Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Marine Corps.

MCRD San Diego Bootcamp Photo 1981

As an indelible U.S. Marine imprinted in your heart forever, we all know we come into this world without pockets and will leave this world with only accumulated wisdom, life lessons for our Higher Soul, and much love. Your Earth-Guide-Only (EGO) remains behind. I say, stay positive and generous in your life - make each day count. A wise and crusty U.S. Navy Master Chief Boatswain Mate SEAL once told me about generosity's epitaph: "What I gave, I have. What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost." Can one believe it? He accused me of being the most generous U.S. Marine he had ever met in his naval career. Of course, after buttering me up with what I think was flattery (most likely bullshit) from a SEAL, he made me the MWR officer for MSB Hercules afloat in the Northern Persian Gulf. Lucky for me, as a young [all over the map] 1stLt, he taught me to become a generous human being 24/7 and a deep thinker - no exceptions. He mentored me for well over four months - I was his captured audience. I suppose you don't believe that a U.S. Navy Master Chief Boatswain Mate (SEAL) doesn't have rank and privilege over everyone in the Command except for the Commanding Officer. In that case, you are simply ignorant of the Sea Service traditions & Naval underway reality. Ask anyone in our sister Sea Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, if you think I am embellishing this observable fact. For you, SCIFI & Gaming Buffs - the Master Chief (a genetically enhanced Spartan), HALO, on Paramount + streaming services is exactly what I am talking about. The Master Chief was very much a reincarnated Lucius Annaeus Seneca!

Of generosity, Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC to 63 AD) once wrote, "If a man [woman] be endowed with a generous mind; this is the best kind of nobility." Seneca, a Roman citizen duty-bound, was a common Legionnaire, statesman, philosopher, and artistic playwright. Having warrior roots, Seneca, who lived by his broad ethical and moral attitude, inspired and influenced many of his fellow common citizens by living an altruistic and artistic life by example. Seneca was a generous man who always set the "good citizen" example for his fellow countrymen with his "can-do" volunteer spirit. As a Marine warrior, always strive each day with your friendship, your discernment (genuine understanding), your sharing of your skills, abilities, and especially your precious gift of linear time. As a prisoner of linear time on earth, you are bonded for a lifetime of memories and enduring relationships.

Stay positive and generous in your life, Marine! What will be your life's heroic story you want to tell?

It's important to note as U.S. Marines, we mostly do not remember all the fleeting days of our Service. Instead, we remember enduring, emotional moments. Yesterday is always today's memory, and tomorrow is potentially today's dream. Our common calling to serve in the Marine Corps has created memories to look back upon for years, spawning dreams to look forward to over a lifetime with loved ones.

Memories are what allow us to travel to those once familiar places like yesterday is today. Our subjective memories, containing snippets of happiness, are a gift we can offer ourselves whenever we choose. We can inject these happy or sad memories into our daily life to enrich our real moments. Are not these the kind of moments in the present that make living worthwhile?

Before I start, it's very important to understand your status game playing while serving in or have served in the Marine Corps! This will help you understand your Marine Corps service or career.

As U.S. Marines, we all join and identify with groups. The Marine Corps is an institution where a Marine is either in the in-group or out-group of multiple tribes. Ask any Marine; no one likes to be around a self-aggrandizing and know-it-all Marine. All the Marine Corps' groups and tribes have rules of behavior to enable one's status game with subordinates, peers, and superiors. It is the human species' instinct to reward oneself and others when they prove he or she is of value. One's identity is seamless with humanity's status game. Human status is simply the pursuit of personal and group esteem (feeling important in the eyes of their subordinates, peers, and seniors).

As Marines, we are members of lots of tribes and groups all at once. Virtue status, dominance status, and success status, if played correctly in the Marine Corps, one knows the rules, follows the rules, and enforces the rules -- works. Think about it, as Marines, we gather into groups/tribes (i.e., units), playing by rules, rising and falling in individual status depending on how well we all served the in-group or in-tribe (read Chain-of-Command, Good Order & Military Discipline, Team Player). The danger here is always the unwanted psychological pollution in military tribes/groups: Group Think. The better we follow the rules in the Marine Corps, the higher Marines climb in status as well as increased worsening of Group Think among the tribe. Funny, as Marines, we are constantly measuring our status due to an evolutionary social connection, a "status detection system" hard-wired in our brains. This is because every human being loves belongingness and loves to be loved -- there is no escaping this human condition. We all crave human connections, even as warriors. Marines unconsciously play multiple status games simultaneously -- such as (1) the virtue status game (deference and respect), (2) the success status game (value-added, competent warrior), and (3) the dominance status game (rank and giving orders). The consequences of not playing multiple status games are directly proportional to (1) insults, (2) humiliation, (3) assault on one's identity, and most importantly, (4) one's lesser value and status in the group or tribe. The cautionary tale of one's status regulation is the taboo around caring overtly about status and the perpetual human insecurity of status. This means no Marine ever owns his or her status while serving in the Marine Corps. Don't worry if you feel bad, Marine; it's just raw pride f**king with your mind. The Marine Corps Team's end-state mission is to earn positive connectedness and status with other warriors. A cautionary tale for every Marine, social media is a horrible, new way to play status games. In my view, social media is always a losing "slot machine" for one's illusion of improved status in life.

As a Marine, do you think it's a good idea to play virtual success/dominance/virtue status games online with groups and tribes? Remember, when playing any status game, you are making the unconscious conscious. The conscious experience of your life (including your time as a Marine) is your unconscious status game manifesting into your life's heroic story. How will you tell you're conscious heroic life story as a U.S. Marine? Were you the dominant, successful, virtuous GySgt, Capt, SgtMaj, MGySgt, Maj, Col, General, LCpl, 2ndLt, Sgt, LtCol, or CWO -- or playing all three status roles simultaneously? Of course, gossip (both beneficial and detrimental) is essential to human civilization as well as the Marine Corps -- we all do it; it shows we learn to live in the world. Remember, the " status game" enables the best of human progress, advancement of science and technology, new ideas, and progressive societal improvements of collective human consciousness (values, ethics, and morals). In the end, the " status game" enabled the very best and worst behaviors, positive and negative tribal/group co-playing outcomes, and learning in your Marine Corps service or career. As U.S. Marines, we ALL want to (1) be part of the in-group; (2) feel we made a meaningful and significant contribution to the mission; (3) be value-added with our individual contributions to the Team; (4) our mission (work) matters and is important; (5) we find satisfying purpose and meaning in our daily existence as U.S. Marines; and, (6) we are recognized and rewarded in public as an individual for our hard work and efforts (BZs) to strengthen the Team.

Seriously, does any U.S. Marine disagree with this insight as well as enabling truth to power psychological wisdom? After all, the goal of life is to be in a state of seizing upon pleasurable moments and living well by responding to reality the way one should VS a life of illusion, pining for feeling emotionally happy (the pursuit of happiness) in every waking moment.

Okay - here we go!

Myself! I needed to join the Marine Corps to grow up and figure out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. I still don't know who I am or what I want to do with my life. My life is still an expedition of experiencing life one person at a time. Being a U.S. Marine or having been a U.S. Marine is a great start in your life. My older brother joined the National Guard (Maine) after high school. He was an engineer and quickly made enlisted rank to Staff Sergeant while I was in college - I remember his weekend duties and 2 weeks of summer engineer projects of building expeditionary or improving airstrips. I was the first in my family line to join the Marine Corps - all my uncles served in the U.S. Army/U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII/Korean War or the U.S Army in the Vietnam War.

Here's the SECRET: Don't worry about it; you will never figure out who you want to be nor what you want to do in your life! Do many things with your life - enjoy the present moment!

Photo: How many Marines remember their Recruiter and AFEES (MEPS) before boot camp? My USMC Recruiter, Sergeant Rolland L Head, Asheville, NC Recruiting Office, convinced me to enlist in the Marine Corps. I was processed through AFEES (MEPS) Charlotte, NC - then was reassigned from MCRD PI, SC, to MCRD SD, CA. Now, what are the odds of that being east of the Mississippi River? MCRD San Diego, RTR, 2nd Bn, Company H, Platoon 2060 - SSgt K. R. Kerr, Senior Drill Instructor; SSgt C. P. Morton, Drill Instructor; & Sgt L. S. Spears, Drill Instructor.

Enlisted Boot Camp sucked - every single day!! Only the Marine Corps Enlisted Boot Camp Senior Drill Instructor and Drill Instructors can bring you infinite pain and suffering while simultaneously being your Guardian Angels. Never make eye contact with the SDI/DIs - NOT FUN! The ageless question is: who is the better Marine - a "Hollywood" Marine or a "Paris Island" Marine?

Graduation Day - Phew!! Proud to be a U.S. Marine - a Pvt ready to conquer the world with a K-Bar! Seriously, all of one's energy was expended trying to figure out how to check into ITS (Phase IV Bootcamp), Camp Onofre, and Camp Pendleton for training after Bootcamp graduation - with leave en route. A PFC stripe was fair, an LCpl stripe with cross rifles was good, two stripes as a Cpl (NCO) with "scarlet blood stripes" was better, and three stripes as a "buck" Sgt was the best!! Sgt was the best-enlisted rank I held in the USMC - and Capt was the best Officer rank I held in the USMC. Hands down, Sgt and Capt, are the two best ranks in the USMC - while in these two ranks, one can call out bullshit as one sees it without persecution/retaliation from the C-O-C - very forgiving and fun leadership ranks!

