bock Leatherneck Staff Writer appeared first on MCA.
Learn about Marine Corps Mustangs and their national association this week with William and Vic as they chat with Ronald Cookson, a retired CWO-5 who serves as the national secretary of the Marine Corps Mustangs Association. Beyond chatting about what Mustangs are, and how enlisted Marines become Chief Warrant Officers or 2nd Lieutenants, they dive
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 49: Marine Corps Mustangs with CW0-5 Ronald Cookson USMC, (Ret) appeared first on MCA.
In light of the recent trip to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the subsequent saber-rattling by China, now seems as good of a time as any to start keeping regular tabs on the Taiwan Strait. Dr. Hunzeker, who has studied the military, political, social, economic, and historical factors that have created one
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 48: “Strait Talk” with Dr. Michael Hunzeker appeared first on MCA.
Miles Vining returns to Scuttlebutt to chat with us about the immediate fallout after the US pullout in Afghanistan. He and some of his fellow Free Burma Rangers spent time in the mountainous regions on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, helping refugees where and how they could. Its an eye-opening discussion about a region of the world
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 46: Miles Vining talks Afghanistan Aftermath appeared first on MCA.
General Langley is the first four-star general in Marine Corps history and we celebrate the occasion by chatting a little bit about the history of USMC generals and the challenges General Langley will face in his new job leading American Forces in Africa. We also dive into the recent ACV rollover in Camp Pendleton and
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 45: General Langley, ACV Rollover, and arguments against FD2030 appeared first on MCA.
Friend of the show Maj Tom Schueman and his Afghan interpreter, friend, and brother Zainullah “Zak” Zaki have written “Always Faithful”, which describes their parallel lives, converging paths, and unbreakable bond in the face of overwhelming danger, culminating in Zak and his family’s harrowing escape from Kabul. After getting our hands on an early copy of
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 45: “Always Faithful” with Maj Tom Schueman appeared first on MCA.
The team is trying something new this week, segments! Catch up with Gazette, Leatherneck, Friends of the Show and a bit of history as we dive into the MEB, Modern Day Marine, Saipan, and catch up with a bunch of our previous guests! Thanks to Service Credit Union for supporting us, check them out! https://servicecu.org/
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 44: Analyzing the MEB? Shore to Shore off Saipan? appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt we dive into the recently published MCDP-8: Information and talk about this 7th function of warfighting. We also chime in on Marinus’ arguments about Russians employing maneuver warfare in Ukraine, whether or not China is benefitting from the state of the globe, and we even touch on a post Nazarbayev Kazakhstan
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 43: MCDP-8 Information, Maneuvering in Russia? appeared first on MCA.
Happy Independence Day! Jon Bernstein and Sam Lichtman join Nick, William, and Nancy to chat about one of the most iconic weapons of war, the M1 Garand. Mr. Bernstein, who works at the National Museum of the Marine Corps is part of the team that is restoring and bringing a unique rifle from the Makin
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 42: The M1 Garand, A True Classic appeared first on MCA.
Dr. Adam Hunzeker, who served as an Army Psychiatrist prior to his work in private practice, joined Vic to peel back the layers of PTSD causes, awareness and treatment. They investigate the biological causes of PTSD, the history of our understanding of it, and the resistance many feel about getting treated for it. Our understanding
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 41: PTSD Awareness with Dr Adam Hunzeker appeared first on MCA.
Vic sat down with Nick Kalt to dig deep into his career, first as a combat engineer in the Marines and then as a firefighter in Long Beach, California. Listen to this great episode that covers a lot of ground, from talking about how Marines in the Middle East were doing good things, regardless of
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 40: Nick Kalt, Doing Good in Dangerous Situations appeared first on MCA.
Aeron Sullivan, who, during his eight years in the Marine Corps, tested the ACV prototypes and developed a wide toolbelt of leadership and decision making skills and has been able to parley that into a successful career of “democratizing” various industries, from marijuana, to Bible education, and now onto currency exchanges allowed Vic into his
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 39: Aeron Sullivan, Marines by Nature are Industrious appeared first on MCA.
GySgt Benjie Manibog, USMC (Ret), was an anti-authoritarian youth turned MARSOC Raider and is the CEO of Thrash-N-Raid, a Southern California skateboard company and Operations Officer of Six Feet Above, a veteran outreach foundation that uses skateboarding to build veteran community. From the fateful day he met a Marine Recruiter who helped him clean up
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 38: Benjie Manibog, Making it Happen with Thrash-N-Raid and Six Feet Above appeared first on MCA.
