Top Marine visits Depot

6 Feb 2009 | Lance Cpl. Katherine Keleher Marine Corps Training and Education Command

Marines and sailors were seeing stars Jan. 29, when the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps visited the Depot.

The two senior Marines made a quick stop at the Depot to host town hall meetings addressing concerns of their fellow devil dogs and tour the island.

“I’m here to say thank you for the work you’re doing,” said Gen. James T. Conway, Commandant.  “It’s eye-watering to see what these young men and women are doing for our country.”

The excitement in visiting the Depot was a mutual feeling between the two.

“I still get chills coming through that gate,” said Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent, sergeant major of the marine corps.  “It’s this place where the branding of the Eagle, Globe and Anchor into Marines’ hearts begins.”

With the weekly motivational run taking place in the morning, the top two men in the Corps participated in the event.

Conway formed up Bravo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion’s new Marines, and led them through the motivational run.

“To have them observe the excitement that the motivational run generates between the parents seeing their new Marine for the first time was great,” said Sgt. Maj. Andrew L. Yagle, the Depot sergeant major.  “It was exciting to be able to run with them and basically have them be a part of one of the last training events for our new Marines while in recruit training.”

After the run, Conway and Kent went to the Depot theatre, where they hosted a town hall meeting.

“The commanding general and I are very proud and very pleased to showcase our Marines whenever we can,” said Yagle, from Miami.

Brig. Gen. James B. Laster, commanding general of MCRD Parris Island/Eastern Recruiting Region, introduced the two guests before they took the floor.

“The Marine Corps has a knack of picking the right Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps for the right time,” said Laster.

When Laster finished with his introduction, Conway and Kent began their meeting.  Conway discussed everything from the new commander-in chief-to the recruiting efforts being made throughout the Corps.

When referring to his time as a company and series commander at MCRD San Diego he said,

“Who would call this duty a break?  When I was on it, it was the only time I felt somewhat compelled to take a nap on a Saturday,” he joked.

Conway also discussed his desire to give Marines more time in the states after deployments.

“If you don’t have a family,” Conway chuckled. “It might give you a chance to meet someone.”

With the new president recently moving into the White House, he knew the Corps’ new boss would be on his Marines’ minds.

“Yesterday, Sgt. Maj. Kent and I flew up to D.C. for a meeting with our new president,” Conway stated. “We feel pretty good about him.”

Before opening the floor to Marines with further questions to ask, Kent took the floor.

“I’m proud of the Corps,” said Kent.  “It has the same war-fighting spirit as it did in 1775.”

“This recruiting force is top notch,” he later added.  “It’s living up to its expectations.”

Kent then discussed the high volume of Marines reenlisting, and how he is very proud to serve with men and women who love the Corps so much.

“Marines are sticking around to stay in deployable units,” Kent said.  “That’s with and without the reenlistment bonuses.

“We are extremely proud of where our Corps is going,” he added.

When Kent finished, Conway once again took back over the theatre and allowed Marines to confront him with whatever questions were on their minds.

Among the questions asked were inquires about the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy, as to whether the new president will be changing it.

Though the Commandant didn’t know the answer, he took a poll and Marines against the policy being changed won by a landslide.

Another Marine asked about Iran, and what was happening in their country.

The CMC explained how Marines may not appear to be threatening Iran, in their eyes it can easily appear as though they are.  With troops bordering both the west and east Iranian borders, Marines can come off as an enemy to them.  Yet, disputes are not expected, and the new president intends on talking things out with the country.

Guam was brought up in another question, in an inquiry as to whether the Corps was moving there or not.

“We want to move about 10,000 Marines from Japan to Guam,” Conway explained.  “The question right now is, can we afford such a move?”

The military is building itself back up in both Korea and Europe; adding Guam to the mix would be expensive.

The reasoning for moving Marines to Guam is because the number of Marines in Japan is overwhelming and it would allow a better strategic layout in the Pacific Ocean.

Males wanting to know why the standards are different between the sexes also questioned female requirements for both the physical fitness test and the combat fitness test.

“We have to be fair to all Marines,” Kent said.  “That doesn’t mean females cannot prevail in combat, they do every day.  Females are built differently, but there are still some of them out there that can do 20 pull-ups.”

Eventually, Conway and Kent had to end the meeting and carry out their plans for the day.  Conway proceeded to his coin ceremony in the lobby of the theatre, and further on to visit a few of the working areas on the island, while Kent proceeded to Weapons and Field Training Battalion’s chapel, where he held another meeting.

“The visit went very well, the Commandant and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps were both very pleased with what they saw,” said Yagle. “At the same time, I believe that the Marines on the Depot got as much out of the visit as the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps got out of the visit.”


Marine Corps Training and Education Command