Now, let's talk about non-local Consciousness Warrior Monk reincarnation...why you gravitate to the Marine Corps? Whether one believes in organized religion (incarnation) or spiritualism (reincarnation), it matters not because our reality is non-local consciousness as a person. One must ask oneself: Am I a human being with an organic brain that creates my consciousness, or am I an infinite, immortal non-local conscious person in a "rent-a-body" human body experiencing the schoolhouse of life? Either way, the reality is that we have no free will, nor is" me, mine, myself" subject real. One only has free consciousness to make choices influenced by nature, nurture, and one's subjective brain perception/processing of 3D linear Spacetime. We are all together in this linear time prison cell trying to get bail with our non-local consciousness to be a free people truly.

Again, you are simply a non-local conscious person (infinite Soul) - there is no physical SELF (I, me, myself riding around inside your head); it's simply an organic holographic 3D illusion. Have you received the post-Marine Corps Life Memorandum: there is no Free Will, only Free Consciousness? If I had illusionary Free Will, I would have retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as the Commandant of the Marine Corps in 20 years! Yup, we have only free consciousness to make choices on planet earth while trapped and held as a prisoner" by linear 3D SPACETIME.

I agree with GEN George Patton; many of us are awake non-local, infinite, eternal Spiritual Warrior-Peace Monks that keep reincarnating on Mother Earth to raise the consciousness of this particular genetic 2-Strand DNA strain of biological Human Beings that were colonized on this planet. And, of course, we are all ETIs here on earth riding around in an organic carbon-meat-based physical body. In your true and higher dimensional form, you are not a biological 3D human being on a planetary-based solar system. For those few Marines who had mastered their "monkey Chatter" minds to slow their breaths down and open their Minds - good ideas matter, right? Of course, objective knowledge of truth is a single point, but the foolish have multiplied it. There you have it - straight from a Marine's mouth - no need to waste your time and money to travel to India or Tibet or Timbuktu to study to find yourself inside yourself - there is no there-there Self inside or outside yourself! A crazy tongue twister, right?

Your non-local consciousness is absolutely forever young - that's who you are as an eternal, infinite person. Many Marines believe age is a mindset. Sure, we have birthdays to remind us of our biological age. I've long thought of aging/old age as a time when all that's left is, to tell the truth - no bullshit. What you see is what you get - go ugly early. It's liberating to be at a point where one no longer needs to posture or pretend because one no longer feels a need to prove anything to anyone. Does this universal human condition resonate with you - especially your Marine Corps career/tour(s)? Sometimes it's good to be alone with our Marine Corps' indelible emotional memories. How many Marines fight the gravity of aging to look his or her best - no matter one's biological age? It is nature's way of reminding you that you must earn your keep on the earth. Though we all forever feel 20 years old in our hearts and mind, we must all collaborate with our physical body's aging process as best we can.

For all the wrinkles and worry lines, sun damage, past injuries, aches, and pains, and stiffness -- it's an amazing thing to be one of those Marines who lived long enough to say: "I'm getting older, but I still feel 20 years old in my mind and heart. It's still the same me, and I don't feel old, to be perfectly honest. The reflection in the mirror only reflects the truth that aging gracefully is a good idea. Truth to power, we are still forever young because of our non-local consciousness person self. Yup, it's really that simple - pay focused attention to your consciousness and inner person. I wish you to follow your life's trajectory of embracing peace, love, companionship, fellowship, balance, joy, and forgiveness to watch many more sunsets before nighttime falls upon your limited, mortal physical body. The good news is -- don't worry and don't sweat the small stuff; of course, reincarnation is the way. Your endless journey as a warrior will continue because of learning and growth continues across many millenniums because you are an infinite, immortal conscious person. My wish is that you remember this life incarnation as a U.S. Marine in your next life on earth.

The vast majority of Marines don't want to hear the truth because he or she don't want their subjective security and illusions destroyed. Nietzsche's aphorism: "underneath this reality in which we live and have our being, another and altogether different reality lies concealed. There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth. The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly." this suggests simply being yourself and living a simple life. What more do you have to prove to others?

To be an altruistic human being and live life to the fullest, you have to close the gap of the person you want to be and the person you seem to be in the present moment.

Whether you were in the service for several years or as a career, please describe the direction or path you took. What was your reason for leaving?

MCRD San Diego Bootcamp Photo 1981

As an Enlisted Marine, I was a 0311/0351/8151 Grunt! I went to Boot Camp at Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA - proud to be a Hollywood Marine!

Photo: MCRD San Diego CA Recruit Depot, 2nd Battalion, Company H, 1st Series, Platoon 2060. The making of Hollywood Marines - dated 23 October 1981. I joined the U.S. Marine Corps during the first year of President Ronald Reagan's two-term presidency. Please note H Company's highest Plt PFT Trophy, highest Plt Marksmanship Trophy, highest Plt Academic Trophy, and "SSgt Chesty Puller," our mascot! Sadly, we did not get the highest Plt Drill Trophy - "We had too many hillbilly recruits in the platoon who couldn't march a damn bit" (SDI's sour grapes quote)! "3 out of 4 Ain't Bad."

I am in the 3rd row, 5th from right - safety in the herd of sheep surrounded by wolves - can you say Blaaaaaah, Dolly, the cloned sheep?

Oh, how many Marines remember how to stack arms during chow or head call breaks - with a Marine left behind on rifle watch duty? The most M16 assault weapons I saw stacked in one stack were ten plus 3 - we all got punished by the SDI/DIs for being smart asses - "Get in the sand pit recruits - bends & thrusts, BEGIN!"

Earning a commission through the Marine Corps ECP (initially a Reserve Commission), I made a career in the Marine Corps as a Signals Intelligence (2602/0206) Officer and as a MAGTF General Intelligence (0202) Officer.

I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and turned down "full bird" Colonel when the Colonel's Board in session called me to see if I would pull my retirement papers if my name came out on the approved list. I said, "Thanks, but no thanks." I turned down the rank of Colonel for one reason: I outgrew the Marine Corps - it was time to leave a War Fighting Institution that I loved! I simply no longer had the patience nor the desire to waste my life force energy to put up with top-down directed bullshit and poor O6 leadership!

I have given enough of my youth, sweat, and blood to the Marine Corps and my Country. I have done the good fight and unselfishly served the U.S Constitution and America - just like every other Marine! I am convinced it's good enough. Any naysayers out there who think differently?

NOW, family & friends first, my Marine Corps career is simply a "data set" of emotionally enhanced and enduring moments I can recall into the present moment whenever I choose!

If you participated in any military operations, including combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, please describe those which made a lasting impact on you and, if life-changing, in what way?

CSG Baghdad, Camp Victory, BIA, Iraq 2003/4

I did my duty - no more, no less! I always viewed warfighting/humanitarian deployments as an impersonal job - it was never life-changing for me. I am the same me.

Regarding life-changing PTSD, I think every person who has ever served in the Armed Forces has some spectrum-level of post-traumatic stress (PTS) directly based on how one's physical "wet-ware" organic brain as an individual (consciousness) processes stress & life-threatening situation(s).

Most, not all, Active-Duty personnel & Veterans are highly functional human beings with PTS - they can live a completely normal everyday life and are contributing citizens to our Nation, Community, and the nuclear family.

The fear in combat is not death nor being wounded - it's a potential shame and cowardice if one (a U.S. Marine) fails to give 110% or fails their fellow Marine(s) when facing the enemy.

Photo: NSA/CSS Cryptologic Support Group/Targeting Package Warriors - All Services to include our international warrior, a Captain Australian. NSA hears everything! WHUT, another unintentional USSID-18 violation in country - ARE YOU F%##ing KIDDING ME, or was it softly? Are you kidding me, haha? My CSG Baghdad SIGINT/TAREX Warriors had to unperplex many shit-shows and cut through the fog of confusion every day. But I still didn't rank an NSA parking pass in Iraq - what? We tried hard to get Saddam Hussein to autograph his official "rag-head" photo we acquired via undisclosed methods before he was hung; sadly, he declined our request.

What a handsome Dictator - "Mama, make the bad man go away!" I very much enjoyed working with COL Steve Boltz, USA, Deputy C2/IFC Director, CJTF-7, as well as B.G. Barb Fast, C2, CJTF-7, Camp Victory, BIA, Iraq. When BG Fast held her C2 Staff Meetings, I was the only staff officer to speak up if I heard bullshit - and offer my 2 cents worth. Being the only USMC Officer on her staff, my fellow U.S. Army O6, O5, & O4 peers admired my courage and sense of humor (or was it my stupidity) with BG Fast - what was the worst that could happen - I would go home early as a volunteer, pleeeaaseee Mr. Wizzard! All in all, BG Fast, USA had a very difficult job to do - I felt she did a tremendous job in Iraq, given all the bullshit she was up against! She called me "Doll-Man" - of course if she looked at you over her glasses or took her glasses off quickly - generous ass-chewings for all. I never got an ass chewing, nor did I get fired while in Iraq - God knows that I tried, sigh! I remember late in my tour in Iraq, BG Fast called me into her office - "Doll-man" I am putting you in for a B.S. award - job well done! I replied, "thank you, General, but it's a waste of time since HQMC will never authorize me to wear it - besides, I don't need any more medals/awards - they mean nothing to me. I am happy to have worked my ass off to support you, General Fast." She nodded and replied, "Okay, Doll-man, do you have any more NSA shoulder holsters? I said, sure, how many do you need? And that was that! Truth to power & discernment are great shields to do the right thing - in spite of bullshit politics in the Flag & General Officer ranks.

