by Michael F. McNamara | Aug 9, 2017 | Accident/Incident, Aviation
I would like to add the following comments to your recent show discussing the crash of the 31st MEU.
The helo dunker is decent training, I say decent because their is NO WAY anyone can make the dunker realistic. The speed and violence that is involved in an actual crash can’t be duplicated in a controlled environment. Your guest mentioned how they can’t have the amount of gear that Marines usually take on the bird as well.
One thing that your guest stated was talking about the egress points of the MV-22, I would say that knowing your egress points are only moderately important since there is no saying that the bird will be in only one piece. People who have never been in a crash are only providing a second hand opinion, I say this because I have first hand experience in this.
We crashed Aug 29th, 1986.
The helo we were in broke into 5 pieces after we hit another helo on the flight deck, we had crossed into the Arctic Circle earlier that day and the water temperature was 42degrees. It is a tragedy to lose any Marine, to have only lost 3 out of 26 is truly a miracle. We lost 8 out of 21 on our crash…..
The Corps needs to do a much better job of preparing our Marines for these type of crashes.
Semper Fi
Patrick Melton
by Michael F. McNamara | Aug 2, 2017 | A3, Gender Bias, Gender Integration, Leadership, Military Discipline, Sexual Harassment
THIS IS A GREAT INTERVIEW!
Captain Lauren Serrano, USMC joined us to discuss her experiences writing and speaking about gender issues in the Marine Corps and the U.S. Military. Our frank discussion addressed :
(1) Individual Marine and public reaction to her first article “Why Women Do Not Belong in the U.S. Infantry”
(2) Her discussions with DOD PAO-types as she prepared of a CNN Military Forum where she was specifically asked to address the gender issue with President Obama
(3) Her motivation for writing her second Gazette article published in the July 2017 edition entitled “To Get Out, or Not to Get Out?: Gender crisis in the Marine Corps” — and her policy recommendations for retention of career oriented female Marines who desire to have children
(4) By virtue of pushing for higher physical standards for women, is the Marine Corps pushing women who desire to be mothers and career Marines out of the Marine Corps?
(5) Why the issue of gender is such a difficult for Marines to discuss frankly in open forums
Captain Serrano is a great example of a leader who speaks her mind in an articulate manner. She also offers all Marines substantial issues to ponder.
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by Michael F. McNamara | Aug 1, 2017 | Leadership, Post Traumatic Growth, Vietnam
Ken Wilson
Capt USMC
Vietnam Veteran
Turner Construction vet
Ken Wilson was a Marine 1stLt/Captain, Combat Engineer in Vietnam in the 1965-1966 time-frame. Ken fought the Viet Cong initially and later the NVA as they infiltrated the area around the Marine Base at Da Nang.
Was leadership different in Vietnam? Were drugs, ears, scalps, civilian casualties and rape part of the environment Ken led in? Ken Wilson says it’s always about one thing — LEADERSHIP.
Listen to a fantastic interview about Ken’s life of leading in the Marine Corps and then leading at Turner Construction where he worked for 38 years before he retired in 2002.
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