CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Noncommissioned officers with 2nd Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, participated in a week-long NCO leadership course aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., beginning April 4, 2011.
The course granted senior leadership the opportunity to train their junior NCOs in a way they felt would benefit them the most. The assigned a team of sergeants and senior corporals to take on the role of instructors to teach the class by leading sessions of physical training and drill manual; the cornerstone of Marine Corps fundamentals.
The course provided the general guidance needed to be effective leaders of Marines. The curriculum included guidance on producing accurate proficiency and conduct marks, which grade a Marine on his performance and directly affects his chances for promotions and moving forward in their career, as well as discussions on the 14 Marine Corps leadership traits and history of the NCO.
“You need good Marines to lead in the unit,” said 1st Sgt. Larry Briar, first sergeant for Motor Transport Maintenance Company, 2nd Maint. Bn. “They are a direct reflection of (senior leadership), so we need to make them better.”
Letting the NCOs pass on knowledge was a main intent of the course, which sergeants such as William A. Burger, a diesel fuel mechanic with 2nd Maint. Bn., thinks was an important aspect of it.
“Whether you put forth the effort to train your NCOs or not, you are shaping the Marine Corps,” he said. “Everything we do has an affect on the future of our Corps, so why not do our best?”
The unit is doing everything they can to ensure it continues to push for excellence. They’ve setup periods of military education and courses such as these on a frequent basis. With none of them being mandatory, it’s the NCOs’ initiative that has kept the unit serious in pushing NCO leadership.
“I’ve been with units that don’t drive their NCOs to be better and essentially, things fall apart,” said Sgt. Stacy N. McGuffin, a heavy equipment mechanic with 2nd Maint. Bn. “You can’t get anything done if you don’t have reliable NCOs.”
These programs might not be something a lot of people want to take part in, but these are the courses that Marines learn the most from, said McGuffin.
“Who better to learn from than fellow NCOs who were, and still are, in our shoes,” she said.
Although they cannot single-handedly alter the future of the Marine Corps, 2nd Maint. Bn. is doing there part to ensure the Corps continues to move in a positive direction.