As a research psychologist, I believe one either has a physical brain that is resistant to/resilient to anxiety, rumination, stress, depression, and trauma or a physical brain that is susceptible to a spectrum of increasing stress, rumination, anxiety, and trauma (PTSD is a medical, mental health diagnosis, please see Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). Is stress, anxiety, mental trauma, rumination, and depression real for susceptible physical brains (genetics) - absolutely! We have no idea how to medically fix a physical brain (PTSD, dementia, cognitive degradation, Alzheimer's, etc.) back to a normal state of resilience/resistance.

Did you encounter any situation during your military service when you believed there was a possibility you might not survive? If so, please describe what happened and what was the outcome.

MSgt (MGySgt, Ret.) Jim Nedland in Iraq 2003-2004

The Armed Services is an inherently dangerous profession during either training in peacetime or fighting in full-scale combat operations every day. To be an effective Warrior, one must accept this fact and give his or her very best. It is more than appropriate and reasonable to be scared in "dangerous situations" where there is a high probability of immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm - for this creates courage. One must learn to overcome and master fear in order to be an effective warrior of the heart or an altruistic human being for the rest of his or her life.

Photo courtesy of MGySgt Jim Nedland, USMC, (Ret.). Then MSgt Jim Nedland, Camp Victory, SNCOIC, CSG Baghdad, BIA, Iraq. CSG Baghdad was attached to C-2/Intelligence Fusion Center (IFC), CJF-7 CE (read BG Barb Fast & COL Steve Boltz). When MSgt Nedland checked in with me, I said, "Jim, welcome aboard; where did NSA & USMC global source you from." "Sir, MSG Detachment, Bangkok, Thailand." I said, "No kidding, why in the hell are you here in Iraq - are you crazy? MSgt Neland replied with a coy smile, "I hear you need another Marine, Sir - BG Fast and CENTCOM Targeting Cell is all over your shit!" I said, "Yeah, no shit, Jim - you'll see soon enough." MSgt Nedland performed herculean tasks and accomplished every mission - I left him on autopilot! He unperplexed many shit shows and kept all the CSG Baghdad SIGINT civilian and military warriors motivated and focused every day! Phew, real adult leadership - and a true Warrior! I wrote MSgt Nedland up for a DMSM and a Special Combat Promotion FITREP (I wrote the RO comments for an NSA SCES'er), which I drove to MCB Quantico, VA, to submit to HQMC (I did this for all my CSG Baghdad Marines). They were the best of the best! MGySgt Jim Nedland is a "Chesty Puller" of SIGINT Marines! After a Katusa rocket attack on Camp Victory and BIA - MSgt Nedland came back from the VVIP compound - I said, "Jim, how close were you guys to all the danger-close explosions?" Typically cool-headed and laid-back to describe Jim Nedland, he said, "Sir, just some rocket fragments pinging off the HiLUV pick-up - no problem! All good!" I said, "Roger that." I suppose after 30 days in Iraq, one gets numb to impending death falling out of the sky - all raw emotions every day in a combat zone!" Go to a combat zone, and you will see very quickly if one has a heart of gold! Just like the song, right?

I did get sick and tired of all the military and civilian females coming up to me and asking about "eye candy" MSgt Nedland - if they had a chance in scoring with him - a "good-looking trophy Man fling; from the Iraq War." I told them all he had a persistent STI/STD, but highly curable. And they still kept coming back to me trying - they knew I was the gatekeeper for MSgt Jim Nedland. Too funny - so he got the name "Eye Candy." The picture is so MSgt Jim Nedland - pistol and M4A3 at the ready!! So many good stories to tell - we did have fun in Iraq. I knew MGySgt Nedland way back when as a "buck" Sergeant - when he was the Training NCO for Captain John Hickey, III, CO, Company A, MarSptBn, FGGM, MD.

As a U.S. Marine, stop being a human doer! The great risk to your Soul is: If you do-do-do; then stop doing - then who are you? When on Active Duty/Reserve Duty serving, the USMC doesn't teach being a human being in the moment. We only teach mission first, people last - that is the Marine Corps warrior tradition and culture. THIS IS THE WAY!

It's okay, and you are NOT especially different nor screwed up either, or alone - we all go through this mourning process when we leave the U.S. Marine Corps. No U.S. Marine gets an exemption or a "bye" from the human condition. If any Marine says different, they are either very ignorant, a deceptive liar to themselves, or an incredibly stupid human being - most likely all three! These Marines will never be your friend or have your back - choose your Marine friends wisely!

Of all your duty stations or assignments, which one do you have fondest memories of and why? Which was your least favorite?

Guard Company West Loch, Marine Barracks Hawaii, Exterior Guard Shack & Armory

For the vast majority of Marines, the Marine Corps is (what the Japanese Culture calls it) your Ikigai. Ikigai means your purpose, your reason for living and being (raison d'etre). Ikigai also implies that "the prime of your life does not come twice" - we all had our day in the sun while serving in the Marine Corps. I suggest getting over it and gracefully acting your age with purpose and meaning. Go out and find your specific passion(s) - hint, it will no longer be the Marine Corps.

I have only one favorite: Guard Company West Loch and Marine Barracks Hawaii.

Photo courtesy of Cpl Scott Neideffer, USMC. This is a photo of the Guard Company West Loch Exterior Guard "Guard Shack," On-Duty Exterior Guard Section Bunk Room, Company Armory, and two garage bays for reactionary force strip alerts for two (2) Cadillac Gage Ranger Peacekeeper I Armored Vehicles (4WD). The third Ranger Peacekeeper I armored car sat outside as a backup vehicle to the two (2) reactionary force strip alert Peacekeepers - these armored cars were our Base Security Vehicles. As you can see on the Ranger Peacekeeper I variant armored car, all 3 had a swivel turret with armored steel plating mount protection for the M60 (the Pig) 7.62mm machine gun. The Ranger Peacekeeper I's were horrible off-road, had poor suspension and traction, and had limited tactical usefulness - even aboard the West Loch Naval Magazine Branch Base. They were not dependable armored cars - note the red and blue police lights on the vehicle - it also had a siren. The good news is that we had a ball, tracer, and armor-piercing rounds for the M60 machine gun. We had M2 .50 Cal machine guns, but I never used or employed them during reactionary force alerts as the On-Duty Sergeant-of-the-Guard (SOG) - however, we did train often with the M2 .50 Cal machine guns. Phew, I spent 1.5 years of my life in this building as a SOG...note the "peak" of a building behind the flat Guard Shack structure - Guard Company West Loch Company H.Q.s/Administrative Section was on the first deck. The 2nd deck was a pseudo-conference area/T.V./ gaming room area used by Marines and U.S. Navy personnel assigned at West Loch Branch. The barracks in front of the Ranger Peacekeeper I armored car was the U.S. Navy enlisted barracks. Off to the left in the photo were the Marine enlisted barracks. If you are wondering about the locked-up tire rack, the Guard Company had these U.S. Navy white compact pickups to support guard duty and Company-level operations - they were horrible vehicles. As one can imagine, in Hawaii, flat tires were very common using these very light utility compact pickups aboard the U.S. Naval Bases roads and dirt roads. Finally, note the sand-bagged clearing barrel in front of the SOG/Armory window...all weapons had to be cleared before accepting them into the Armory - only then would you get your M16A1 rifle card back (no dirty weapons accepted, right?).

I remember the 2nd Section Exterior Guard on-duty Sergeant-Of-the-Guard incident involving Sgt Murray. The West Loch fence line parallel to Naval Housing Ewa Beach Iroquois Point had an unimproved dirt road that generally ran in a straight line from the Command Post to the west-side entrance of Pearl Harbor main channel. Often, the SOGs, COGs (Corporal of the Guard), and vehicle roving patrol non-rate Marines on duty would drive this road fast for thrills - it was like a roller coaster ride. The objective was to see if the diver could get the vehicle to air launch over two of the highest little hills. The rule was not to go over 40 MPH - simply too dangerous since the road was right on the fence line. Sgt Murray, the 2nd Section Exterior Guard SOG on 24-hour duty, exceeded the informal speed limit, lost control off a bounce, and crashed through the chain-link fence line into a military family's backyard. Scared and trying to undo the "oh shit incident," Sgt Murray was gunning the small pickup back through the damaged fence to try to get back on base. Several military residents called [then] Captain Sid Atwater to report they had a Marine Corps Sgt ramming the fence with a white U.S. Navy pickup. Long story short, Sgt Murray got busted down to Corporal, paid some fines, and was on restrictive duty as his punishment. I remember that the pickup was really trashed and beat up...after this incident, the roving vehicle patrol became a walking patrol post - all the LCpl and PFCs were pissed off - especially while on duty when it was cold and raining.

When I checked into Guard Company West Loch HQs after Marine Barracks Hawaii H.Q.s' "receiving platoon" initial training at Pearl Harbor, I remember the Company Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt Rich Cherry) walked several of us "newbie" Marines into the Commanding Officer's Office - and remained at ease. I distinctly remember that the Commander has his private head as I eye-balled his office - sweet, I want to be a Captain in the Marine Corps, too, to get the perks of Command. Are you kidding me, having my own "head" - just like home?

However, reality had set back in at once. The 1stSgt (SgtMaj) called us to attention, and Captain Sidney E. Atwater marched in! All I remember from our warm (my use jocularly) welcome aboard speech from the Commanding Officer, " Marines, if you so much screw up, use drugs, sleep on the post, disobey my NCOs/SNCOs/Officers, violate your guard/general orders, go U.A., or simply be stupid with a bad attitude; the Big, Green Marine Corps Machine will f$#@ing crush you like a grape." (While speaking, Capt Atwater smashed a grape in his palm). You will live at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base Brig in chains! Funny, I still believe the U.S. Marine next to me, sweating profusely and trembling, had pissed in his trousers...not 100% sure. How many NCO Marines remember being a Chaser to escort Brig Marines to/from the Brig for administrative or medical reasons? I hated being a Brig Chaser - it was always assigned duty on my off days.

