Commanding Officer, 2d Battalion, 2d Marines
Philosophy of Command 18 June 2010
TRAINED, PREPARED, AND READY
1. This Battalion’s sole focus is Warfighting - successfully accomplishing any mission assigned. Our Marines and Sailors are our greatest asset – trained, prepared, and ready to fight and win in combat is the absolute priority – period. In training, we will emphasize our abilities to shoot, move, and communicate, with those special skills to support our expeditionary combat missions. Let no leader say that they did not train their Marines to their maximum level of competence. Tough, realistic, and effective training will ensure our success in combat.
2. Taking care of our Marines, Sailors and their families is our next priority, second only to ensuring mission accomplishment. Apply the same vigor to the care and concern of our families that we do to our Marines and Sailors. Our families are an integral and extremely important part of the team; we are as proud of them as they are of us. Leaders will ensure that our Marines and Sailors have a good quality of life and that our families are prepared for the rigors of a combat deployment.
3. Discipline and self-discipline are essential. Exemplary personal appearance, military bearing, precise execution, wearing of required gear, and cleanliness of weapons is the standard. Uniformity is the bedrock of our discipline and will sustain us when all else fails. Professional and respectful relations will be observed between Marines and Sailors, NCOs, SNCOs, and Officers.
4. Strong Marines and Sailors make strong teams and strong teams are the building blocks for a strong battalion. Senseless initiation or “welcome aboard” events, or the hazing of newly joined Marines and Sailors don’t build teams and are forbidden activities. Shared hardship through tough, realistic training builds teams; mentoring and developing your Marines and Sailors to understand, thrive, and win in battle builds teams; fun unit social events build teams. If our NCOs and our squads are proficient with their weapons systems and do the right thing when no one is watching, then there is nothing on the battlefield that a squad of United States Marines cannot defeat.
5. Be a Marine, be a man; not just a male. We are all grown men – stand up and be counted. We must have a fanatical pursuit for excellence and the discipline to strive to get better each and every day. Use your best judgment, be thoughtful in your decisions and actions, incorporate logic and common sense in your decisions, and be accountable for the results. Look out for each other, and seniors take responsibility for your subordinates. Honor, courage, and commitment are the core values of a Marine, of a man.
6. Be aggressive, show initiative, keep moving and attacking – always. Establish and maintain a bias for action. Generating tempo requires a team effort. Educate and train yourselves and your Marines. Empower your subordinates and give them the right amount of supervision and guidance to let them grow. Reward those that do well; take care of them. Accountability, security, and safety are integral to our operations. Work smartly on priority tasks and meet requirements, then move on to the next objective.
7. Always remember: individuals with interests completely counter to ours are preparing to do us harm. It is an enduring responsibility of everyone to develop the weapons and tactical proficiency, physical endurance, mental toughness, and warrior spirit and ethos necessary to defeat these individuals. Start NOW – time is short. I ask every Marine and Sailor to give his absolute best, be aggressive, and accept responsibility for his actions. We will be trained, prepared, and ready to fight for our country, our Corps, and each other. This is an awesome responsibility, but we are honor bound to do it. Everyone can’t be a Marine: enjoy the privilege. Together, we will continue the great legacy of the Warlords.
G. D. MILLER