GySgt Raymond Branham, USMC (Ret), is a Quality Engineering Program Manager for the ATACMS system at Lockheed Martin. Anxious to join the Corps, he enlisted at 16, celebrated his 18th birthday at boot camp, spent 21 years in the Marines where he worked on Harriers and Sabreliners, before taking advantage of educational resources to continue
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 37: Ray Branham, Enlisted Young to Work on Aircraft, Now at Lockheed Martin appeared first on MCA.
SgtMaj Justin LeHew has stopped by the studio this week to talk about his upcoming adventure, The Long Road, to walk across America along our county’s longest road, US Hwy 20. He’ll be joined by fellow retired SgtMaj Coleman “Rocky” Kinzer, and they are departing from the USS Constitution in Boston on June 6 and
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 36: SgtMaj LeHew is Walking Across America with SgtMaj “Rocky” Kinser appeared first on MCA.
This week Vic sits down with Paul Greive, a former ground intelligence officer turned SoCal sustainable, certified wildlife friendly pasture-raised chicken farmer. His company, Pasturebird, is a wholesale pasture poultry operation located just a few miles east of Camp Pendleton, where Paul spent much of his fleet time. Paul talks to us about how his
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 35: “Farmer” Paul Greive from Marine Intelligence to Chicken Farming appeared first on MCA.
Col Tim Hough fills in for Vic this week behind the big microphone at Scuttlebutt, and joins Nick and Nancy as they explore the practical effects of Force Design and Talent Management. As one of the key Marines facilitating Amphibious Combat Vehicles to units, Col Hough talks about working with contractors, both at home and
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 34: Bringing ACVs to Marines, Talent Management, and Top Gun with Col Hough appeared first on MCA.
Scuttlebutt loves good stories and Kris Battles, the Artist in Residence of the Marine Corps, and combat artist Elize McKelvey join us in studio to talk about capturing the Corps through combat art. We learned a lot, from their Marine Corps journeys, to what art captures that photography doesn’t, why the Marine Corps has an
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 33: Capturing the Corps through Art with Kris Battles and Elize McKelvey appeared first on MCA.
Stephen Canty sat down with William to talk about his stunning documentary “Once A Marine” available on Amazon Prime. Canty, who served two tours in Afghanistan, including Marjah, spent seven years on the documentary and takes us on the journey of what it meant to make the film, how to listen to veterans, and the
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 32: “Once A Marine” filmmaker Stephen Canty appeared first on MCA.
Dr. Marc DeVore, a Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, is an expert on the political economy of defense, the international arms trade, military innovation, and more joined Vic and William to help us understand Russia’s military and how we were so far off the target when it came to the
The post Scuttlebutt Ep 31: Dr. Marc DeVore’s insights on Russia appeared first on MCA.
In this edition of Scuttlebutt Col Woodbridge joins Vic and William to discuss military writing for professional defense journals such as Marine Corps Gazette. Learn the broad strokes from argumentative, fact-supported positioning, to knowing the publication’s audience, to avoiding plagiarism. If you or someone you know is contemplating writing for a military journal, listen in
The post Scuttlebutt Writer’s Guide appeared first on MCA.
Everyone here at Scuttlebutt is blown away by the resolve and the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people as they face down Russian missiles, tanks, and soon, maybe even conscripted soldiers. Nick, Vic, and Will explore the war in Ukraine and some of the directions it has taken and touch on the global interconnectivity of
The post Scuttlebutt 29: Ukraine Week 6 appeared first on MCA.
Irony: We pushed back our episode with Col Milburn to cover Ukraine. Now, he is in Ukraine. We sat down with Col Andrew Milburn, USMC (Ret), author of When the Tempest Gathers, writer of articles across the internet, and one of the most interesting humans on the planet. Before he was a Marine, Andrew Milburn
The post Scuttlebutt 28: Col Milburn’s Journey appeared first on MCA.
Recently retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Denise Barnes joined Nick, Vic, and William in studio to educate us on an MOS we know so little about: Corrections. The trailblazing Barnes, along with one other, was one of the first women to achieve CW04 within the MOS, and we were lucky to have her because she
The post Scuttlebutt 27: Marines in the Brig with CW04 Denise Barnes, USMC (Ret) appeared first on MCA.
