MCA Scuttlebutt

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Closing time here at Modern Day Marine 2024. This was a lot fun and the expo was outstanding. As we reflect on the past three days, LtGen Chiarotti gives us his thoughts on this years MDM. Enjoy! Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 148: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Closing Thoughts with LtGen Charles Chiarotti first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. We bring you more World of Wargaming here on Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. We are really stoked to welcome Sebastian Bae back to the show and it is awesome to be here with him at Modern Day Marine as the Commandant’s Cup tourney is coming to a close. Sebastian’s game, Littoral Commander, was one of the games competitors used in the round robin format, so it was cool to get his perspectives on the tournament, MDM’s Objective 1 wargaming area, and how wargames are developed and the ideas that lead to the formation of wargames. It’s always great spending time nerding out with Sebastian, and we were really glad we were able to catch up with him here. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-bae/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 147: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Sebastian Bae first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. This expo is so large and immersive, it takes three days to get to everything that MDM has to offer. Thankfully, Nancy found Aldric Stockton of Chinook Medical Gear and he was nice enough to come over to hang out with us. Ric works on medical training tools. We’re not talking PowerPoint slides and boring, dry videos. Chinook is taking medical training to the next level. We mention the “meat pocket” in the conversation, but they offer life-like, realistic prosthetics that Marines can wear to simulate the types of wounds that they will experience in combat. It’s like Fangoria! Ric shares with us his path to becoming and MArine and what brought him to Chinook and why this type of medical training is so important. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldric-stockton-05028927a/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 146: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Aldric Stockton first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. One of the enduring themes of Modern Day Marine is how to continue to build our relationships with our allies and partners, so it was really cool to be able to spend some time with Ross Douglas, the manager for Navy and Marine Corps relations for Echodyne. Ross is an Australian army veteran, and it was great being able to pick his brain on being a service member in Australia and get his perspective on partnering with US forces. Now with Echodyne, Ross enjoys being able to work in a field that focuses on service members and providing them with capabilities that will help them complete the mission and come home. It was also great getting his perspective on the differences in surfing between San Diego and Australia. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-douglas-b5263a18/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 145: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – Ross Douglas first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024 brings us an amazing guest. CWO5 Jason Pierce, the senior supply management officer for HQMC. Jason’s story is fascinating. So much so that he’s mentioned by name in the Marine Corps’ Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month announcement. Jason shares with us stories of his background coming to the US from the Philippines, his path to the yellow footprints, and what made him want to become a chief warrant officer. Enjoy! www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3757653/2024-national-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month/ www.linkedin.com/in/cwojasonpierce/ www.instagram.com/nottodaybcp/ www.instagram.com/thejasonpierce/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 144: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – CWO5 Jason Pierce first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. We have a great start to Day 3 of Modern Day Marine 2024. The senior director for program management for Oshkosh Defense, LtCol Janet Keech, USMC (Ret), was kind enough to spend some of her busy morning with us. Janet shares her experiences coming from Wisconsin to the Marine Corps, her time as a logistician, and what brought her to Oshkosh. She also gives us some of the details of ROGUE Fires/NMESIS, a platform that is directly tied to expeditionary advanced basing and deterrence against peer and near-peer threats. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-keech-8bbb6a15/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 143: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 3 – LtCol Janet Keech, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!! We bring World of Wargaming to Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024, which demands that we spend some time with the Director of Wargaming for the Krulak Center for Innovation & Future Warfare, Col Tim Barrick. Tim gives us updates on Objective 1 here at Modern Day Marine, but most importantly, gives us the goods on the status of the Commendant’s Cup. Hear all about the teams competing, some of the strategies behind the design of the tournament and how the teams have responded, and the big reveal of the mystery game. This is a fun conversation and it looks like we have a real Cinderella story brewing in this wildly creative wargaming tourney. Can’t wait to see how it finishes but I think its safe to say that it won’t be boring. Two may enter, one may leave! https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-barrick-918b5b14/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 142: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Col Tim Barrick, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024 awesomeness continues. William and Vic get to spend some time with LtGen Thomas Conant, USMC (Ret) talking about his amazing career, his passion for saving history, and his advice for transitioning through the various aspects of life. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-conant-b11637158/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 141: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – LtGen Thomas Conant, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024. A reoccurring theme of Modern Day Marine is how it is the biggest Marine Corps reunion of the year. Well, Vic ran into one of his amtracker buddies, who happens to now be the deputy commander or Marine Forces Korea, Col Jacob Robinson, and he was kind enough to spend some time with Vic and William schooling us up on the mission of MarFor Korea, the similarities between the U.S. and ROK Marine Corps, and the nuances of partnering with one of our longest standing allies. This is a fascinating discussion. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-robinson-47277a19/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 140: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Col Jacob Robinson first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024. Nancy and William sit down with Alyson Schumacher to talk about the MCA’s Spouse Summit, panel discussion, luncheon at Modern Day Marine. It’s great to hear wisdom from a military spouse and it’s awesome that the Marine Corps is behind this initiative. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyson-m-b-schumacher-75273180/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 139: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Alyson Schumacher first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024. How could the Scuttlebutt team be at MDM and not rope the Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault and friend of the show, Col Tim Hough, into spending some time with us. And a nice surprise, he brought his deputy, Chris Melkonian along with him. To be honest, there was some suspicion that he was going to “make a head call” and then just leave Chris alone and unafraid with William and Vic. But he did come back, and it was great to pick their collective brains on the status of the ACV and modernization, program strategy, and how the Marine Corps is leveraging small business to field innovations to the fleet as quickly as possible. There’s a reason why we keep inviting Tim back, and as per SOP, we had a great time and learned a lot. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyhough/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-melkonian-4291a1/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 138: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Col Tim Hough and Chris Melkonian first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 2 of Modern Day Marine 2024 kicks off in the biggest way possible. The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major Carlos A. Ruiz was kind enough to stop by and share some his time with us. Nancy and Vic are giddy to spend time with the Sergeant Major and he does not disappoint. Sergeant Major shares his wisdom on the current generation of Marines, what it really means to partner with industry, the role of the veteran community, and how investing in Marines and their families is not just investing in national security but is the right thing to do. Sergeant Major’s passion for Marines is so genuine it is infectious. It has to be said that after being so generous with his time on Scuttlebutt, he spent about 45 min outside of our booth talking to every Marine who wanted to speak with him. He didn’t leave until every person, Marine or otherwise, was able to see him. Even the most cynical could see that this wasn’t a performance but the actions of a Marine leader who truly cares about people. Semper Fidelis, Sergeant Major! Enjoy! Tweets by USMCSgtMaj https://www.facebook.com/USMCSgtMaj/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 137: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 2 – Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMaj Carlos Ruiz first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Day 1 of Modern Day Marine 2024 continues to rock! We’ve been having such a good time with our guests today, we decided to have two on for this one, Col Bob Danko, USMC (Ret) and CWO5 Chad Wade, USMC (Ret) from Polaris Goverment and Defense. Bob and Chad talk to us about their experiences in the logistics community, retirement and transitioning, and the capabilities that Polaris’ MRZR ULTV brings to the sustainability and survivability of Marines operating inside of the enemy’s weapons engagement zone. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-danko-028a5557/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-wade/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 136: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 1 – Bob Danko and Chad Wade, Polaris Government and Defense first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. When you come to a convention that is titled with the words, “Modern” and “Marine”, you know you’re in for one hell of a Day! And Day 1 did not disappoint. We were so happy to run into American Legion post commander extraordinaire and friend of the show, Liz Hartman. The awesome meter for this episode is fully pegged. “Unhinged” is the word of the episode and it is just that on many levels. If for nothing else, just randomly running in Liz totally validates our new, swanky booth. I dare you not to be smiling at the end of this episode. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartmanea/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 135: Modern Day Marine 2024 Day 1 – Liz Hartman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for stopping by. Day 1 of Modern Day Marine is here and we are so happy to welcome Carl Forsling from Airbus US Space and Defense to the hot seat. William and Vic talk to Carl about his experiences as a CH-46 and MV-22 Osprey pilot in the Marine Corps, his views on the challenges the Marine Corps is going to face supporting its new employment concepts (EABO and Stand-in Forces), and how Airbus’ UH-72 unmanned logistics connector platform can help meet these challenges. Carl’s experience brings a ton of credibility to the discussion of autonomous connector capabilities. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlforsling/ Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 134: Modern Day Marine Day 1 – Carl Forsling, Airbus US Space and Defense Senior Business Development Manager first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning and your continued support of the show. Well, today is the day we’ve talking about for a while now, Modern Day Marine 2024. As promised, Nancy, William, and Vic are recording from the showroom floor. And to kick things off, William and Nancy sit down with the President and CEO of the Marine Corps Association, LtGen Charles Chiarotti, USMC (Ret). to give us his thoughts on this year’s experience. If you’re going to be at the expo, please come by and say hi! Enjoy! Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 133: Modern Day Marine 2024 Opening Comments first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. This week Nancy and Vic welcome the American Legion’s Executive Director of Government and Veteran Affairs, Chanin Nuntavong. For those keeping track, last week Liz Hartman caught us up on what’s been going on at the American Legion post level. Chanin takes us to the 35-thousand foot view of what it is that the American Legion does for veterans at the national level. As daunting as that may seem, Chanin is no stranger to this high visibility world. Before he retired, Chanin was the senior staff advisor to the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. He tells us all about his experiences advising three sergeants major, growing up in the Bay Area as a first-generation American, and his current duties advocating for veterans. His story is so fascinating and his passion for the quality of life and welfare of veterans is admirable. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnuntavong/ Twitter and Instagram: @Khun_Chanin <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 132: Advocating for Veterans with Chanin Nuntavong first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for checking us out. Not sure how much of an intro is needed for this episode. Our guest’s name alone pretty much speaks to quality of this episode. Liz Hartman, the commander of American Legion Post #539, comes back and Nancy and Vic have a great time catching up. Liz brings up to speed on what is going on with the American Legion at the local and national levels, her trips to D.C., and all of the work she is doing advocating for veterans. Her passion and zeal are infectious so it’s hard to have a bad day after spending some time with Liz. Hope you enjoy catching up with her as much as we do. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartmanea/ <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 131: Catching Up with Old Friends – Liz Hartman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another episode of our World of Wargaming segment. William welcomes back the Director of Wargaming for the Marine Corps University’s Krulak Center for Innovation & Future Warfare, Col Tim Barrick, USMC (Ret.) to talk about Modern Day Marine 2024 and the second year of the Objective 1 Wargaming Conference. For those who missed it last year, Objective 1 was awesome! An entire section of the show room floor dedicated to wargaming, from digital to table top to card games. Don’t miss it this year. For those who did participate last year, Tim outlines all of the new stuff being introduced for this year’s tourney, to include a Commandant’s Cup and mystery table top game, so you’re gonna want to come back. It’s clear that Tim is serious about service members getting their reps and sets in a way that is fun but continues to expand and refine professional development. Really excited to see what Objective 1 has to offer at this year’s Modern Day Marine. Enjoy! Modern Day Marine Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 130: World of Wargaming with Col Tim Barrick, USMC (Ret.) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sponsored by Airbus, U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week the MCA’s own Director of Engagement and Expositions, Marta Sullivan joins us to talk about the upcoming Modern Day Marine Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. It was great to be able to sit with Marta and talk about all that this year’s MDM is going to offer. From the Obj 1 Wargaming Convention, to the Spouse Summit, to the Veteran and Spouse Transition and Employment Fair, there’s something for everyone. There’s also a small business industry day and a chance to see the non-profit side of Marine Corps acquisitions as well. And of course, all of the Marine Corps industry partners will be there displaying all of the innovations and emerging technologies to keep the Marine Corps America’s 9-1-1 force. Scuttlebutt will be there as well, recording live from the show room floor. Stop by and say hello! Enjoy! Modern Day Marine Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.<p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 129: Modern Day Marine 2024 with Marta Sullivan first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy, William, and Vic breakdown Stanley Kubrick’s film, Full Metal Jacket. This quintessential cinematic masterpiece has been talked about, analyzed, and dissected ad nauseam (rightfully so!) but its such a great movie and has such an imprint on Marines and the Marine Corps, there’s no way that we could have a movie review segment without talking about it. William tees up some great questions and forces us to focus on some of the aspects of the movie’s artistic expression that go beyond just watching a movie. Hope you enjoy our review of this film and are able to take away as much from Kubrick’s vision as we did. Also, check out the Museum of the Marine Corps’ newest exhibit, Full Metal Modine, which includes photographs by Matthew Modine (who plays the character Joker) featuring large-scale aluminum prints of photos he took while on the set. https://www.marineheritage.org/fullmetalmodine.html Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 128: Semper Cinema – Full Metal Jacket first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic have so much fun welcoming Kacy Tellessen back to the show. This is Kacy’s third trip to the scuttlebutt and the scuttle just keeps getting better. For those who missed the first two episodes with Kacy, first off, SHAME! Secondly, go back and bookmark them. And now listen to this one. Kacy is a former Marine machinegunner, award winning author, and now practicing attorney. Even with all of these accolades, Kacy is still a grunt at heart and just such a joy to spend time with. Hope you all have as much fun listening as we have recording these. Enjoy! Check out Kacy on LinkedIn and on Instagram Get Freaks of a Feather here. You’re welcome! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 127: Catching Up with Old Friends – Kacy Tellessen first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic have the pleasure of welcoming the National Executive Director and CEO at Young Marines, Col William Davis, USMCR (Ret) to the show. Due to a technical difficulty, we had the wonderful opportunity to have this conversation twice. Well, before any operation you have to rehearse, right? William was kind enough to give us another go and it was a lot of fun to be able spend additional time with him. He talks to us about the Young Marines program, how youth programs like Young Marines are counter-cultural, and what it’s like to literally create a school. His passion for developing, educating, and mentoring the youth is infectious. Enjoy! youngmarines.org linkedin.com/in/william-davis-9b80b6124 <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 126: Young Marines with Col William Davis, USMCR (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we’re starting a new segment we’re calling, Catching Up With Old Friends. To kick this thing off, I called on my amtrack brother Aeron Sullivan and he was kind enough to spend some time catching up. Aeron was a guest of ours back in the summer 2022 (Episode #39) so there was plenty to catch up on. Please go back and give it a listen if you missed it. Aeron is a super fascinating person. Former assault amphibian officer turned business start-up expert, he was once named a part of Inc. Magazine’s 30 under 30. He also worked with BibleProject helping to building them up to becoming the global Christian media presence they are today. His experiences there led him to his current project, Pangea, using AI to help businesses solve their global currency issues. Aeron shares his thoughts on taking risks, what it is about the Marine Corps that fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, and what talent management means beyond recruitment and retention. This conversation is like a free seminar, so…you’re welcome. It was really great spending time catching up. Enjoy! www.linkedin.com/in/aeronsully www.pangea.io <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 125: Catching Up With Old Friends – Aeron Sullivan first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic are excited to welcome Capt Riley Tejcek back to the show. Riley has recently returned from the US Bobsled Team trials, where she placed fourth…on a broken foot! This Marine will not be denied! By placing fourth, she is officially on the US Team and is currently in Germany preparing for World Championships in Mar. And there is no rest for the weary. Almost as soon as she gets back, she’s slated to deploy. Oh, and she has a children’s book due to be released in the late summer/early fall of this year. Whew. It was great to spend time with Riley and hear her perspectives on resiliency, the benefits of facing adversity, and the gift of giving back. Enjoy! Check out Leatherneck Magazine’s article about Riley here: www.mca-marines.org/magazines/leatherneck/ Follow Riley’s journey on her Instagram page here www.instagram.com/riley.tejcek/ <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 124: Dream It, Be It with Capt Riley Tejcek, USMC first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic are honored to welcome Maj Olaolu Ogunyemi to the show. Olaolu is one of the most dynamic people you could hope to meet. A communications officer by trade, Olaolu is also an author of children’s books, a philanthropist, YouVersion contributor, and public speaker. He also recently had an article published in the Marine Corps Gazette discussing talent management which is up on the website now (now). With everything he has going on, it was so generous of him to carve out some time for us. It was great picking his brain on topics of his upbringing and path to becoming a Marine, his drive to constantly give back, and the necessity of having a creative outlet. Enjoy! https://parent-child-connect.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/olaolu-ogunyemi-465ba453/ <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 123: Parent-Child-Connect with Maj Olaolu Ogunyemi, USMC first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic have the pleasure of spending some time with famed, and recently retired, television journalist and author of the book, Battle Scars, Chip Reid. Chip was embedded with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in 2003 as they made their push to Baghdad during the invasion. Battle Scars not only chronicles his time with this storied battalion, but follows up with the Marines – and their families – twenty years later to tell their stories of their lives since the invasion, their heroism, loss, and the new appreciation for life that results from post-traumatic growth. Chip discusses the impetus behind the book, what it was like being an embedded journalist, and his experiences putting these stories together. Enjoy! You can find Battle Scars here. And if you’re in the Northern VA/DC area, Chip will be doing a book signing at MCB Quantico on Wed, Feb 21st. Here is the link for more details. https://quantico.usmc-mccs.org/activity/02280669-bb04-470b-bd0e-371142b52a07 <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 122: Battle Scars with Chip Reid first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Our last movie review was so much fun, we decided to create a new segment called, “Semper Cinema.” This week, we review the Academy Award winning short documentary, With the Marines at Tarawa. If you haven’t seen it, you need to check it out. Released in 1944, this gritty film came out during the height of the island-hopping campaign and it’s graphic depictions of the horrors of combat, particularly in the Pacific, were so controversial that it required approval from President Roosevelt to be released. Vic, William, and Nancy discuss the merits of the film and what reasons the Marine Corps may have had in wanting to release the film during a time when America was sending so many of it’s citizens off to fight. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 121: Semper Cinema review of With the Marines at Tarawa first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome the former Virginia Secretary of Education and veteran Marine, Atif Qarni to the show. Atif was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to be with us and we are so glad that he did. Atif is currently campaigning to be the next Virginia 10th District congressional representative so it really means a lot that he was willing to sit with us and talk about his life. And what a fascinating life it has been. He shares with us his experiences immigrating from Pakistan to Baltimore as a child, his appreciation for the discipline and direction the Marine Corps has given him, the value of education and the challenges in trying to educate our kids, and the need to bring your A-game with mom. Atif was so engaging and his passion for education is infectious. Hope you find his story as compelling as we did. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 120: Atif Qarni first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. In this installment of World of Wargaming, William discusses the history of Marine Corps wargaming with returning guest Ian Brown accompanied by Sebastian Bae: a former Marine, research analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses, and adjunct assistant professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University. In recounting the history of wargaming in the Marine Corps, they also addressed ways in which to ensure that wargaming remains a prominent tool for professional military education. For more information, check out their article, “Promise Unfulfilled: A Brief History of Educational Wargaming in the Marine Corps.” published in the Vol 12, No. 2 edition of the Journal of Advanced Military Studies. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 119: World of Wargaming with Sebastian Bae and Ian Brown first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome LtCol David Kelly back to the show to talk about his new book, First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq, April 2004. Like David’s first book, Hell in the Streets of Husaybah, First Fights in Fallujah, his book chronicles the firsthand accounts of the Marines who fought in Operation Vigilant Resolve, also known as the first battle of Fallujah. But unlike his first book, First Fights includes accounts from more than just the infantry Marines kicking down doors. Amtrac’ers, tankers, helo crews, all of the various Marines that make up the Marine Air-Ground Task Force – of whom were so critical to the tactical and operational success of this first fight in Fallujah – are all featured in this book. David’s use of the actual words of the Marines really gives a visceral quality to his narrative. David gives us his thoughts on the uniqueness of this kind of retelling of history and shares with us his experiences conducting all of these interviews, in country, just on the heels of the end of the operation. Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kelly-4781a7132/ Get the book here <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 118: First Fights in Fallujah with LtCol David Kelly (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Happy 2024 everyone! We’re back! We hope that you had a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and that your 2024 is off to a great start. Speaking of great starts, we are going to kick off 2024 right! By bringing in two Amtrackers to talk about Amtracker stuff. Wait, where are you going? Seriously, stick around because we talk about a really fascinating topic: how a monument gets made. I think we all take for granted that when we see a statue, obelisk, or rendering, that all it took was a great idea, a righteous cause, a ton of money and then BOOM! You’ve got a monument right? Actually there is a ton of imagination, planning, preparation, art, creativity, hard work, and diligence (and butt loads of money) to create something that commemorates legacy. No one knows this more than the Amphibious Tractor Association and Memorial. John and Marc help lead the charge on the creation of a Amphibious Tractor Memorial to be placed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Memorial Walk. We step behind the curtain and let John and Marc walk us through the process how a monument comes to be, from impetus to ribbon cutting. They’re on a upward glide slope, but there is still a lot work to be done. If you would like to contribute to this endeavor or show your support, please go to www.amphibioustractormemorial.com and check out the artistic renderings of the monument and share in preserving the legacy of this particularly unique Marine Corps capability. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 117: Making of a Monument with Col John Atkinson and SgtMaj Marc Chabot first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. I wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know that Scuttlebutt will be taking a break over the holidays but will be back in Jan. We are excited for all of the new content and offerings coming up in 2024 with some exciting new segments and guests. Maybe even some return visits from some of our friends to see what their up to. Please feel free to hit us up at [email protected] and let us know what you think. Please share any ideas you have on what you would like to see on the podcast and we’ll make it happen. As we embark on our holiday leave block, no good Marine message is complete without an obligatory safety brief: Let this season be a time that you and your loved ones make cherished memories. Not a season that is forever tarnished because you were being stupid. On behalf of everyone at the Marine Corps Association we want to wish you all a fun and safe holiday season. Semper Fidelis <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 116: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic welcome Adam Lazarus to the show. Adam is the author of the book, The Wingmen the story of the unlikely, unusual, unbreakable friendship between John Glenn and Ted Williams. Adam has also authored multiple books that focus on sports history such as Hail to the Redskins, Best of Rivals, Super Bowl Monday, and Chasing Greatness. Adam talks to us about his decision to write this book, being that it takes a step away from the specifics of sports history and looks at the shared history of these two American icons. Within the public consciousness, this is a fairly unknown story of these two giants. It is one of friendship and dynamics of a decades long relationship, sometimes contentious, between the men that existed behind the mythology. You can find more about Adam and his wonderful collection of books at: www.adamlazarusbooks.com on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @lazarusa57 LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lazarus-b0117011 Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 115: The Wingmen with Adam Lazarus first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another edition of World of Wargaming. William and Vic were able to spend some time with the founder and CEO of Victura studios, Peter Tamte. Peter talks to us about his newest project, Six Days in Fallujah, a first-person tactical military shooter that recreates true stories of Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians during Operations Vigilant Resolve and Phantom Fury. This game is so nuanced. It’s not your standard first-person shooter that is generally placed in a semi-historical setting based on a conflict that is far removed from history. He walks us through the highs and lows of developing a video game, the change in the standard lone wolf, run-and-gun-style gameplay, and the challenges of making a game that accurately recreates a battle that many people playing it have actually participated in. As you can imagine, there was a lot of criticism when the project was first announced, but interestingly, most of it came from those who never served. Peter treats this project with the passion and sensitivity of someone who wants to do this right and have it be something that is authentic to those who were there. When we talk about wargaming providing the reps and sets that will help future servicemembers in future wars, Six Days in Fallujah is definitely shooting on target. And now, here’s our conversation with Peter Tamte. Check out their website at www.sixdays.com and get all the latest updates, news, and videos. And check out these trailers. Be prepared to have your mind blown! Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 114: Six Days in Fallujah with Peter Tamte. first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome Andrew Biggio back to the show to discuss his most recent book: The Rifle 2. When Andrew returned home from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan he had huge questions about the price of war. He decided to ask those who he knew would understand – veterans of War War II. William and Nancy talk to Andrew about his book and how it delves into the suffering and complexity of war that World War II veterans experienced. Andrew reveals the darker side of the greatest generation while illuminating the struggles they endured to create a better world. In recounting the stories of these veterans, Andrew takes the greatest generation off its pedestal to demonstrate that we may have more in common with them than previously thought, wrestling with their share of weaknesses and flaws while answering the call of duty. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 113: The Rifle 2 with Andrew Biggio first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Vic sits down with Col Eric “Ferris” Buer, former Cobra pilot and author of the book, Ghosts of Baghdad: Marine Corps Gunships on the Opening Days of the Iraq War. As the title suggests, his book looks at the war in Iraq from 2003-2004 from the perspective of a Cobra pilot supporting troops on the ground. His perspectives were really interesting because most of the narratives coming out of the Long War have either been from the ground or from fixed-wing aviators. It’s embarrassing to admit that his point of view from the cockpit was a perspective from our operations during the Long War that haven’t been highlighted, especially considering that many of us owe our current existence to the actions of rotary-wing close air support. Being that he and his rotary-wing brethren are so inextricably linked to ground maneuver and thus exposed to a threat level, and quite frankly, a grit level that many of the fixed-wing community are not, his experiences and views on the war are fascinating. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 112: Ghosts of Baghdad with Col Eric “Ferris” Buer, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another episode of our series Strait Talk with Dr. Mike Hunzeker. We recorded this episode on 10 November, so what kind of Marines would we be if we didn’t celebrate the Marine Corps birthday properly. And what better way to celebrate than to get into the weeds on the current state of one of our primary operating environments, the Taiwan Strait. Mike gives us his valuable insight on the upcoming elections in Taiwan and what it means for the future US-Taiwan relations, what the outcome of the election could mean for Taiwan’s force posture, and the implications of China’s gray-zone campaign and the potential for overstretch. It’s always great to talk to Mike and pick at his 10-pound brain for some tasty nuggets. Here are the articles we reference in the interview: Taiwan’s Most Pressing Challenge Is Strangulation, Not Invasion China’s Gray-Zone Tactics Show the U.S.