26 January - USS Bataan

 This is a snip from my personal journal as I was floating on the USS Bataan during a MEU exercise in January. 

"Finished the book, 'The Ugly American' today. It was an excellent book about thinking realistically, practically, and creatively to solve international problems. Fires that bit inside me that yearns for adventure and travel. But I believe in my soul, I am a family man. What good is an adventure if you can't take your family along with you?"

While I was on the Bataan I made the decision that Meghan and I will be getting out of the military following the upcoming deployment. I will likely write more on this decision at a later time but I think the above excerpt from my journal will suffice for now. It is time we start an adventure as a family. 

May we aspire to live a quiet life, minding our own business, and working with our hands. 1 Thessalonians 4:11

May we rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. This is the will of God. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16

IOC Journal #5

Adaptation is the law that governs survival in war. 

The role of the platoon commander is to be at the point of influence. "Where is the place no one else wants to go" Seek the place of darkness and bring light to the situation. 

This range provided a good example of what the standard is for your platoon sergeant. As good as you make them, or as bad as you let them. 

Preparation is a way of life. It does not stop.. what are you preparing for? This mentality has to be infectious and in everything you do. We prepare for combat. 

Be humble before the magnitude of preparing our Marines for combat, for killing. 

John Adams letter to his wife "We cannot be certain of victory but we can be deserving of victory". Make platoons that can deliver that promise. Prepare for war.  

IOC Journal #4 - Chaos Night

**Background - Chaos night is something every student in IOC knows is coming, but doesn’t know when and doesn’t know what it consists of. You could say it almost takes the form of legend. Mine came after a long wet and cold week of living and fighting in the mud. It started by awakening to the sound of canisters of CS gas popping as they flew through the windows of the building we had occupied. It ended many hours and many miles away, but we all learned something about ourselves that night. **

The following are scribbles from my notebook after the night ended. 

 " Do I deserve to lead these Marines?"

Chaos Night - Cold, Hunger, Tired, CS Gas, Weight .. After a week of freezing rain and living in the mud. 

What did these factors do to my ability to help others?

How much more unwilling were we to do what needed to be done?

Near peer threat will not look like a cookie cutter range, it will look more like chaos.

This event is designed to show you what darkness really looks like. 

Preparation vs. Anticipation:

What did we do to prepare, not just anticipate.

I need you to sere this into your souls - when you lose Marines in combat the only way you sleep at night is to look in the mirror and know you did everything in your power to prepare them. 

What did you need from a leader going through this situation? "The will of the leader" The only thing a unit has in chaos is the will of the leader. Be a lion, it is all about will. 

IOC Journal #3

Pleased but never satisfied, strive for perfection, settle for excellence. 

We say "70% solution" but we always strive for the 100% anyway and are slower. 

**Using lasers to mark, without showing yourself to a near peer threat**

 **Batteries drain quickly in cold weather, do rehearsals on switching batteries in optics and gear. We can't afford to lose time on the little things**

When people say things like, "This is just how we do things.." you say "No".

Rommel said "There is no country worse at the beginning of a war, and better at the end than America" -Prepare for the next one. 

PTDG - Physical Tactical Decision Game

Not everyone in your platoon will be comfortable with interpersonal violence. It is your job to make them comfortable. In garrison they bleed but in combat they will win. 

IOC Journal #2

 Post a live fire range from Capt. Dickey:

Grit: courage and resolve - strength of character -> Noun

Verb-> Clench your teeth to keep resolve when faced with a difficult duty. 

In the infantry you have to have GRIT, its the start. And its the officer who needs that. Rommel never went to sleep before his men. There are reports of him being so sleep deprived he fell off his horse.

The German Army in WWII were outgunned by the French but beat them anyway. Blitzkreig worked because a German Division stayed awake for 72 hours. The French rushed to defend a small mountain town as it was the key to Blitzkreig. The personal example of the officer to continue cannot be overstated.

 Lt Clifton B Kates platoon commander in WWI Belleau Wood - Where the IOC emblem comes from. He became company commander by blood. "I will Hold" he and 22 men survive the night, seizes a town and secures a victory at Belleau Wood. Infantry, we are the lifeblood. 

Takeaway - Leaders sleep last, eat last, and look out for the men, not themselves. Time to stop thinking about yourself. You will never be comfortable again, while you wear this rank, and that is a privilege. 

IOC Journal #1

 I have been meaning to do this for over a year now. During my schooling I always kept two notebooks in my pockets - regardless what training we were doing. One tan notebook for technical and tactical formal instruction, and one green notebook for field training notes. 

My intention is to re-read through all of these notebooks, and pull out anything I can that may be worth passing on. If anything just remember what I learned and what I was going through at the time. Hopefully there will be some leadership lessons, some points on mental toughness, and on persevering adversity. 

Girls, I pray that one day you will marry a man who's hands are calloused from work and whose mind is calloused against the world. 

Gardner, any other son's that God Willing we will have in the future, I pray that you will be that man. 

May what I wrote in my notes while during my time in TBS, Infantry officer course, Sniper Course, and the intel schools teach you even a small fraction of what I learned there.

All of the following IOC Journals may lack a bit of context (I will try to provide it with some background if needed) and will not flow like a normal excerpt of writing. They are all taken verbatim from the scribbles and writings in my notebooks. Many will be quotes from instructors, many will be my own thoughts or those of my peers. 

Entry 1:

 "Losers say things like, 'I did my best' the expectation is to win, not just to do your best."

Therefore, prepare ruthlessly. Decide, communicate, and act in uncertain environments. Win without compromising your integrity and honor.

Mistakes should be from bold aggressiveness not indecision or incompetence. 

Prep For Combat: 

Nutrition, hydration, study, rehearsals, physical conditioning, research

Prep for combat is decisive

If you don't do it you will lose. 

You cannot just survive... What will happen on your 87th Day?

There will always be consequences for violating time. 

Fear of failure will haunt you as long as you wear this green cloth. And if you let it, it will paralyze you. Mental and physical toughness gets us through the human factors, this is pain masking - not for you, for the Marines you will lead in the future.