R 281100Z JAN 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 008/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/COMMANDANT'S GUIDANCE//
RMKS/1.  THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS THE TEXT OF THE 33RD COMMANDANT'S
GUIDANCE.  THIS DOCUMENT, WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, IS AVAILABLE ON THE
COMMANDANT'S WEB PAGE AT WWW.USMC.MIL/CMC.  THE 33RD COMMANDANT'S
GUIDANCE IS QUOTED AS FOLLOWS:
"33RD Commandant of the Marine Corps GUIDANCE
Introduction
As I assume the duties as the thirty-third Commandant, I want all
Marines - active, reserve, civilian, retired, former and their
families - to know my broad objectives and intent.  I will provide  
more detailed guidance on specific programs and timelines in the
near future.
Up front, let there be no doubt that we are fundamentally on course.
Our Corps remains a physically, materially, and most importantly a
mentally-ready combat force.  Marine contributions to the Global War
on Terrorism over the last year have more than demonstrated this
fact.  Further, documents like "Naval Power 21," "Marine Corps
Strategy 21," and "Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare" provide the vital
intellectual preparation of the battlefield that will carry us well
into the future.An intellectual giant and one of our greatest leaders,
General John A. Lejeune, was instrumental in leading the Marine Corps
from Its role as colonial infantry of the nineteenth century to the
combined-arms expeditionary force needed for America's increased
global responsibilities of the twentieth century.  I have made use
of the thirteenth Commandant's timeless insights about our legacy as
warfighters throughout this guidance because they provide important
guidelines for our current transformation at the dawn of the twenty-
first century.
Warrior Legacy
The warrior ethos is the Corps' hallmark.  It is the product of long
service to the Nation in peace and in war by many generations of
Marines.  Through that service, in the words of General John A.
Lejeune, the term "Marine has come to signify all that is highest in
military efficiency and soldierly virtue."For those of us who are
privileged to wear the eagle, globe, and
anchor today, the rich legacy embodied in those words is the
standard that governs our service.  Our challenge is to conduct
ourselves in such a manner that we are judged "worthy successors
of that long line" that has gone before.
Naval Heritage
Our naval heritage is integral to who we are as Marines.  Since our
founding, the sailors of the United States Navy have stood
courageously beside us.  Time and again, our partnership has proven
compelling in peace and unbeatable in war.  The powerful capability
that the Naval Services bring to our joint forces on the battlefield
is a central element of our Nation's successes.As the Naval Services
have long known, many of the Nation's most
menacing security challenges lurk in the world's littorals and are
characterized by multiple threats, growing instability, and an
increased requirement for robust global power-projection
capabilities.  Based on recent events, others are now discovering
the potent solution found in the sustained expeditionary culture
that is shared by the Navy-Marine Corps team.  Sustainable naval
power-projection is critical to the security of our great maritime
Nation.  We, therefore, will remain "soldiers of the sea."
Our Main Effort - Excellence in Warfighting
Perceptions of our Corps vary.  To most of our countrymen we are
faithful, selfless servants.  Our families and friends see us as
dedicated and loyal defenders of our Nation.  Our sister Services
know us to be true professionals.  And to those who would do harm
to America and its interests, we are a dreaded adversary.  Even the
word "Marine" brings with it fear to our enemies, hope to those in
need, and trust to our allies.  All are in agreement, however, that
we succeed due to our continued dedication to warfighting excellence
and an unfailing determination to win.  This dedication must remain
firm but not blinding.  We must remember that we are part of the team
that makes up the Nation's joint warfighting establishment.  Due to
our expeditionary culture, we have always been responsive and
immediately employable with our sister Services, special operations
forces, as well as our coalition partners.  We will leverage these
institutional strengths to assist in achieving a victory in today's
Global War on Terrorism and other threats to our security.  As we
transform our Corps for this century, we must carefully preserve the
strengths of our past while not losing the flexibility to contribute
to tomorrow's unique national security needs.  All our actions will
Focus on enhancing our warfighting excellence at each level of war,
at home and abroad.  Every member of our Corps must remain focused
on our main effort, the warfighting excellence of the individual
Marine and our combined arms Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, in order
to ensure that we "will be found equal to every emergency."  As a
part of this effort, I intend to attend and participate in all
After-Action Reviews of exercises conducted at the Marine
Expeditionary Force level by the staff from the MAGTF Staff
Training Program.