In what was originally recorded as an Amphibiosity interview shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our talk about Taiwan’s defensive posture takes on a whole new meaning. In light of Ukraine’s valiant defense, inflicting heavy losses on a numerically superior enemy, we look to the Far East to see if we can’t apply any
The post Scuttlebutt 26: Talking Taiwan with Dr. Hunzeker appeared first on MCA.
Nick, Vic, and Will are joined by Col Woodbridge, USMC (Ret), Editor of Marine Corps Gazette and using Clausewitz’ cause for war analyze why the Russians and Ukrainians are each fighting, how it impacts NATO and the EU, and talk about whether or not the US can support a Ukrainian insurgency, should the Russians win
The post Scuttlebutt 25: Ukraine Invasion Week 2 appeared first on MCA.
Nick, Vic, and Will dig into Maneuver Warfare and bring everyone up to speed on a long-running segment in The Gazette “Maneuverist Papers” by Marinus. For eighteen months Marinus has been exploring and establishing what Maneuver Warfare is and what it means, lulling the Gazette staff and readers into a sense of ease and familiarity
The post Scuttlebutt 24: Marinus’ Maneuverist Paper #19 appeared first on MCA.
Nick, Vic, and Will try to wrap their arms around the situation in Ukraine. Knowing that we can’t keep up with the rapidly evolving situation on the ground, we go over some of the geopolitical history that lead to this point, speculate on where this could lead, and try to paint as complete of a
The post Scuttlebutt 23: Russia Invades Ukraine! appeared first on MCA.
Chaplain Captain Rabbi Mendy Stern, USA, joined Vic and Nancy to bring our Four Chaplains series to a satisfying end. He expanded our understanding of the Four Chaplains story, took us through a day of a Chaplain working at Arlington National Cemetery, used his own trailblazing story to expand of religious accommodations in the military,
The post Scuttlebutt 22: Four Chaplains Part 4 – CAPT Rabbi Stern appeared first on MCA.
Scuttlebutt’s first ever Mini Pod! In less than 10 minutes, learn about some of what the Coast Guard was contributing to World War II and dig a little bit deeper into the USCGC Escanaba, one of the three Coast Guard vessels escorting the convoy on the night the USAT Dorchester was sunk. Four Chaplains Month
The post Scuttlebutt Mini Pod: USCGC Escanaba appeared first on MCA.
COL James Driscoll (Ret) joins Scuttlebutt for the third part in our Four Chaplains Month special. COL Driscoll is the Special Assistant To The President at Wesley Theological Seminary overseeing the military chaplain doctoral program and a hospital chaplain at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. This week he takes us on an exploration of chaplaincy from his
The post Scuttlebutt 20: Four Chaplains Part 3 – COL James Driscoll, USA (Ret.) appeared first on MCA.
Four Chaplain’s Month continues as RADM Alan T. “Blues’ Baker joined Vic to talk all things chaplaincy. As the 16th Chaplain of the Marine Corps who literally wrote the book on chaplaincy, Foundations of Chaplaincy, there was nobody better to learn from. From stories about his marksmanship badges to baptisms, “Blues” Baker will keep you
The post Scuttlebutt 19: Four Chaplains Part 2 – RADM Alan T. “Blues” Baker appeared first on MCA.
Bill Kaemmer, MSG (US Army – Ret.) Executive Director, Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, joins us to kick off our Four Chaplains special series, running throughout February. We learn all about the the build-up of the chaplain corps after World War I, and the story of the Four Chaplains and the doomed USAT Dorchester. As a former
The post Scuttlebutt 18: Four Chaplains Part 1 – Bill Kaemmer appeared first on MCA.
In this episode of Scuttlebutt, Nick, Vick and William dig into some of the big news items from around the world, including the USMC clearing ACVs for service, an accident involving a F-35 in the South China Sea, coups in Africa, and the ongoing situation in Ukraine. We also dig into some of the different
The post Scuttlebutt 17: Ukraine, Africa, F-35 Crash, and ACVs appeared first on MCA.