I checked into Guard Company West Loch as a PFC and worked my way up to "buck" Sergeant/E-5. I was assigned to the Exterior Guard, 1st Section. Exterior Guard's mission was to guard the Naval Magazine Lualualei West Loch Branch Main Gates and conventional naval weapons/explosives in bunkers. The Interior Guard's mission was to guard all U.S. Naval nuclear weapons stored in the Limited Area with extreme Deadly Force - you can check into "Hotel California," but you can never check out! No one, no unauthorized person or persons shall escape the Limited Area - extreme National Security issue.

We also had the mission to guard Naval Magazine Lualualei Waikele Branch (encompassing the convergence of Kipapa (from the northwest) & Waikele (from the northeast) streams in wadi(s) behind Waipahu, storing "heavy" U.S. Naval weapons (i.e., 16" battleship rounds, tomahawks, heavy, heavy ordinance). Waikele Stream flows directly into the West Loch (which created the West Loch millions of years ago) of Pearl Harbor, then out to sea via Pearl Harbor's main channel.

As a Sergeant-of-the-Guard (SOG), 1st Section, Exterior Guard - I had 24-hour guard responsibility for West Loch Branch, and as the Guard Commander, I had 24-hour guard responsibility for Waikele Branch. Essentially, U.S. Marine 03XX MOS Sergeants were in control of all Exterior and Interior Guard Sections and the security of West Loch and Waikele - period. Though this was an extremely mind-numbing and soul-wrenching boring duty (groundhog-day, every day, every day) - the mission was real-world with deadly force authorization/guard orders and had far-reaching National Security consequences all the way up the C-O-C to the U.S. President.

I know, many of us know - because we had lived through the "Limited Area Incident." I was the Command's lucky penny - all the company "Brass" knew that when I was ON DUTY as the SOG/Guard Commander - an Adult was on watch - even at 0400 - nothing escaped my attention. Yup, sure as shit, I was the SOG ON DUTY during those 24 hours reacting with my deadly force Marines/ and Peacemakers (commercial armored squad vehicles) to the Limited Area Incident. All I will say are two things: it was a "shit show," and nothing, nothing went in our favor (cold, wet, raining, dark/no full moon, confusing radio reports, chaos at the moment, tromping through heavy brush, etc.) on that fateful early morning incident. For PFC Pratt and PFC McWilliams - you two drunk, worthless knuckleheads will never, ever know how fortunate you are to be still alive - both are shameful Cowards! I want you both to know that I gave my Exterior 1st Section Marines lawful orders to kill you bastards on sight - NMCCMs to the Marines that would bring you down! We had "kill" orders - that was my Mission, period. For PFC Pratt (armed), you are lucky to be alive, and that 1stSgt Rich Cherry grabbed you in the Company parking lot to (1) save your life and (2) sadly bring you to justice by wasting taxpayer's money. 1stSgt Cherry had to grab me physically and had to order me to stand down now forcefully - my 1911 .45 ACP safety was off, hammer pulled back. We were 5 seconds behind you - running after you to flush you out into the open with weapons in combat ready. My tactical mistake was that I didn't leave my two best Marines in the parking lot at the ready.

In fact, the vast majority of West Loch Marines don't know that both PFC McWilliams and PFC Pratt were both busted down from LCpl to PFC, and both received an administrative Other Than Honorable Discharge for poor performance and behavior. In fact, both of these Marines had all their shit packed up and were driven to Honolulu International Airport by a designated Sergeant and dropped off at Honolulu International Airport much earlier in the day. Both knuckleheads started drinking heavily at the airport, decided to go AWOL from their assigned flight/orders home, and proceeded to go downtown Honolulu to keep drinking. At some point late that evening, they decided to prove a point to the Command that they could get into the Limited Area and get out - to show how vulnerable the guard security force was (as insiders). They took a taxi from Honolulu Waikiki Strip to Guard Company West Loch and snuck aboard West Loch Base, bypassing the Main Gate Exterior Guard Sentry. They proceeded to the Limited Area on foot, and the rest is history. PFC McWilliams distracted the 2 sentries' (TPI) walking post as well as one of the guard towers. At the same time, PFC Pratt scaled both fences with barbed wire and razor wire - and escaped the Limited Area Compound (he was severely all cut up and bleeding heavily). PFC McWilliams was detained inside the Limited Area, and PFC Pratt was caught and detailed outside the Guard Company Headquarters in the parking lot area (he immediately surrendered his loaded .45 ACP pistol he took off an armed sentry on duty in the Limited Area). Sgt Phillips (Limited Area On-Duty Guard Commander) did not give the order to kill both PFCs McWilliams and Pratt on site since all the Marines knew PFC McWilliams and PFC Pratt (both were previous Interior Guard Marines in the Limited Area). So, there you have it - very sadly, this is a true story of what happened at Guard Company West Loch.

You Cowards brought the wrath of shame down on the Guard Company - all good Marines suffered after that. I hope it was worth it - you both will never be forgiven in this lifetime! Yup, convicted felons forever- how did that work out for each of you? I am not the forgiving type - not at all.

Waikele Branch was my favorite Naval Lualualei Magazine to guard as a Guard Commander/SOG - easy, quiet, and simple to control my Marines on and off post(s).

Most, but not all, of the grunt Marines and NCOs were stellar guard professionals.

For sure, a singularity called "The Limited Area Incident" was the extremely worst possible moment for all Marines, NCOs, SNCOs, and Officers stationed at Guard Company West Loch, Marine Barracks Hawaii/U.S. Naval Magazine Lualualei Command (CAPT McMichaels, Commanding Officer). Thank the Universe that I kept an accurate and succinct SOG official log of the "Incident" event from the Exterior Guard's perspective on that fateful day.

Never, never since have I had to talk to so many NCIS Special Agents, senior U.S. Navy Officers/JAG, Investigating Commanders, and DoD Nuclear Weapons Investigators - telling the story over and over.

In fact, Captain Sidney E. Atwater actually worked for two O6s - Colonel Marcel "Mac" Dube, USMC, and CAPTAIN McMichael, USN. Duty at Guard Company West Loch was never, ever the same again. For the many who don't know, Colonel Mac Dube and Captain Sid Atwater were called on the carpet in front of Lieutenant General, Commanding General, FMFPAC at Camp H.M. Smith HQs for a formal ass-chewing/command-level dress-down. (As directed by SECDEF/CJCS/CMC).

As we all know, the Marine Barracks Hawaii Command obviously fell under the Commanding General, Marine Forces Pacific/FMFPAC C-O-C...no one can ever stop bad news from going up the C-O-C (and CAPT/USN, Naval Magazine Lualualei reported up to ADM/USN, CINCPACFLT too). In fact, this Limited Area incident was reported to POTUS - during his daily briefing in the Oval Office.

Phew, I have been screamed at and kept at attention for hours by USMC Colonels in my Marine Corps career (especially as a 1stLt), but never by a Flag/General Officer. Objective knowledge of truth is a single point, but the foolish have multiplied it. Everything in life is a synchronistic singularity event since each human being only has Free Consciousness (no control over anything, simply a prisoner of linear-time choices). If one believes he or she has Free Will, you are forever on the wrong side of Humanity's history on Earth. If you think otherwise, I feel profoundly sorry for you.

The Grimm Brothers' moral to this story is threefold, such that (1) one can never anticipate or train pre-emptively for stupid; (2) one can never prevent or fix stupid; and (3) one must always anticipate that bad news goes up the C-O-C faster than lightspeed. There you have it!

It was all uphill from this moment on - I took my job seriously and expected the best from my West Loch subordinate Marines. I was hard, fair, and sometimes let my Marines slack off - but NO ONE messed with my 1st Section Marines while on duty. Even when my Marines screwed up, I defended and protected them beyond reproach. Fixing Marine's stupid lack of judgment with common sense and stern compassion always worked - I always gave them a leadership position or some duty responsibility that they felt invested in, and it was theirs to manage. My last year at Guard Company West Loch as a Sergeant of the Guard/Guard Commander was quite boring - I trained my Marines to execute the on-duty 24-hour missions like I wasn't there. They ran the External Guard on-duty security...I was simply the safety valve -- they all owned my motto: "A Marine Guard On-Duty has no Friends." All I had to do was to keep an eye on and temper one or two "edgy" Corporal of the Guards discipling their Marines. A real frigging, hard "bitch-boy" job, but fun and rewarding. Too many hilarious stories at Guard Company West Loch.

All were great except for one duty station.

My worst tour was my assignment to Marine Support Battalion/Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion at the National Security Agency Headquarters at Fort George G. Meade, MD, as an HQMC DIRINT assigned LNO (green billet, not a purple billet) to DIRNSA/CHCSS as the USMCLNONSA (now called the Marine Corps Cryptologic Office (MCCO) NSA) as a bitch-boy, expendable Major. It was absolutely the WORST JOB I ever had in the Marine Corps - no adult leadership! A true "shitshow" - of course, the Marine Corps is always infected with incompetent leaders at every level of Command -- especially O6, and its Senior Executive Service civilians (want-ta-be armchair generals).