-Philippine Alliance Is Working Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 111: Strait Talk with Dr. Mike Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Happy 248th Birthday Marines and welcome to episode 110 everyone. Thank you for joining us. To help celebrate our birthday we are trying a new segment we’re calling Tun Tavern Talks. For all of us who have spent time around service members, especially Marines, we know that sea stories abound. I’ve heard it said that the only difference between a fairy tale and a sea story is that one starts with once upon a time and the other starts with, this no kidding happened. So, we thought why don’t we get some of these gems immortalized on air, and what better place than a podcast called Scuttlebutt. Well, Scuttlebutt fans and fans of Scuttlebutt…scuttlebutt you shall have. To kick off our inaugural episode of the series, we brought our own Col Chris Woodbridge and SgtMaj Justin Lehew into the studio to join Vic on the panel, moderated by Nancy. What could possibly go wrong?! This was a lot of fun and we hope to have many more Tun Tavern Talks in our future. Happy Birthday, Marines! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 110: Tun Tavern Talks with Col Chris Woodbridge and SgtMaj Justin Lehew first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another edition of World of Wargaming. William has a chat with Tom Knowles and Keith Martin-Smith from HexWar to discuss their series of games available on Mac, PC, iPhone, and iPad. Given the previous Commandant’s desire to increase wargaming usage throughout the Corps, HexWar’s mobile wargaming allows Marines to get their reps and sets in at their own convenience. Check out the full library of HexWar games at: www.hexwar.com Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 109: World of Wargaming with HexWar first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we are very excited to be welcoming Michael Armistead not only to the show, but to the Marine Corps Association staff. Michael is our new Director of Communications and comes to us from HQMC Communications Directorate where he served as the Branch head of Occupational Field support. He retired as a LtCol in September of this year. Michael was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and sit down with us to talk a little about his background, his career in unform, and his goals and vision for the Marine Corps Association’s communication plan. It was a lot of fun getting to know Michael beyond the workplace. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 108: Welcome Aboard LtCol Michael Armistead, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners and welcome to a special episode of Scuttlebutt. William and I sit down with the Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of The Marine Corps Gazette & Leatherneck and Vice President of Professional Development, Col Chris Woodbridge to talk about current events in the Ukraine-Russia War and the current state of the things in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Like with our other warzone update segments, there is no shortage of media outlets, news organizations and social media influencers rushing to weigh-in on these conflicts and provide a hot take. As much as we don’t want to add to the noise, it seems like it would be irresponsible to ignore what is going on, especially as hundreds of Marines head into these areas, while thousands more stand-by awaiting orders to go. We fully admit that we at the MCA are distanced from these conflicts not only in proximity but in the kind of information we have access to. But what we try to do with this episode is avoid the rhetoric and give a strategic, operational, tactical assessment of the way we understand the events as they are unfolding from the perspective of people who have a decent amount of time operating in warzones in this region and the scholarhip of military history. Hopefully we can help move the conversation beyond the black-and-white narrative of good versus evil and highlight the extreme complexity of what is going on in the world right now while acknowledging the tragedy of it all. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 107: Ukraine and Gaza Discussion with Col Chris Woodbridge, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are super excited to welcome Captain Riley Tejcek to the show. Riley is the Support Officer for the Expeditionary Warfare School at the Marine Corps University here at MCB Quantico. On top of that, Riley is in contingency for the US National Bobsledding Team. She is currently on the National Team, out at team trials right now to make the final cut for the Winter Games in 2024. We talk to Riley about her path to the yellow footprints, what drives her to constantly excel at everything she does, and why representation matters. We had a lot of fun talking to Riley and look forward to tracking her progress toward international competition at the highest level, and hopefully some hardware around her neck when it’s all said and done. You can find Riley on Instagram and follow her progress: https://www.instagram.com/riley.tejcek/ If you want to donate to help augment the costs of her pursuit, you can contribute here to her GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/riley-compton-bobsled-journey Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 106: Sledding Toward Gold with Capt Riley Tejcek first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we are happy to welcome Col Patty “Bacon” Klop to the show. Patty is the Assistant Chief of Staff, Reserve G-1 for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. October 10th was the World Mental Health Day as recognized by the World Health Organization. The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. Patty was kind enough to come on and share her story of struggles with post-traumatic stress. Vic and Nancy talk