{"id":1209,"date":"2011-11-28T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2011-11-28T10:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/americainuniform\/?p=1209"},"modified":"2011-11-19T20:09:33","modified_gmt":"2011-11-19T20:09:33","slug":"comments-from-lt-gen-steve-hummer-u-s-marine-corps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/americainuniform\/2011\/11\/comments-from-lt-gen-steve-hummer-u-s-marine-corps.html","title":{"rendered":"Comments from Lt. Gen. Steve Hummer, U.S. Marine Corps"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending a Veterans\u2019 Day Luncheon where Lt. Gen. Steve Hummer, U. S. Marine Corps, spoke on the state of the military, in particular the Marine Corps.\u00a0 He graciously gave me a copy of his speech to share with you.\u00a0 Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Baton Rouge City Club Veterans\u2019 Day Luncheon 11 Nov 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today is a very special day in America and it\u2019s a special day to Americans.\u00a0 We pause to honor our veterans, to remember what they have done in the defense of our great nation, to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedoms that we all enjoy today.<\/p>\n

As we know, starting as the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice which ended WWI hostilities between the Allied Nations and Germany in 1918, this day has come to mean so much more.\u00a0 So much more because the war to end all wars \u2013 WWI \u2013 ended up being only one of the many conflicts in which the United States participated.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t participate for any colonial gains or self-serving achievements or possessions.\u00a0 We entered conflicts such as WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom because the conditions of the world at the time necessitated that the US contribute its blood and treasure to stem tyrannical expansionism, communism, and in response to an unprovoked attack to our homeland killing innocent men, women, and children from all walks of life, all races, creeds, and religions.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a bloody century, and it\u2019s been a bloody decade.<\/p>\n

For these reasons and more, we pause frequently, but especially today, to remember our veterans on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month just as they did in 1918.\u00a0 Ceremonies such as this, and some quite different, will be taking place all over the globe today \u2013 wherever Americans are, they will pause to remember our veterans and to speak about their sacrifices and the significance of their contributions to the state of our great nation.<\/p>\n

We know that our military is unique in the world and that those who are in the fight today are our next great generation having been tempered and forged in the intense foundry of war over the past decade.\u00a0 Thank you for all that you do to support our great service personnel and their families \u2013 it has a substantial impact.\u00a0 You make a difference!<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the status of our military? …And especially our great Navy-Marine team, of which I am most familiar?<\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019m proud to state that the military of our great nation has never been more professional, more proficient, better equipped, better led, better educated than at any other time in the history of our great nation.\u00a0 Our current senior leaders say it, our veterans see it, and I, in my 38 years of active service, have never seen better!\u00a0 All you need to do is engage with our young military members and you will immediately see the quality and high character of which I speak.<\/p>\n

I will say that we have had generations of extraordinary veterans who have led the way, who have set the bar high, and have provided an example of selfless dedication and sacrifice to which we all, in uniform today, look up to.\u00a0 I thank you for your leadership and continued support.<\/p>\n

As veterans, I know that you would be most interested in what the current thinking is regarding the current uncertain times in which we live.\u00a0 So, I thought that I\u2019d talk a bit about the Marine Corps\u2019 direction.<\/p>\n

Our commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, sends his regards on this Veterans\u2019 Day.<\/p>\n

Last fall, after taking over as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Amos laid out his planning guidance.\u00a0 He has four priorities.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to briefly discuss them because they set the foundation of everything that the Marine Corps is doing currently.<\/p>\n

First, is the current fight.\u00a0 We now have nearly 20,000 marines in Afghanistan, mostly in the Helmand Province.\u00a0 They are making headway.\u00a0 They are making a positive difference.\u00a0 In June the president announced the drawdown from Afghanistan.\u00a0 In July, the marines in Helmand Province turned the capital of the province, Lashkar Gah, over to the Afghani authorities and their security forces \u2013 a major step for the Afghanis taking back their country.\u00a0 We will remain focused on Afghanistan as long as our nation asks.<\/p>\n

Second, the Commandant wants to rebalance the force.\u00a0 For the last decade we have been fighting shoulder to shoulder with the army (and the other services) in Iraq and Afghanistan.\u00a0 However, we are not another land army and were never intended as such.\u00a0 In support of the combatant commanders requirements around the world, the Marine Corps must regain its capability and capacity on the sea.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have to tell you that a majority of the global commerce moves by sea \u2013 95% of the world\u2019s commerce travels by ship.\u00a0 49% of the world\u2019s oil travels through six major choke points; on any given day 23,000 ships are underway around the world – oil, raw materials, technology, and mineral resources flow continuously around the globe.\u00a0 Moreover, we are a maritime nation by physical positioning in the world.\u00a0 The world\u2019s most powerful maritime nation must have the most powerful navy along with their Marine Corps\u2019 shipmates.\u00a0 The Navy-Marine Corps team has tremendous access around the world and is highly regarded.<\/p>\n