I am absolutely convinced that the very best of Marine Officers get out as LtCols...the Colonel ranks are filled with poor and/or not the smartest leaders and bullies (all expecting promotion to BGen at any cost of head-stepping on subordinates and ass-kissing the generals up the C-O-C). I'll throw my nickel on the table and dog dare double it that if one goes back to OCS and TBS rankings of officer graduates, one will discover the vast majority of the top 5 percent of 2ndLt performers get out as Captains/Majors and/or especially retire as LtCols. Officer ranking and the "Blue Book" (it used to be published H/C as a command publication) "statistics never lie"...it's a dirty secret the Marine Corps keeps quiet that the majority of best-performing officers don't stick around for Colonel - undisclosed institutional discernment and smoking mirrors, right?

A CRAZY, TRUE STORY:

I will never forget my Guard Company, West Loch, Marine Barracks Hawaii Duty Station - never, ever!

Guard Company West Loch, at the time, was responsible for two Naval Magazine Lualualei Naval Weapons Storage Bases: West Loch Branch and Waikele Branch. The Exterior Guard Force guarded both Branches - think of the Rudolph the Red Nose Rain Deer Island of misfit toys. The "golden hair" Marines guarded the Limited Area (4 Interior Guard Sections, easy duty - all Nuclear Secret cleared and indoctrinated in the Personal Reliability Program (PRP)). The two Exterior Guard Sections had many rejected PRP Interior Guard Marines who received NJP or who were not trustworthy to be in the Limited Area around nuclear weapons warheads and its components. Yup, you guessed it, I received a PhD. in babysitting these Marines in my Section: 1st Section. Waikele Branch heavy weapons storage was guarded by the Exterior Guard Force only. When the Guard Commander (Sergeant of the Guard) took 24-hour control of the base, one had to worry about the (1) Main Gate, (2) Post 32 (heavy munitions storage), and sometimes a roving patrol (foot/vehicle). Post 32 was the most sensitive storage area of Waikele. In fact, after sunset, Post 32 was, in fact, the creepiest, spookiest, and scariest post to patrol for 8151 Guard Duty Pvts, PFCs, & LCpls.

Please go to Google Earth to view the Post 32 Heavy Bunker Complex Road along Waikele Stream for orientation. One can follow the Naval Access Road overpass that crosses H-1 near Waipahu. Follow Naval Access Road down into the main canyon and flats where Waikele Stream and Kipapa Stream converge. Waikele Stream is the major flow stream, and Kipapa Stream is a minor flow stream. The "Flats" is a flat area in this major and deep canyon where the old guard building/armory was located with a guard tower immediately behind it. Other buildings in and around the main guard building/tower were ammunition handling buildings and parking areas for the heavy lift ammunition trucks for the Naval employees moving munitions in and around Waikele bunkers, as well as in and out of Waikele Naval Weapons Storage Annex. The largest and deepest strong-hold bunkers were aligned along Waikele Stream - double 12-foot fences and flood lights shining outward from the Waikele Bunker Road. If you look closely, follow the access road from the main guard complex building east to a bridge that crossed Waikele Stream, and it stops at a heavy vehicle gate - this is Post 32 (used to be a heavy/reinforced ECP guard shack for two sentries. In fact, if you trace around the Post 32 area of guard responsibility, you will see guard towers up on the high ground of the Waikele canyon. Now, you will see homes and other commercial structures near or in the perimeter of Post 32.

None of this was near Waikele Naval Weapons Annex - it was all pineapple fields and very isolated. Waikele Stream flowed all year long with a decent volume of clean, cool, crystal-clear water (full of a species of Hawaiian crawdads). Only during heavy rains would the water turn turbulent and reddish with volcanic red soil runoff. Finally, Post 32 was to be protected and defended (guarded) at all costs - please notice, we had our own L.Z. in the canyon (for reactionary, backup forces)! Now, imagine a UFO Mothership over the Waikele Stream canyon - with four independent scout ships. Please remember, back in the early to late 1980s, there were no homes nor people around Waikele Naval Weapons Annex - only miles and miles of pineapple fields. Please read on for the true UFO story.

One particular night, I remember it was a new moon with heavy trade wind showers all night. Once my Corporal of the Guard (COG) posted the Post 32 sentry at midnight (4-hour shifts), my best and brightest LCpl (he later made Cpl and Sgt at Guard Company West Loch) called me on the radio to request the Guard Commander accompany him during his 4-hour walking post - he only said that he was scared and that the night shadows were moving all around in in the guard shack reinforced pill-box at the vehicle gate - double locked. I had then Corporal of the Guard man the CP HQs/Guard Shack/Radio Nets, and I drove to Post 32 to walk the post with my Marine (I brought a tactical 12-GA shotgun with me to augment my Service .45 ACP with more firepower.

When I arrived at the vehicle gate, I noticed all the streetlamps appeared dark - lights on but not shining usually. My very best LCpl reported to me that there was unusual activity around the road bend that followed the lava cliffs along Waikele Stream - moving shadows everywhere. I believed him - he was scared and hunkered down in the Entry Control Point Guard Shack with wide open eyes. I said, " LCpl X, let's go see what is on the Post 32 bunker road." Remember, I said that this entire road was populated with numerous streetlights shining outward from the road and bunkers (our night vision was just fine - the road is dark). The Post 32 bunker road was approximately 2 kilometers, with a lot of bunkers built into the lava cliffs along Waikele stream. As we walked around the second bend winding adjacent to Waikele stream, we saw 4 (four) Greyhound-sized objects of light orbs (looked like scout ships) buzzing around a specific bunker of interest - no noise, no propulsion we could see.

I immediately instructed my LCpl to shoulder sling his M-16A1 service rifle over his back -- muzzle down. I immediately holstered my.45 ACP pistol and cross-slinged my 12-GA shotgun muzzle down over my back. We continued walking up to the bunker of interest with our palms open as non-threatening. Once we walked up to the bunker of interest, the 4 Light Scout Ships landed on the road with a soft humming noise. We were about 10 meters away from these extraterrestrial crafts. Neither one of us felt threatened - it was a sense of friendly peace emanating from these crafts - like these crafts had the consciousness of their respective pilots. As soon as the last scout craft landed, a "Mother Ship" materialized (uncloaked?) immediately over us - emitting a warm humming, soft white light (about 6 meters above us and over the Waikele stream canyon). This "Mother Ship" had to be 3 to 4 football fields long and at least 4 to 5 stories high. A huge pulsating light came from the "Mother Ship" and illuminated the reinforced steel bunker door - it immediately became transparent, and we could see three large ammunition containers. This continued for about 2 minutes, and then a coherent violet beam of light from the "Mother Ship" illuminated the three weapons containers - all three became translucent. What we saw were 3 large MIRV nuclear warheads (Minuteman III ICBM on a 3-bus individual ICBM) in the locked and sealed containers. We looked up at the "Mother Ship" and saw multiple lights flashing (like photos) - but no ETIs/extraterrestrial beings came out that we could see or identify. Of note, our radios and flashlights didn't work, and all the streetlights were off. I remember telling my LCpl that we are so outgunned and vulnerable - no hostile actions, please. After about 40 minutes or so, the four scout ships returned to the "Mother Ship" to dock - they melted into the hull of the "Mother Ship" as they recovered.

About 2 minutes later, the "Mother Ship" made a soft humming noise, and a blue light engulfed the entire "Mother Ship," and an "interdimensional interstellar aperture" opened up all around the "Mother Ship." What we saw was amazing - a super like-Earth with four Earth-size planets as moons around the super-Earth. It was like we were in floating in space, looking down at this beautiful planet and its Earth-sized moons. All were blue/green like Earth (lights on the dark side of these planet moons), with many types of spacecraft all around this planet and its 4 Earth-like moons. The non-verbal, mental image we both received (we confirmed this afterward with each other) was that this super-earth planetary system that was home to ancient civilizations with consciousness and science, and technology was in our sister galaxy: The Andromeda Galaxy. Then the "Mother Ship" phased out of 3D Spacetime, and the higher interdimensional interstellar aperture (I don't believe it was a wormhole) closed at the speed of thought. And that was that - then all the streetlights on Post 32 bunker road came back on. Strangely, we never felt threatened at all during this unusual event. I can honestly attest that the mothership and the 4 scout ships had the entire consciousness of the conscious piloting each vessel - like the ships were alive (these space-faring people had unfathomable advanced science & technology of consciousness). We walked back to the Post 32 ECP Guard Shack and decided that we would not report this incident officially or unofficially (all these years, I have been silent) - no official Guard Logbook entries, please. How can one reasonably and rationally see the Earth and humankind alone in the Universe ever again? My only conclusion, we are not alone as an isolated or special conscious civilization in the Universe. The Universe is full of conscious life on countless planetary systems in trillions of galaxies. We are not alone.

We didn't want to be the two crazy Marines who happened to look at Hawaiian swamp gas, Venus, Jupiter, a weather balloon, intelligent Waikele Stream crawdads with advanced consciousness technologies, or heavy jets flying into Honolulu International Airport. We kept our mouths shut all these years so as not to ruin our character reputations and careers. A TRUE STORY - just like the X-files T.V. show with Special Agent Mulder, the truth is out there somewhere, and I want to believe it. Right?

From your entire military service, describe any memories you still reflect back on to this day.

Northern Arabian Gulf 1989 Operation EARNEST WILL

Simply, all the great Americans who joined the Marine Corps - gave their best and especially the best years of their youth to the Marine Corps and the Armed Forces!

One has to respect this sense of duty and loyalty to Warfighting Armed Services such as the Marine Corps, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S Coast Guard, and the U.S. Space Force!