Col. Andrew Milburn, USMC (Ret), joined us in the booth to talk about Amphibiosity. Col Milburn is the author of the superb When the Tempest Gathers and draws from his vast experience in the Corps, especially the fight against ISIS, to help us continue our exploration into what truly defines the Marine Corps combat capabilities,
The post Scuttlebutt 16: Amphibiosity #3, More Creativity in the Corps appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt: Vic sits down with actor Geoff Stults to get the scoop on what it means for an actor to take on the role of someone from the military and how military advisors help actors to accurately portray warfighting personnel. We learned about Geoff’s affiliation with Merging Vets and Players (MVP) an
The post Scuttlebutt 15: Geoff Stults, Actor Extraordinaire appeared first on MCA.
Col Tim Hough rejoins the Scuttlebutt to talk about the importance of the Marine Corps maintaining amphibious capabilities as we compete with China, our near peer adversary. Vic, Will, and Col Hough compare the Army to the Marine Corps in culture and capability as it pertains to executing Expeditionary and Advanced Base Operations. Finally, we
The post Scuttlebutt 14: Why the USMC Needs to be Amphibious. Amphibiosity 2 appeared first on MCA.
Then Major, now Lieutenant Colonel, Adam Yang joined us in the studio to talk about a few different education opportunities for Marines, including the PhD program he participated in. We then dive into his work bringing Destination Unknown to life, which included a fortuitous lunch at My Deli in Quantico. Destination Unknown is a graphic
The post Scuttlebutt 13: LtCol Adam Yang and Destinations Unknown appeared first on MCA.
tale of Pvt Bill Turner, but veering into more lighthearted fare as we peruse ancient December editions of Leatherneck Magazine for dinner menus, old advertisements, and poetry.
The post Scuttlebutt 12: Christmases Past appeared first on MCA.
Deterrence is more likely to prevail the more we are thinking in worst case scenarios.
The post Scuttlebutt 11: Dr. Michael Hunzeker, ACT Theory appeared first on MCA.
What is a scuttlebutt? Really, its time to learn why the logo looks like that. In other news, we dive into the Marine Corps COVID vaccination rate this week, as well as the congressional budget, the natural development of refugee enclaves and, most importantly, whether or not Thomas Jefferson would be able to use a
The post Scuttlebutt 10: Vaccinations, Budgets, Scuttlebutts appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt we talk a little bit about the Afghan refugees in America and what we can all do to help before diving into an engaging conversation with Col Tim Hough. Col Hough is the Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault and plays a key role in the fulfilling the requirements of the
The post Scuttlebutt 9: Col Tim Hough “Professionals Talk Bandwidth” appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt we take a listen to a few Commandant Berger and ACMC Smith’s recent remarks at MCA What is a force defining capability? Why are Marines amphibious? What does it mean to be amphibious? How deep does the rabbit hole go? We crack open the egg of what the expeditionary Marines are
The post Scuttlebutt 8: Amphibiosity 1 appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt we take a listen to a few Commandant Berger and ACMC Smith’s recent remarks at MCA events regarding Force Design 2030. Nick, Vic, and William spend some time discussing how the Marine Corps needs to outpace China and what outpacing actually means, intellectual diversity, talent management, how to tap into the
The post Scuttlebutt 7: Force Design 2030 appeared first on MCA.
Happy Birthday Marines! As part of our 246th Birthday celebration we get to know our new CEO LtGen Charles Chiarotti, USMC (Ret). We dig into his experiences as a Marine, from almost becoming an draft dodger in his native Italy and his belief that citizenship comes with a price, to a career of Marine Corps
The post Scuttlebutt 6: LtGen Charles Chiarotti appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt we bring you Maj Tom Schueman: Infantry Marine and Dad. Vic sat down with Tom recently to talk about his article published in this month’s Gazette, where he chronicles his experiences in Afghanistan, being in the thick of the hardest fighting Marines had been involved in since Vietnam, and the Real.
The post Scuttlebutt 5: Maj Tom Schueman appeared first on MCA.
This week on Scuttlebutt we continue our reflection on Afghanistan with Will Schick. Mr. Schick, who served as a Police Advisor for Afghan National Police, discusses the complexity of telling the story of the war, its complicated legacy, and more, in addition to talking about growing up in an immigrant family, his transition into becoming a
The post Scuttlebutt 4: Will Schick appeared first on MCA.
