By Marine Corps Compass Points Substack
Indications are that under orders from the new Commander-in-Chief, Marines are headed to the US southern border. For nearly five years the Marine Corps has focused on narrow, defensive, missile units off China’s coast, and turned away from the flexible, global Marine 9-1-1 crisis response force.
Now that the crisis is here, the Marine Corps will not be sending missile units to the US southern border, it will send crisis response Marines. The new US policy makers have discovered the secret weapon in any crisis, send in the Marines!
As Marines prepare for their new mission, news reports continue to be filled with discussion of the controversial human resource program, DEI. Some view DEI as a way to right past wrongs. Others see it as divisive. Some view it as a way to improve organizational performance. Others see it as destructive of organizational production, growth, and achievement.
No matter what view an organization may have once had about DEI, in the federal government today, the new administration has made it clear that DEI has come to the end.
While DEI, for better or worse, has come to an end, one thing has not come to the end, the need for Marine leaders to be completely straightforward, dependable, and above all trustworthy.
The Marine Corps’ foundational publication, MCDP-1 Warfighting, published in 1997, stresses the importance of trust:
Consequently, trust is an essential trait among leaders—trust by seniors in the abilities of their subordinates and by juniors in the competence and support of their seniors. Trust must be earned, and actions which undermine trust must meet with strict censure. . . . p3-7— MCDP 1 Warfighting
If the controversial DEI is no longer going to be used for promotions in the Marine Corps, how should Marines be selected for promotion and increased responsibility? Once again, MCDP 1 Warfighting has the answer,
Finally, promotion and advancement policy should reward the willingness to accept responsibility and exercise initiative. 3-14 — MCDP 1 Warfighting
Over the last several weeks, the Marine Corps has been busy running away from DEI.
The Marine Corps has tried to run away so fast and so far, that it is putting at risk something far more important than any human resource program: honest and trustworthy leadership.
On January 15, 2025, the current Marine Commandant sat down with the Defense Writers Group to answer questions. He was asked about the Marine Corps and DEI. He began his answer by saying, “I’ll be candid.”
“As far as DEI, the Marine Corps has not had DEI programs . . . . We don’t do DEI in the Marine Corps, we never have.”– USMC Commandant
The Commandant did not try to defend DEI. He did not explain its value. He did not say the Marine Corps had learned from the past.
Instead, he went to extreme lengths to deny that the Marine Corps had ever had anything to do with DEI. The Marine Corps Commandant claimed the Marine Corps “has not had DEI programs . . . we never have.”
The Marine Corps has not had DEI programs?
Has the current Commandant forgotten that he was the Assistant Commandant when the 2021 edition of the Marine Corps’ Talent Management 2030 was issued. Talent Management 2030 has an entire section devoted to DEI,
“DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND TALENT MANAGEMENT“
including:
• Reinforcing diversity.
• Promoting equity.
• Encouraging a culture of inclusion.
The Marine Corps has not had DEI programs?
Has the current Commandant forgotten that he was the Assistant Commandant when the Commandant was questioned about DEI by a reporter, Chris Panolfo: “Berger suggested that if DEI training were a problem for the Marine Corps, there would be evidence of Marines leaving the service.”
Obviously, in trying to defend the Marine Corps DEI program, former Commandant Berger admitted the Marine Corps was actively conducting, “DEI training.”
The Marine Corps has not had DEI programs?
Just in the last few days, the Marine Corps has had the official ‘marines.mil’ website scrubbed of all references to DEI. But despite the Marine Corps’ website scrubbing, no-one can hide from the Internet’s Wayback Machine that archives the Internet forever.
Before it was recently scrubbed off the internet, anyone could access the web page for the Marine Corps office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Diversity and Inclusion – Headquarters Marine Corps
Improve diversity and inclusion across the Marine Corps and harness the varied talents, skills and abilities of individual Marines as force multipliers. Key Areas of Responsibility Serves as the program Office for the Marine Corps Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Program
https://www.hqmc.marines.mil › Diversity
Diversity and Inclusion – Headquarters Marine Corps
Improve diversity and inclusion across the Marine Corps and harness the varied talents, skills and abilities of individual Marines as force multipliers. … Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan.
–Marines.mil
The Marine Corps has not had DEI programs?
Until this week, Marines could easily access online the Marine Corps Diversity and Inclusion department and beyond that, the five-year Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan. Now both the department and the Strategic Plan have disappeared.
Finally, it is worth recalling the controversial official photograph the Marine Corps issued of a Marine Corps camouflage helmet decorated with several rainbow-colored ammunition rounds.
The Marine Corps has not had DEI programs?
The truth is for many years, the Marine Corps has been as deep into DEI as any of the military services.
It is only now when the new administration has turned against DEI that Marine Corps’ current Commandant has started claiming that the Marine Corps, “has not had DEI programs . . . we never have.”
Far beyond the controversy of DEI, the Marine Corps must have trustworthy leadership.
MCDP-1 Warfighting emphasizes the importance of trust:
Trust must be earned, and actions which undermine trust must meet with strict censure. . . . p3-7— MCDP 1 Warfighting
The Marine Corps has not had DEI programs?
Of course it has.
Anyone who would make the rash statement that the Marine Corps, “has not had DEI programs . . . we never have” is falling far short of the standard of honesty required of all Marine leaders.
Marines are preparing to jump into the crisis at the US southern border.
As always, the real strength of Marines comes not as much from equipment as from the intangibles that make Marines strong: honor, courage, sacrifice, and trust.
The Nation needs a Marine Corps with leaders who are more open, more blunt, and more trustworthy.
Compass Points salutes all the Marines headed to the border and all those Marine leaders who are working to restore trust throughout the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps cannot succeed with untrustworthy leadership. The Marine Corps is not as healthy as the Nation needs it to be.
It will take a new path forward for the Marine Corps to regain its place both as the Nation’s always ready 9-1-1 force and as the world’s premier amphibious warfighting force.
The Nation can always depend on Marines. The Marine Corps must be careful that leaders of Marines are worthy of the Marines that are entrusted to their care.
Marines.mil
Defense Writers Group Discussion with Commandant 15 Jan 2025
https://www.cmc.marines.mil/Speeches-and-Transcripts/Transcripts/Article/4033194/defense-writers-group-discussion/
Fox News – 03/16/2023
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger says there’s ‘zero evidence’ DEI training distracts from readiness
Gen David Berger argued that if diversity, equity and inclusion programs were a problem, Marine Corps retention would be down
By Chris Pandolfo
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/marine-corps-commandant-gen-david-berger-zero-evidence-dei-training-distracts-readiness
New York Post – 06/01/2022
Marine Corps sparks outrage with rainbow bullets to mark Pride month
By Bruce Golding
https://nypost.com/2022/06/01/marine-corps-sparks-outrage-with-pride-month-rainbow-bullets/
First published on Marine Corps Compass Substack
See STARRS posts in the Marine Corps category
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