I served on MSB Hercules during Operation EARNEST WILL, Northern Arabian Gulf, 1988/89 - working with U.S. Navy SEALs, MK-III Patrol Boats sailors/officers, and U.S. Army aviation. It was the "wild-wild west" on Mobile Sea Barge Hercules...this is a stand-out memory because I was tagged as the Barge MWR Officer by CDR (CAPT) Tim Holden, USN. Every night was a 2-beer night on the Barge Hercules (open caps, please, no hoarding), and we had the very best exercise equipment that money could buy.

Photo courtesy of MSgt (Ret) Brent Whinnery, USMC. A classic photo of Sergeant Nowak - SIGINT'er, hard-charging Marine, smart/bright, a comedian, and an innately gifted, creative artisan. He actually sketched out Hercules, and we took the concept to the CO, MSB Hercules/Contingency Force Middle East, CDR (CAPT, Ret) Tim Holden, USN, SEAL (to replace the old "lame" Hercules painting). CDR Holden said, "I like it, make it happen, Sgt Nowak!" This wall was adjacent to the flight deck, a small "Clyde crane" that moved on the loading deck (flight deck). A very "tight" RadBn Detachment - then Gunnery Sergeant Whinnery, a mentor, who took care of Detachment Marines as well as the 1/4 grunt Marines. I remember GySgt Whinnery telling me that he would never be a career 1stSgt to babysit Marines! Whut, Detachment SNCOIC - Unit 1stSgt - same, same, right?

My guess is MSB Hercules was approximately 20 to 30 miles W or SW of Farsi Island, Iran -- and was often located in international shipping lanes - we had a couple of close calls with cargo container MVs. I remember that USN 65-foot MKIII patrol boat Sailors & Officers were fearless, crazy, and didn't give a shit about anything but their mission. They were great Sailors!!! The USN Frigates would sometimes pull up to the barge to get supplies/visit the mini-NCX. Often MSB Hercules was anchored near sandbars - we would sometimes go to adjacent sandbars to hang out/swim - of course, with MK-III Patrol Boats close by. The Northern Arabian Gulf is truly a beautiful body of water - amazing.

What can I say - a flight on SH-3 Desert Duck to MSB Hercules was priceless!! It took hours to get from ASU Bahrain to MSB Hercules on these very old aircraft frames - they flew so very slowly not to stress out the engines/fame. They were the workhorses of COMMIDEASTFOR/USNAVCENT in the Arabian Gulf in the late 80s.

What professional achievements are you most proud of from your military career?

My NSA/CSS Purgatory in Iraq, Qatar, & Afghanistan 2003 -2004

Simply and frankly: Career Retirement. Do I need to say more?

Seriously, making my Marines and Officers better than me - all "my" hands on deck efforts to accomplish this altruistic way of being a Marine Leader-Mentor.

What can I say - the first personal award where I was surprised and shocked, whereby I personally didn't write the Certificate of Recognition, then have "I can't remember shit" amnesia! Captain (Col, USAFR, Career Cryptologist) Joe Marcinek was my Deputy Chief, CSG CENTCOM, Forward Deployed, Camp "As Sayliyah," Qatar - I sent Captain Joe Marcinek on missions to Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Qatar, & Kuwait to inspect and better support all the CSGs supporting the warfighter commands in CENTCOM's AOR! He is a "Chuck Yeager" of Airmen. B.Z. to Captain Joe Marcinek, USAFR - thank you, Joe! This is the most valuable personal award I have ever received in my military career - all other Service personal medal citations I have purged as a Space Clearer! This is my gold nugget of military pride - we made a huge difference in CENTCOM's AOR. The CSG's untold "go-to" targeting information contributed to the direct-action death of hundreds of Sunni/Shia insurgents, Al Qaida, and ISIS leaders and foot soldiers. You got to love OEF & OIF - it changed our lives forever! My NSA/CSS Duties in USCENTCOM AOR: (1) Chief, CSG Baghdad, IFC, CJFT-7, Camp Victory/BIA, Iraq (2) Chief, CSG CFC-Afghanistan, Kabul Compound, Kabal, Afghanistan (3) Chief, CSG CENTCOM FWD HQs, Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar. I could tell you all many TS/SCI NSA/CSS guarded secret adventures, but then I'd have to kill you so as not to violate my life secrecy oath. Sigh, I suppose we all willingly sign our lives away to the "coal mining company store."

Do you really believe you single-handedly made your own successful career in the Marine Corps? Guess again, your village of SNCOs, NCOs, and non-rate Marines & Officers made you successful!! Those personal awards on your chest and glowing FITREPS - do you really believe you singlehandedly earned them based on your unique and special abilities and merit, and you still think you were/are a "special" Marine? How many mistakes do you think you make every day while on Active Duty/Reserve Duty in the Marine Corps? Did you say zero? Right...

When at 2nd MarDiv, Camp Lejeune, NC, I received a hand-delivered note from then BGen (MajGen) Rick Huck, USMC (Ret.), who was MajGen Rusty Blackman's ADC when the LtCol's promotion list came out. General Huck wrote, "Bill, congratulations on your selection to LtCol - remember all the hard work and toil by enlisted and officer Marines that got you this promotion - their loyalty and dedication to duty got you promoted!" The next day at work, I checked in with the Div Staff Secretary to pay a visit to General Huck - I knocked on his door with his card in my hand. I said Sir, thank you for the very kind and considerate note - you know, I really don't care about LtCol or Col promotions - neither one I desire. General Huck, I do understand that I had no control over my career and that my Marines and Officers deserve all the credit, not me. I am not sure I will accept this promotion, Sir - I am already over 20 years of active-duty service - I have had enough of the Marine Corps bullshit; why would I want to torment myself for another three years for what? I am doing the hard work and job as a LtCol - when is it not good enough for the Marine Corps? BGen Huck smiled and simply said, "Bill, you're exactly the kind of officer we want to keep in the Marine Corps. Of course, you will pull your retirement papers and take a well-deserved promotion, and the Marine Corps needs you. Besides, the Division Commander wants to see you tomorrow morning at 0445 in his office to discuss your next duty station assignment. Don't disappoint me." I simply said, Aye, Aye, Sir and left his office bewildered and lost. It really was a difficult decision for me to pull my retirement papers and take the promotion of LtCol. I am forever in debt to the kindness and wisdom given to me by MajGen (LtGen) Blackman and BGen (MajGen) Huck. Perhaps they saw the Warrior Light inside of me that I couldn't possibly see while being distracted by a thousand consequential decisions and all the accompanying "monkey chatter" of "go, no go" in my brain. Not so funny. When I went home to tell my wife and two kiddos we were going to stay in the Marine Corps for another 3 to 4 years, my wife immediately cried and didn't smile for a week. Eventually, she accepted our last PCS tour and became another "single parent" military trooper once again!

How many Marines of any rank or sex who stay in the Marine Corps hear from their spouse/partner that they were a "single parent" and raised the kids themselves over their career? Once in a while, I still hear my wife telling others, "oh, the Marine Corps, I was a single parent where I raised the kids myself - they are awesome kids because I raised them. He missed so much of their lives when they were growing up." No U.S. Marine can ever, ever escape this unfortunate "family truth" because the Marine Corps always comes first and demands mission and your life over family, always. Please don't feel bad with guilt, and it is forever the way of the warrior! You are in good company with the rest of every U.S. Marine warrior who has walked this path before you - accept it, move on, and especially love your kiddos and their kiddos until the day you die. Tell them daily that you love them and are so very proud of them as adult human beings - and support their every endeavor in their lives, especially their spouses/partners, careers, and kiddos.

You can never take absolute personal ownership of any accomplishment you got credit for in the Marine Corps. If you do, I sincerely feel sorry for your "frogs in a well" life view, unhealthy sociopathic groupthink center of the universe, and narcissistic character-flawed personality. A bit of a mouth full of "truth to power," right?

We all know that the USMC FITREP system is forever fracking (Battlestar Galactica) flawed and inflated beyond reproach - it's used to punish Marines by passive-aggressive and bully leaders - just like a pissed-off-policeman/policewoman (POP) issued a traffic ticket. Alas, some things will never change or get better due to groupthink traditions and tribal norm expectations in a warrior culture. My absolute favorite: "I am ranking you 2/2 because your peer has been passed over, and we want to give him/her a high probability of being selected for promotion and retention in the Marine Corps - this will not hurt you because you are really 1/2 and the most junior of rank." The Marine Corps expects you will be 2/2 as the most junior rank when ranked against your peers. You have nowhere to go but up."

My final good idea is that peers and subordinates ought to have 50% direct input on each and every senior's FITREP - this policy would cull the bad leaders out of every rank. The vast majority of every Marine's "bow shape speed capacity" is very limited and peaks out at different ranks where he or she maintains competency, efficiency, and effective leadership capacity. Once a Marine is promoted past his or her "bow shape speed capacity," they immediately become bad leaders and incompetent professionals. What is wrong with a 30/35-year GySgt, Capt, Maj, SSgt, MSgt, LtCol if they are the very best in their ranks and MOS? I am convinced that at least 60% of E-9s and O6s in the Marine Corps should have never been promoted -they were promoted because they were the best of the worst to select from - they made the cut! Truth to power and self-honesty, can anyone seriously disagree with the disastrous and absolutely corrupted Marine Corps FITREP process? Yup, I think not.

Every U.S. Marine will agree with me that once you become a warrior Marine, one soon learns that the Marine Corps is a very jealous bisexual Mistress - you will love her and hate her during your tour or career!

Why is that, you ask of me with disbelief - you say I'm jaded, or this is bullshit? My answer is truth to power matters, and good ideas matter. Read on, please...

