R 221540Z OCT 10
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 039/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/PASSING OF THE COLORS//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. AS YOUR COMMANDANT I WANT TO SAY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU... FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR NATION AT A CRITICAL TIME IN ITS HISTORY, FOR WHAT I KNOW HAVE BEEN YOUR MANY SACRIFICES, FOR YOUR CONTINUED COURAGE IN THE FACE OF GREAT DANGER AND, FINALLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FIDELITY TO EACH OTHER, TO OUR MISSION AND TO OUR CORPS. OUR PERFORMANCE AT HOME AND ABROAD, IN GARRISON AND IN COMBAT, HAS EARNED US THE RIGHT TO STAND PROUDLY IN THE LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS LINE OF MARINES WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE.
2. THROUGHOUT THIS REMARKABLE PERIOD IN OUR HISTORY, GENERAL CONWAY AND HIS WIFE ANNETTE HAVE LED OUR CORPS WITH WISDOM, STRENGTH AND GRACE. THEIR MANY INITIATIVES WILL SERVE US WELL AS OUR CORPS CONTINUES ITS MARCH INTO UNCERTAIN TIMES. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP, AND ON BEHALF OF THE MARINE CORPS FAMILY, BONNIE AND I WISH THEM GODSPEED.
3. WHILE WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON COMBAT OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS MUST CONSIDER THE LIKELY CHALLENGES OF THE NEXT TWO DECADES AND HOW THE CORPS WILL MEET THEM. THE FUTURE WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD WE KNEW PRIOR TO THE ATTACKS ON 9-11. THROUGH INNOVATION AND A WILLINGNESS TO ADAPT, WE WILL REMAIN AMERICA'S EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN READINESS.
4. MY PRIORITIES AS COMMANDANT:
- WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE BEST TRAINED AND EQUIPPED MARINE UNITS TO AFGHANISTAN. THIS WILL NOT CHANGE. THIS REMAINS OUR TOP PRIORITY.
- WE WILL REBALANCE OUR CORPS, POSTURE IT FOR THE FUTURE AND AGGRESSIVELY EXPERIMENT WITH AND IMPLEMENT NEW CAPABILITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
- WE WILL BETTER EDUCATE AND TRAIN OUR MARINES TO SUCCEED IN DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONS AND INCREASINGLY COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS.
- WE WILL KEEP FAITH WITH OUR MARINES, OUR SAILORS AND OUR FAMILIES.
5. ON 29 OCTOBER, I WILL RELEASE MY COMMANDANT'S PLANNING GUIDANCE. I DIRECT EVERY MARINE TO READ MY GUIDANCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE WAY AHEAD. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, SERGEANT MAJOR KENT AND I WILL BE VISITING MANY OF YOU AT MAJOR BASES AND STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR THOUGHTS, CONCERNS AND IDEAS AS WE PREPARE THE CORPS FOR THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE.
6. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//