to Patty about her her upbringing as an elite college athlete, her decision to join the Marine Corps and upcoming retirement, her article in Leatherneck Magazine, and her efforts to raise awareness on the mental health crisis and veteran suicide. Check out the article in Leatherneck Magazine chronicling her journey here: www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/the-healing-of-a-marine To get her full story regarding PTSD, please check it out on Freedom Fitness America: https://freedomfitnessamerica.org/patty-Klop-advisory-group-member-1 And please check out SheForce – Ninth Fold here: https://www.facebook.com/TheNinthFold/ Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 105: The Healing of a Marine with Col Patty Klop first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. On this installment of World of Wargaming, William enjoys a conversation with Rich Hamilton, the Chief Operations Officer of Wargame Design Studio. The two discuss the evolution of John Tiller’s gaming software to the now-titled Wargame Design Studio, which focuses primarily on in-depth historical wargaming. As a special gift to our dedicated listeners, Wargame Design Studio is partnering with the Marine Corps Association to offer a 25% discount on all products with the code: MCA25. Check out their website (https://wargameds.com/) and start getting your historical wargaming reps and sets in! Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 104: World of Wargaming with Rich Hamilton from Wargame Design Studio first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Today we welcome SgtMaj Lynn Kimble, USMC (Ret) to the show to talk about USAA’s Face the Fight Campaign. Mental health and suicide are issues that our country faces everyday and the impact is felt by veterans well above that of the rest of the American public. Face the Fight is a coalition of philanthropic foundations, veteran-oriented nonprofit organizations and corporations that are pooling resources ($41 million to start) and sharing a nationwide concerted effort, with the goal of cutting the veteran suicide rate in half by 2030. As the Military Affairs Relationship Director at USAA, SgtMaj Kimble shares with us his insight into the Face the Fight Campaign, as well as his experiences as a Marine rising through the ranks to become the Marine Corps Embassy Security Guard Sergeant Major and eventually the Command Sergeant Major of Marine Corps Reserve Forces and Marine Corps Forces North. If you would like more information on the USAA Face the Fight Campaign or would like to support it, please check them out at: https://wefacethefight.org/ Enjoy! Quick note: This recording occurred the week after our 100th episode aired but to better synch the release of this episode with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, we pushed it out to today. That’s why Vic refers to this episode as “101”. Apologies for any confusion. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 103: USAA’s Face The Fight With Sergeant Major Lynn Kimble first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. This week we’re giving movie reviews a try and we begin with the documentary, The United States Marine Corps: 1775 – 1916: A History of Heroes. As fun as this was, there is more to this project than just having an excuse to watch movies while on the clock. The Marine Corps Association website offers battle study packages that provide a litany of resources to aid in our Marines’ professional military education. Among these resources are curated YouTube videos. But how should one use these videos in their studies? On this episode, William and Vic perform an analysis of a documentary film to demonstrate how YouTube videos can be used as a teaching tool. Using The United States Marine Corps: 1775 – 1916: A History of Heroes as an example, William and Vic discuss their reviews of the film, its pros and cons, the potential bias of the director, and how it was made to influence its intended audience.  The film can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYFhmtdg-cg&t=2623s Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 102: “The United States Marine Corps 1775-1916: A History Of Heroes” Movie Review first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. On this episode of MCA Scuttlebutt, we continue our World of Wargaming series with Jeremy Sepinsky, the lead wargame designer for the Center for Naval Analyses. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 101: World of Wargaming with Jeremy Sepinsky from the Center For Naval Analyses first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. After interviewing dozens of people the past two years, we turn the mic toward our very own Vic Ruble for our 100th episode of MCA Scuttlebutt. For this episode, guest interviewer Kyle Watts chats with Vic over his career in the Marine Corps and how he became the illustrious host of this podcast. We would like to thank each of our listeners for embarking on this journey with us and we are excited for what the future has in store. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 100: Celebrating 100 Episodes With Vic Ruble first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. If you want to write about veterans you need to earn their trust, listen to their experiences, and get it right. On this episode, William and Nancy have a conversation with award-winning writer, Leatherneck’s own Kyle Watts. Kyle is the recipient of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s 2019 Colonel Robert Debs Heinl, Jr. Award for the best article pertinent to Marine Corps history. He is a Marine communications officer turned freelance writer and is currently working as a Virginia firefighter. His side hustle is writing for Leatherneck and for him it’s not about the tactics and the analysis of the battles but it’s all about telling the stories of Marines who were there. I have a feeling you will be hearing more from him now that we know where he works. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 99: Writing For Leatherneck with Kyle Watts first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>