Think about it, to advance in today's military, being perceived as a loose cannon (asking questions, calling out problems, offering better good ideas, calling out bullshit respectfully, etc.) or being anything other than a yes-man/yes-woman is frowned upon, or worst yet -- even outright punished. Female Marines, I don't have to man-splain this sexist, biased injustice in a male-dominated gun club. I've served in two of the finest and most distinguished Infantry Regiments with rising star infantry Colonels who purposely banned any female Marine to serve in their respective regiments (specifically the regiment's Headquarters Company or on the regimental staff). Mysteriously, once these Colonels get promoted to the General (Flag) Officer ranks - they are singlehandedly champions of female Marines serving in any MOS in the Marine Corps - be it combat or service support roles. Yes, the Department of Defense and the Marine Corps are decaying and hemorrhaging internally from procurement, promotion, and education persistent problems.

Look, every U.S. Marine understands that "loyalty" to "the system" is valued above warfighting skill, good ideas, solid leadership in the lower ranks, and innovative, free-thinking (what the military establishment timelessly calls critical thinking). We are mindlessly enslaved to old Marine Corps traditional doctrines. During my career in the Marine Corps, Commandants of the Marine Corps (CMCs) on my watch all stepped up to the plate and continued incentivizing ineffective military leadership. The Marine Corps Generals blindly following the footsteps of predecessors with a blind tradition of loyalty will only replicate more of the same mistakes and failures. We have all been there; fear of blame-shifting leads most active-duty Marines to remain silently and singularly focused on their compartmentalized jobs -- we all know the name of this debilitating philosophy in the Marine Corps - "Groupthink Survival." The official Marine Corps Public Affairs campaign is "Keep What You Have Earned."

Let's do a mind experiment to support my premise of Marine Corps leadership failures. SOI Bn Commander LtCol Stuart Scheller resigned his commission after being discharged from the Command over his heated remarks about the U.S. troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan (asking for accountability from his superior and general officer leadership in the Marine Corps). Though LtCol Scheller's method of speaking out was a center mass on poor judgment and self-inflicted "de-select oneself from the Marine Corps, his good idea prevails: the rank and file must hold general officers accountable to make an ethical and a warrior stand with accountability and integrity to speak up for change or resign to protest by example against the corrupt political bullshit within the USG/DoD/POTUS.

Or, hey, another good mind experiment to further support my premise of Marine Corps leadership failures. What about the 8 Marines and 1 sailor who horrifically and needlessly died following the sinking of an AAV on the coast of southern California? If I remember correctly, LtCol Regner, CO, BLT, I/4, Col Branzi, CO, 15th MEU(SOC), and the Bravo Company Commander, BLT, 1/4, were all fired/relieved of Command for cause. Many say the root cause of this preventable tragedy was the incompetence of on-scene 3d A.A. Bn CO, LtCol Brenize, 1st MARDIV - who intentionally (risk) passed on broken AAVs to the 15th MEU(SOC) (I MEF operational/maintenance funds) to get fixed while saving 1st MARDIV O&M funding lines and best AAVs/Marines for division training (read outstanding FITREP as a C.O.). Say what you want; subordinate units providing combat resources always pass on the worst vehicles and less trained Marines - because the MEU(SOC)s will train Marines and fix equipment in order to be C-1/ pass the MCCRES. The infantry regiments do exactly the same when their home infantry battalions are chopped (OPCON) to the MEU(SOC)s. Like in the Disney + streaming Mandalorian series, "THIS IS SIMPLY THE WAY."

I think LtCol Scheller would have you ask yourself a question: "What happened to C.G., 1st MARDIV; C.G., I MEF; C.G., MARFOR PAC; and the CMC (who has U.S. Code, Title 10 responsibility - educate and train Marine Corps Forces). Who holds general officers accountable - each other? I suggest you can easily find the answer to this question on the WWW/INTERNET - besides exercising your free-thinking abilities, you may learn something factual to create your hypothesis. A good step to learn how to debate someone with opposing ideas is with facts and civil reasoning (called charity of civil debate) - truth to power matters - objective science and facts matter always.

The religious analogy here is: "When a Morman goes bad, they really go bad!" LtCol Scheller would suggest that he has the utmost loss of trust and confidence in the abilities of the General Officers to Command in the operational/combat chain of Command. Many Marines believe that the file and rank have a right to speak out against General Officers when chain-of-command injustices prevail in the Marine Corps and must be held accountable." Well, there you have it, the Readers Digest abbreviated version of LtCol Scheller's shocking video manifesto.

Do any Marine Leaders at any level with fresh eyes disagree with LtCol Scheller? That's your cross to bear with discernment - will you speak up and be counted, or will you continue to be silent to "KEEP WHAT YOU HAVE EARNED?" It's an ethical gut-retching decision for any U.S. Marine - my advice, choose wisely!

Nietzsche's aphorism of human nature: "When we change our mindset about a person, we hold the inconvenience he or she causes us very much against them." I think Nietzsche is trying to say this: "When you force people to change their mind about you, they hold the effort you cost them very much against you." The core question a Marine must ask himself or herself: "How can we do the best as possible with our time and money by taking action in trying to make people and the world better? I suggest you consider being an active participant in the global Effective Altruism (E.A.) movement. We, especially as Marines, have a moral responsibility and a moral opportunity to protect humanity's future on the earth as humankind accelerates forward with collective wisdom.

Finally, many argue that those Global-War-On-Terrorism (GWOT)/OIF/OEF Marines (generations of social and leadership change) who led, bled, and carried their dead in America's recent foreign wars understand what's best for America and the Marine Corps and how to preserve it. These brave men and women are the new best hope for the Marine Corps to be relevant to changing societal, political, and technological advances in the future as an effective warfighting establishment. History will be the sole judge and jury of how well the Marine Corps remained relevant for the American People throughout past and present generations far into the future of America.

Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations and qualification badges you received, or other memorabilia, which one is the most meaningful to you and why?

A Classic Command Photo - MarBksHi/Guard Company West Loch 1983

My Good Conduct Medal (GCM) - my three years of non-detected crime - ask your "Sea Lawyers" enlisted Marine friends about this military urban legend.

I am confident the vast majority of Marines can collaborate on this Marine Corps urban legend of "never trust enlisted Marines," is bullshit, right?

I am proud of my enlisted Marine Corps MOS 0311/0351/8151 Service and GCM!

My other favorite medal was my first personal award [Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NMAM)] which I received before my GCM. I remember SgtMaj Alan Kellogg slapping me on the back, saying, "Dolley, we expect more from you - you have adult leadership as a natural grunt."

Photo: MarBksHi Command SgtMaj SgtMaj Alan Kellogg (MOH); Sgt Bill Dolley; Col Mac Dube, CO, MarBksHi; and Capt Sidney Atwater, CO, Guard Company West Loch.

If I had the option to wear just one ribbon on my uniform (my choice), I would choose my GCM!

Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having the most positive impact on you and why?

A Living Legend: Colonel Marcel Dube', USMC

Colonel Marcel Dube, 9906/0302

Photo: Colonel Dube, Commanding Officer, Marine Barracks Hawaii with General Robert H. Barrow, CMC - was a huge man in statute as well as a legend on all fronts. One could never count all the ribbons on his chest! Col Dube endorsed my ECP package to go to OCS. Sgt Maj Allan J Kellogg, Jr. (MOH) was his Barracks Sergeant Major - he wrote a recommendation letter as well. Col Dube', who hails from the State of Maine like me, had the same first five digits as my social security number (006-64-XXXX)...a small Marine Corps indeed! Seeing Mainers in the USMC is like seeing a red-headed Eskimo in Timbuktu! I remember after OCS; the Marine Corps gave me 30 days free basket leave as an ECP'er to go back to my enlisted Duty Station - MarBksHi, Guard Company West Loch. It was frigging weird to go visit the Guard Company as a 2ndLt as well as Col Dube called me into his office to visit him - he kindly cleared his calendar - two hours later, I walked out of his office. I said, "Sir, I am profoundly sorry I finished 2nd at OCS as an honor graduate; the double running of the O-Course wouldn't cooperate with me - I let you down!" With tears in his eyes, Col Dube gave me a big bear hug and slapped me on the back, saying, "I am so very proud of you - job well done!" My last words to Col Dube were, "Sir, I'll do better at TBS." He nodded, and I walked out of his office - that was the last time I ever saw Col Dube.

LtCol Sidney Atwater, 0802
Col Jim Hust, 9906/2602
Maj John Hickey III, 0302/2602
Col Roger Staley, 9906/0202
Col JD Williams, 9906/0202
Mr. Stanley Ber, NSAW HQs, GGD-15, JOCCP Executive
Col Peter Miller, 9906/0302
MajGen Dick Lake
Col Tim Howard, 9906/0202
General Bob Neller, CMC
LtGen "Buck" Bedard
LtGen Rusty Blackman
MajGen Rick Huck
Col Fonz Pillot-Olive, 9906/2602/0202
CAPT Tim Holden, USN (SEAL)
COL Steve Boltz, USA, Intelligence Corps

Why - all Leader-Mentors with adult leadership! They truly cared about their enlisted troops & officers!

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them. Indicate those you are already in touch with and those you would like to make contact with.

The 128 OCC OCS Class, OCS, Brown Field, Quantico, VA 1985

LtCol Carl Reynoso and Capt Dan Cowdrey (my OCS bunkmate) - some Marines are pre-destined to be in your life! Brothers from different mothers!

Photo: L to R; 2ndLt Daniel Cowdrey, 2ndLt Carl Reynoso, & 2ndLt Bill Dolley - March 1985, Brown Field, OCS, Quantico, VA.

