Pride in the Marine Corps

PRIDE OF THE MARINE CORPS

Standards and regulations need to be upheld and understood by all ranks in the Marine Corps. To many times I have seen do as I say and not what I do from staff non commissioned officers and officers. Marine Corps orders are written for every Marine and not broken up by rank or which one you want to enforce. Marines in some Military occupational specialty feel like the orders do not pertain to them. They feel that their jobs are more important than the institution that they are in. Knowing your job is very important but it is not the only thing that a Marine should know, they should understand the rules and regulations that the Marine Corps has put into play for many years. There is an oath and code that is taken by all Marines to uphold the institution and to train junior Marines regardless of officers or enlisted. I have been deployed and I have noticed that certain Marines feel they are better than the institution and do not need to follow the rules and regulations of the Marine Corps. The regulations and orders do not say you can follow them either in garrison or in combat they are followed the same regardless where you are. Some Marines think they can apply them when they want to, or what ever the case is. The rules are for every Marines regardless where you are at and who you are.

I think to myself how did we get to this point, what happened over the years to put the Marine Corps where it is today. Many things come to my mind; the Marines Corps did a massive push to bump up he numbers to prepare the forces for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the generation that it really applies to the 202 thousand generation where the Marine Corps pushed the total numbers up due to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have noticed that the Marines that fit into this area are the Marines that came in during the beef up for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Then I also have to look at the lack of staff non commissioned...