Photo Information

Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford addresses Okinawa-based personnel during a town hall meeting March 25 at the Camp Foster Theater. Dunford traveled to Okinawa to speak about his planning guidance, which outlines his vision for the Marine Corps. Dunford also answered questions, touching on topics such as women in the infantry, the growing field of cyber warfare and the Corps’ tattoo policy.

Photo by Cpl. Lena Wakayama

Commandant of Marine Corps speaks with Okinawa-based personnel

3 Apr 2015 | Cpl. Lena Wakayama The Official United States Marine Corps Public Website

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. and the Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Ronald L. Green spoke with Marines and sailors March 24 and 25 at installations across Okinawa, Japan.

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. and the Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Ronald L. Green spoke with Marines and sailors March 24 and 25 at installations across Okinawa, Japan.

Over the course of their two-day visit, Dunford and Green visited Camps Hansen, Foster, Courtney and Schwab as well as Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to speak with Marines and sailors about the commandant’s vision for the Marine Corps. The two leaders also sat down to have lunch with the Marines of Camp Schwab and Camp Foster during their time on Okinawa.

“We had some great conversation with the sergeants, corporals and lance corporals,” said Green. “We were absolutely absorbing everything, listening to everything they said, and (a lot of it) was about the Commandant’s Planning Guidance.”

The planning guidance was released at the beginning of year and is meant to provide guidance and direction to various topics that affect the Corps like improving the quality of leadership within the organization and enhancing warfighting capabilities with a large emphasis on global crisis response.

During the discussions, both Dunford and Green praised the Marines and sailors for their dedication and hard work in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We today have the best record of discipline in Okinawa (since) 1972,” said Dunford. “Because of the standards of discipline that you have enforced, because of the level of professionalism, we have a relationship with the (Okinawa) people… we can be proud of.”

After making their remarks, the CMC and SMMC turned the microphone over to the Marines and sailors, allowing them to ask questions regarding topics they wanted to address.

“I’ve never been asked that question,” Dunford joked, inciting chuckles from the audience when a Marine asked the commandant about the Corps’ tattoo policy, which is a hot topic of conversation amongst Marines.

Green assured Marines that he, alongside other senior enlisted leaders, would review the tattoo policy as well as other topics and make their decisions based on what is best for the Marine Corps and its mission.

Having previously visited Marines on mainland Japan, Hawaii and Guam, Okinawa was the last stop on the top Marine’s tour of the Asia-Pacific region.