Leadership
Leadership is, as General Lejeune states, "the eternal spirit which
has animated our Corps from generation to generation."  It is our
leaders - from our most junior, especially our noncommissioned
officers, through the entire chain of command - who have kept the
Corps successful and victorious.  Their sense of responsibility is
the cornerstone of our hard-earned successes.  We will continue to
develop leaders who, given mission-type orders and commander's
intent, can think on their feet, act independently, and succeed.  In
the future, as today, leaders will continue to instill stamina and
toughness in each individual while simultaneously reinforcing
character that values honor, integrity and taking care of our fellow
Marines - including treating each other with dignity and respect. 
We will reward action that is guided by informed boldness and
audacity.  And, we will kindle a preference for responsive
decision-making with room for errors and mistakes, while countering
any institutional prejudices that punish initiative and undermine
our warfighting capacity.Aggressive and informed leadership demands
education, training, and mentoring.  The importance of these key
elements cannot be over-emphasized, and we must attend to each at
every opportunity.  Formal education, well-developed and realistic
Training exercises, focused independent study, and informal weekly
social events all contribute to the growth of leadership and victory
in war.  In order to increase the depth of our professional education,
we will re-invigorate the professional reading program.  It will evolve
beyond a reading list to become a valuable study and discussion
forum that assists in our goal of achieving excellence in
warfighting based on competence and comradeship.
Capabilities and OrganizationThroughout the varied conflicts of the
twentieth century, the Marine Corps demonstrated a true ability to
adapt to the ever-changing face of battle.  Today, we face new threats
and scarce resources, yet at the same time, we must shape the Corps for
the challenges of a new century.  Along with the U.S. Navy, we provide
the Nation its essential power-projection capability from the sea.  In
this regard, we have an immediate and critical tasking to define for our
civilian leadership, the joint community, and the other Services how we
intend to project naval power ashore in the 2015-2025 timeframe. 
This effort will require the intellectual rigor and participation of
all five elements of the MAGTF.  It will impact the entire Marine
Corps - from how we are structured and train in peacetime to how we
will fight on future battlefields.As we prepare for the future, we will
continue to be ready today to accomplish any assigned mission.  As
globalization shrinks the world
before us, our principal contribution to national security will
continue to be providing forward deployed presence and projecting
naval power "in every corner of the seven seas so that our country
and its citizens might enjoy peace and security."  Commanders at all
levels are entrusted with ensuring we are ready to carry out this
crucial responsibility.
Innovation and Agility The speed of technological change at once
facilitates and hinders our ability to adapt.  However, by effectively
melding the unique qualities of the technologically sophisticated
"new breed" with the wisdom of our "old breed," we will harness
technology to our advantage.  The historical constants of the battlefield -
uncertainty, fog and friction, and an independent, thinking
adversary - as well as the demand for the careful integration of
innovative thinking and accomplished warfighting skills
necessitates that we heed the wisdom of our thirteenth Commandant
that the relationship among Marines "should in no sense be that of
superior and inferior nor that of master and servant, but rather that
of teacher and scholar."This relationship will allow us to keep pace
with technological change and exploit the opportunities it presents.  An
important first step we will take is to leverage technologies that allow
us to More effectively share and expedite the flow of useful information.
The increase in situational awareness through integrated command and
control systems and a common operating picture, both for peacetime
functions and on the battlefield, will dramatically increase our
effectiveness and enhance the flexibility and responsiveness that
are signature characteristics of our Corps.
Conclusion
Success will not be defined by a specific operational "End State,"
but rather in the cultivation of an ethos that prizes both continual
evolution and innovation as means to meet the challenges of the
future.  We will continue to use agile readiness as a measure of our
effectiveness, and we will use familiar touchstones to guide and
support our progress.  We will ensure that the Corps:
- Sustains its unique culture and core values;
- Takes care of its families and the individual Marine;
- Remains relevant to the threats of today and the future;
- Establishes processes that facilitate adaptation to a
 changing, dynamic world; and,
- Above all, keeps as its main effort excellence in warfighting.
I charge each and every Marine to join me in this challenging
journey into the twenty-first century.  Our tasks are before us - we
will win the current battles and be ready to defeat our Nation's
future foes.  Let us proceed with boldness, intellect, and
confidence in each other, as we continue to forge the legacy of our
great Corps and strive to take our rightful place in that "long
line" of Marines that "have acquitted themselves with greatest
distinction, winning new honors on each occasion."
Semper Fi and Keep Attacking, M.W. Hagee, General, U.S. Marine
Corps, 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps."//