by Michael F. McNamara | Jan 25, 2018 | Combat, Education, Leadership, Maneuver Warfare, Vietnam
Col Tony Zinni, USMC
The Basic School, 1989
Quantico VA
Click HERE for Part 1 of the PME
Click HERE for Part 2 of the PME
Click HERE for Part 3 of the PME
Click HERE for Part 4 of the PME
Click HERE for the entire 3.5 hour PME in one segment
THE SINGLE BEST professional military education experience I ever had happened in July of 1989 while teaching “Tactics” at The Basic School in Quantico, VA. Col Tony Zinni, USMC (who had just finished being the CO of 9th Marine Regiment on Okinawa) gave his “Combat Concepts” pitch at an event that the Marine Corps University sponsored at The Basic School.
Major John Kelly (Head of the Infantry Officers Course at the time, destined to be a General Officer and currently the Secretary of the Dept of Homeland Security) told me I should attend… so I went. I had never heard of Col Zinni at that point in my life. That night Col Zinni was funny, insightful and had a ton of experiences in his career — he was for me a great example of what a professional warrior/scholar ought to be.
This PME changed my life and how I approached my profession.
by Michael F. McNamara | Jun 20, 2017 | Combat, Current Events, History
Richard Sisk
Lt USMC
Vietnam
Richard Sisk was Commissioned a 2ndLt in the Marine Corps in 1967. He graduated from The Basic School (TBS) with 498 other lieutenants in the Fall of 1967. Of his TBS class approximately 50% would become casualties — “forty-three were killed in Vietnam. One was killed in Lebanon. Another six died in training accidents. More than 200 were wounded.” No other TBS class has ever suffered casualties like 6/67 did. Richard talks about looking back at their time in Vietnam during the height of the fighting of that War and what that view looks like after 50 years.
His article about his Basic School class and their 50th reunion is here published on militarycom. The article itself is certainly worth a read, as is the link provided within the article that details the death of 2ndLt Terry Graves who was posthumously award the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions while serving as a platoon commander with 3d Force Reconnaissance Company (click here). Graves Hall at TBS is named in his honor.
— Richard Sisk was a member of TBS 6/67. He served with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, in Vietnam where he was wounded twice. He has spent a career in journalism with the New York Daily News and now with Military.com . He can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: | More