The Commandant\u2019s third priority is our service personnel\u2019s professional military education in complex environments and in distributed operations as we\u2019ve learned over the last decade.\u00a0 And, as we know, education is the foundation of our force\u2019s professionalism and warfare continues to gain complexity.<\/p>\n

Lastly, the CMC is in earnest about keeping the faith with his marines, sailors, families, extended families, and our ill and injured warriors,…and I\u2019d add, our wonderful veterans!\u00a0 Gen. Amos is intent on continuing to fully support our marines\u2019 quality of life, their pay, their benefits, and their retirement entitlements.\u00a0 He\u2019s intent on continuing to support families and extended families.\u00a0 He and his lovely wife, Bonnie, are totally dedicated to our ill and wounded warriors.\u00a0 I recently met with several gold star families.\u00a0 They continue to be most laudatory of our support to them in mourning their losses.\u00a0 In my frequent visits to be with many of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, their spirit and incredible desire to continue to serve with their brother and sister marines is an inspiration to us all.\u00a0 Their sacrifices will never be forgotten, and as we know, our naval medical treatment has never been better.\u00a0 We are learning new techniques and procedures all the time.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, we continue to exist in very interesting times.\u00a0 We, as a nation, face great challenges.\u00a0 There has been no decrease in threats…from transnational criminal organizations in Mexico and throughout the world, to radical terrorist groups, to homegrown terrorists, to environmental challenges, to cyber threats, to economic and moral challenges.\u00a0 Through it all, your military, as a national institution, continues to be held in the highest regard and will continue to hold that position.\u00a0 Your Marine Corps is the middleweight force \u2013 America\u2019s expeditionary force in readiness that provides immediate response; our amphibious forces, as a part of the total force, buy time and provide trade space for our national leadership to make decisions in times of crisis.\u00a0 Our Navy-Marine team and its amphibious forces are intrinsically intertwined to face our nation\u2019s uncertain future.<\/p>\n

And so, shipmates, that alone should give you a feeling of overwhelming confidence and peace of mind.\u00a0 And as the 82nd Congress mandated, \u201cThe Marine Corps is intended to be the most ready when the nation is least ready.\u201d\u00a0 The only reason that America has a Marine Corps is because she wants one \u2013 and as long as we maintain a strong fleet including our amphibious forces, we will remain America\u2019s expeditionary force in readiness.\u00a0 But, we have to be out there, patrolling the world.\u00a0 It\u2019s like Colin Powell once stated, \u201cPeace is expensive, but war is so much more expensive!\u201d<\/p>\n

In closing, I again, thank you for all that you do for our great nation.\u00a0 And as President Ronald Reagan said \u201clet us continue to stand for the ideals for which our veterans live, and for which they died.\u201d
\nGod bless the United States of America, God bless our wonderful veterans, God bless you, and… Semper Fidelis!<\/p>\n

\n

Loyal Subscribers!\u00a0 We need some help.\u00a0 The purpose of our “Heart” section is to publish stories of the experiences, contributions and sacrifices of our military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard) and public service personnel (police officers, fire fighters, EMS, merchant marines and others in the public sector) as well as stories of their families.\u00a0 Please search your memory and computer for a few and\u00a0send them to Bill\u00a0(CPT Otis) O’Quin at boquin@ix.netcom.com<\/a><\/strong> for possible publication. \u00a0Thanks!<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Important links for updated military\/defense information:
\nThe Daily News Briefing<\/a><\/strong>:<\/a> Today’s News for the U.S. Military, their families and friends.
\n The Military Trivia Challenge:<\/a><\/strong> Register and test your knowledge about military history.
\n U.S. Department of Defense:<\/a><\/strong> Military Defense News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending a Veterans\u2019 Day Luncheon where Lt. Gen. Steve Hummer, U. S. Marine Corps, spoke on the state of the military, in particular the Marine Corps.\u00a0 He graciously gave me a copy of his speech to share with you.\u00a0 Enjoy! Baton Rouge City Club Veterans\u2019 Day Luncheon…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interesting-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nComments from Lt. Gen. 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