Miles Vining is a jack-of-all trades who enlisted into the Marines and served with The Walking Dead in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. His book, Into Helmand with the Walking Dead is a must read for anyone seeking the ground-level experience of a Marine in Afghanistan. You can read an excerpt from Leatherneck Magazine here. Serving in
The post Scuttlebutt 3: Miles Vining appeared first on MCA.
Part 2 of the amazing SgtMaj Justin LeHew! In this half of the interview the SgtMaj goes into detail about his 10 point system to signal its time for a change, resume writing and History Flight! Nick and Vic also talk a little bit about the recent nuclear submarine treaty with Australia and Force Design
The post Scuttlebutt 2: SgtMaj Justin LeHew Part 2 appeared first on MCA.
We had the great honor of hosting SgtMaj Justin LeHew, USMC (Ret) for our first ever interview and it was everything we’d hoped for and more. There is a lot to admire about the character and career of the SgtMaj, but as a fellow amtracker, Vic’s excitement was notched all the way to 11. In
The post Scuttlebutt 1: SgtMaj Justin LeHew Part 1 appeared first on MCA.
Scuttlebutt is a podcast for Marines by Marines. We will be exploring the unseen stories of Marines, past and present. These unseen stories are the foundation of the storied history of the Marine Corps, as well as it’s yet unwritten future. We will be having some great conversations with some really awesome guests, discussing issues
The post Scuttlebutt 0: Introduction appeared first on MCA.
Written by Sara W. Bock During the early years of OIF, a group of Marine Corps wives formed an organization to provide assistance and support to wounded Marines and Sailors and their families. Today, Semper Fi Fund has given more than $187 million to help 22,000 of America’s heroes from all branches of the Armed
The post From the Archive: Keeping Up With the Terrain appeared first on MCA.
Written by Sara W. Bock Service to the Armed Forces has long been an integral part of the Red Cross mission, and Marines have come to trust them to be there in their time of need.
The post From the Archive: “A Trusted Symbol”: For More Than a Century, The American Red Cross has Faithfully Served Marines in Crisis appeared first on MCA.
By R.R. Keene The second in the two-part historical account of the attempt to eliminate the Marine Corps and the efforts of a small group of Marine officers who risked everything to ensure the Corps continued in service to the nation.
The post From the Archive: Intrigue and Skullduggery (part 2) appeared first on MCA.
By R.R. Keene A cautionary tale, this two-part historical account describes the numerous attempts, almost since the Corps’ inception, to do away with the Marine Corps.
The post From the Archive: Intrigue and Skullduggery (part 1) appeared first on MCA.
Written by Sara W. Bock and read by Col Timothy S. Mundy, USMC (Ret) U.S. and Royal Marines have worked together during multiple campaigns and operations. Today, through exchange programs and other training venues, the strong relationship continues.
The post From the Archive: Royal Marines in the U.S. appeared first on MCA.
Written and read by Nancy S. Lichtman On May 5, 1961, CDR Alan Shepard became the first American in space when his Freedom 7 spacecraft was launched atop a Redstone rocket. He returned to Earth after a 15-minute suborbital flight, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. It was time for Marine Corps aviators to do
The post From the Archive: Spacecraft Recovery appeared first on MCA.
By Maj Allan C. Bevilacqua, USMC (Ret) SgtMaj Jacob Charles Vouza’s heroism saved the lives of countless Marines on Guadalcanal and set an example for all Marines. “He was an awful mess. I could hardly bear to look at him. After he chewed free of his bonds, he set off to contact the Marines, but
The post From the Archive: Coastwatcher Vouza appeared first on MCA.
By Nancy S. Lichtman as appeared in Leatherneck November 2020 With excavation sites in Europe and in the Pacific, History Flight is a nonprofit search and recovery organization with a 93 percent success rate of locating military personnel previously deemed unrecoverable.
The post From the Archive: Until They All Come Home appeared first on MCA.
By BGen David J. Furness, USMC and the staff of the Office of Legislative Affairs, read by Nick Wilson as appeared in Leatherneck December 2015 There are few legislators who have served as Marines and few who understand the Corps’ interests, needs and capabilities. A handful of business-suited Marines have the crucial job of ensuring
The post From the Archive: Marines on Capitol Hill appeared first on MCA.
Crow’s Nest By SSgt Jim Elliott, USMC From Leatherneck Magazine January 2021This article from the Leatherneck archives tells the story of 2nd Bn, 1st Marines, atop a peak of Marble Mountain where they served as the “eyes” for U.S. forces in Da Nang. Their primary mission was to spot enemy rocket sites aimed at Da
The post From the Archive: Crow’s Nest appeared first on MCA.
In keeping with the Commandant’s Planning Guidance and its emphasis on Naval integration and meeting the demands of the Naval Fleet, Vice Admiral William R. Merz, Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet, spoke to the Marines gathered at the Camp Butler Officer’s Club about the history and the future of the Marine Corps and Navy’s relationship as
The post 2020 Professional Event Series: VADM Merz in Okinawa appeared first on MCA.
At the 2019 MCA&F Ground Dinner, The Commandant, General David H. Berger, provided an overview of the Marine Corps’ planning process for the next 10 years to emphasize its roll as an “Inside Force” in control of “Contested maritime space in support of fleet operations.”
The post Professional Event Series: Ep 11 Gen David H. Berger "Inside Force" appeared first on MCA.
From the Marine Corps Association & Foundations 2019 Combat Development Dinner, General James N. Mattis, USMC (Ret) former Secretary of Defense, spoke on a range of topics from getting his Marines surrounded in the desert to the Commandant’s Planning Guidance of General Berger. He shared stories of his time in Washington and answered questions about
The post Professional Event Series: Ep 10 Gen James N. Mattis at the Combat Development Dinner appeared first on MCA.
From the 26 September, 2019 Intelligence Awards Dinner in Crystal City, Virginia: LtGen Lori E. Reynolds spoke of the evolution of Marine Corps Intelligence, how video games are more active than social media these days, and how it is “No longer The big that eat the small. It is the fast that eat the slow.”
The post Professional Event Series: Ep 9 LtGen Lori E. Reynolds “Its the Fast that eat the Slow” appeared first on MCA.
From the 16 September, 2019 Wounded Warrior Leadership Awards. Lieutenant General Eric Smith speaks about the importance of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, recognizing the individual efforts of the awards recipients, and the MCA&F.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep 8 LtGen Eric M. Smith "This Is Important" appeared first on MCA.
From the 15 August 2019, Mr. James F. Geurts spoke at the MCA&F Acquisition Awards Dinner about the acquisition community within the Marine Corps.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 7 Mr. James Geurts "The Acquisition Community" appeared first on MCA.
From the 3 May 2018 Marine Corps Association & Foundation Ground Awards Dinner, Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Robert B. Neller spoke about imminent changes within the Ground Combat Element.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 6 General Robert B. Neller "Change within the GCE" appeared first on MCA.
At the 2019 MCA&F C4 Awards dinner, LtGen Brian D. Beaudrealt spoke about asymmetrical warfare and how in the future the Marines must be an information enabled MAGTF.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 5 LtGen Beaudreault "An Information Enabled MAGTF" appeared first on MCA.
At the MCA&F Intelligence Awards Dinner in September, 2012, 35th Commandant General James F. Amos, USMC (Ret) spoke about the value of intelligence in the Middle East, especially as it relates to phase 4 operations.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 4 Gen Amos on the Value of Intelligence in Phase 4 Ops appeared first on MCA.
General Robert B. Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps, speaks at his last MCA&F Dinner as Commandant and reflects on his time in the Corps and his tenure as Commandant at the May 2019 Ground Awards Dinner.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 3 Gen Neller On his time in the Corps appeared first on MCA.
John “Jay” Rogers is a veteran Marine and the President, CEO and co-founder of Local Motors, a next generation US-based car company that is changing the way cars are designed and built. He spoke at the 2017 MCA&F Logistics Awards Dinner about the future of manufacturing. You can find LtGen Dana’s introduction online at https://mca-marines.org/professional-dinner-podcast/
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 2 Rogers On the Future of Manufacturing appeared first on MCA.
The Honorable Thomas B. Modley, Undersecretary of the Navy, spoke with the Marine of II MEF about agility and the US armed forces. From the MCA&F II MEF Dinner, Camp Lejeune, 10 April 2019.
The post Professional Event Series: Ep. 1 Modly talks Agility appeared first on MCA.
“All I Ask For is Balanced Reporting” – General Alfed M. Gray Jr., 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, provides his perspective on the media in this 2010 interview
The post Corps Voices: Episode 8, Gen Alfred M. Gray Jr. appeared first on MCA.