Sigh, what can I say - Brothers for Life! 2ndLt Daniel Cowdrey (handsome poster Marine, right?), 2ndLt Carl Reynoso, and 2ndLt Bill Dolley - outside MCB Quantico's Little Hall. Please notice the rifle & pistol badges were worn by Lt's Reynoso & Dolley - say what you want, steely-eye killers! One shot, one kill! 2ndLt Cowdrey's brother (Major at the time and Retired BGen) and his dad (retired U.S. Navy Captain) were very kind and supportive to Carl and me! Oh, please notice that 2ndLt Reynoso & 2ndLt Dolley had our enlisted Alphas modified for graduation, and 2ndLt Cowdrey had an Officer uniform. When all the ECP'ers got to TBS, we had to purchase Officers' uniforms. :-( I lost so much weight; after tailoring modifications, my Service Alpha's were still too loose - only at OCS! Fast forward, Captain Daniel Cowdrey, 0302, assigned to the 3rd Marines at MCAS Kaneohe, was seriously injured in a live fire exercise on the big island of Hawaii (81mm high explosive rounds); mortars were dialed in wrong - they all landed on their CP/FDC- one Marine killed and several wounded! Captain Dan Cowdrey suffered a severe wound to his arm. A very tragic event! Sadly, Dan Cowdrey left the Marine Corps as a Captain...the Marine Corps lost a brilliant and brave Leader!

Both SSgt Reynoso and Sgt Dolley (ECP OCS Candidates) showed up at OCS, Brown Field, Quantico, VA, about five days before the 128th OCS class start date. The U.S. Marine Corps, having a funny sense of humor, sent two ECP Marines to OCS to check in early - what & why? However, we had the good fortune to be handled by GySgt A. Anderson, Jr. as our Marine handler until OCS officially started at Brown Field. He had us do meaningful projects and took us under his wing to speak about "don't be one of Jerry's kids; I expect both you grunt Marines to finish in the top 1%. Even the OCS Command Officer of the Day and Administrative Staff didn't know what to do with us. I remember meeting LtGen (then Colonel) R.B. Johnston (CO, OCS) as a Sergeant because I was one of the few Active Duty 0311/0351 ECP Grunt Marines. Once OCS started, we were truly nobody candidates - our stripes were simply a memory. I remember flying into Ronald Reagan National Airport from Marine Barracks Hawaii/Honolulu International Airport - I remember it was a particularly cold Virginia winter with snow and ice that year. I distinctly remember hitch-hiking a ride to Quantico, VA (Brown Field) from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. I made a quick sign that said, "Marine needs a ride to MCB, Quantico, VA - OCS Brown Field. I got a direct ride to MCBQ within minutes from a group of TBS permanent party enlisted Marines in the Tactics Group.

OCS was extremely physically hard and fraught every day with personal injuries (I was a 300 PFT Grunt) - we could never get enough rest! Every day, the Big Grey Bus would pull up in front of the barracks to haul physically and mentally broken candidates "drops" away - a one-way ticket on the bus home. It was very disconcerting indeed. SSgt Miller, our platoon "mother," would make us all go to the 2nd deck portholes (windows) to wave goodbye to our fellow ex-candidates...! OCS is comprised of PSYOPS for sure, and scary - we had no control over preventing injuries - giving 110% every minute!

Carl Reynoso [and me) laughed our asses off during OCS - watching the college grads freak out, panic, and get called out by the "Defacto den mother" (SSgt Miller). As ECP'ers, we worked extra hard to help the college OCS candidates - it was truly a team effort.

Bottom Line - Physical Training was no joke - suck it up, candidate!! Truly a one-way ticket to a Commission!! After enlisted boot camp and sometime in the Marine Corps as an enlisted NCO, OCS was a mental and psychological vacation for me! I had never laughed so hard in my life!

What really pissed me off was when the OCS PERSO issued me a DD-214 to discharge me from enlisted Active Duty in order to accept my Commission in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as a 2ndLt. My DD-214 stated that my previous highest enlisted rank was OCAN, not Sergeant, and both are E-5 pay grades/ranks - OCAN is senior in rank to Sergeant. Who knew?

A shoutout to Candidate Graydon Krapuhl, a Michigan OCC graduate, was one of those college OCC'ers at OCS that all ECP'ers in 1st Platoon loved - we all knew he was a solid diamond in the rough Marine - a great American and Human Being! He was one of the best at OCS - a gentle giant who could talk the talk and walk the walk. 2ndLt Graydon went to Delta Company, TBS (all the ECP'ers went to Echo Company, TBS), and he became a 0302 Infantry Officer after graduating from IOC. He was assigned to 2nd Bn, 3rd Marines, 1st MEB, MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (I was at 1st RadBn, FMFPac, MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii the same time) - 1stLt Krapuhl excelled as a Marine Leader and met his wife Greta (a U.S. Army nurse working at Tripler Army Hospital (the pink elephant)) on Oahu - what, love in the Hawaiian air? I believe Captain Krapuhl left active duty soon after and had a successful career in the USMCR - achieving the rank of Colonel. Sadly, Graydon Krapuhl (a successful businessman living in Ann Arbor, MI ) passed away in April 2020 after a long battle with cancer. Another "Bright Light" Soul lost to the world!

THE BASIC SCHOOL

2ndLt Carl Reynoso, Echo Company #1 Honor Graduate - well deserved!!
2ndLt Bill Dolley, Echo Company #2 Honor Graduate.
Both Carl and I earned (1% honor graduates) Augmentation into the Regular Marine Corps from the Marine Corps Reserves - Augmentation was very competitive in the late 80s and early 90s.

The following 2ndLts were good friends at TBS (2nd Platoon, mostly 1st Squad):

2ndLt Dennis Dogs
2ndLt Barry "Ranger" Duncan
2ndLt Mike Elmes
2ndLt Greg Enterline
2ndLt Matt Daniel (an amazing artist)
2ndLt Rich Ebert
2ndLt Chris Dogonnuick
2ndLt Tim Fay
2ndLt Pat Delatte
2ndLt Kurt Diehl
2ndLt Moses Dugan
2ndLt Bob Deschak
2ndLt Bill Decker

I remember 2ndLt Scott Heffner (in 4th Squad) when we were all sitting in one of the outside bleachers during a tactics field class - he fell asleep during the class. Of course, we all had our M16A1 rifles with us that day, drilling in field problems, learning small unit tactics leadership/command & control - I think it was platoon level with the Tactics Instructors (i.e., Capt Bob Neller (Gen, CMC). Of course, most of the 2ndLts used the rifle sling to wrap it around one's leg - just in case you fell asleep - the M16A1 would not drop through the bleachers to the ground. Well, 2ndLt Scott Heffner fell asleep, and his M16A1 was not a dummy cord/rifle sling strapped to him. As sure as shit, his rifle fell and clanged against all the metal support structure as it fell to the ground. It so happened that day that the Echo Company Commander was present to babysit us/monitor the 2ndLt students during the period of instruction. Maj Anderson had 2ndLt Scott Heffner come down the bleachers and report to him in front of the entire company - while going under the bleachers en route to recover his M16A1 Service Weapon. 2ndLt Scott Heffner stood in front of the class for quite a long time, holding his M16A1 parallel to the ground with both arms extended - at chest level. To say the least, it was ugly to watch as time ticked on. After that demonstration, no Echo Company 2ndLt ever dropped his M16A1 nor left it unattended again. It was known as "Do the Heffner." A true story.

I want to give a HUGE shoutout to 2ndLt (Major) Dennis Alan Dogs, USMC (Deceased). Dennis, a 1985 graduate from the University of Wisconsin Madison (a beautiful Midwestern city), soon became an awesome bunkmate to 2ndLt Barry "Ranger" Duncan (Citadel graduate) and 2ndLt Bill Dolley (at the time, I was a "brown bagger" since I was married and living aboard MCB Quantico in the old company-grade housing area by the Main Gate) - I kept all my 782 gear and other shit in a 3rd locker in their dorm room). During "The Basic School's" 6-months of "hurry up and wait," one has many hours to sit around and truly get to know each other. Dennis was a great American, the utmost ethical and moral human being, a warrior full of spiritual LIGHT, as well as a kind-hearted and generous human being. Dennis was a team player and always put himself last when making the platoon/squad better for all his fellow Marine Officers - an exceptional young man! After TBS, he went through Naval Aviator training school and landed exactly where he wanted - a MOS-certified 7562 CH-46 Sea Knight pilot - "fire up the Frog "DOGMAN." He always told me that he wanted to be close to Grunt Marines and be in the fight as a CH-53/CH-46 Naval Aviator/pilot. Once, he told me while at TBS, "Bill, I don't want to be one of those asshole fighter jockeys like "Maverick in TOP GUN" who only cares about himself and his womanizing EGO." For sure, Dennis was down to earth and respected everyone - true to form, he never had any enemies. Since I was a New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan (I grew up in the State of Maine), we would go round & round, especially about football teams - he was a "closet queen" die-hard Green Bay Packers fan. I told him that the Patriots would continue to kick ass and win more Superbowls; just you wait and see, Dogs! He always laughed and said, " You wish, Dolley." Too funny!

In 1997, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 164 (HMM-164), OPCON to the 13th MEU (SOC) for an upcoming WESTPAC 6-month operational deployment, was assigned to the USS Juneau (LPD-10). During one of the 13th MEU(SOC)'s training/certification West Coast training cycles, Dennis was piloting a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter off the coast of California as part of the intensive training required before the operational deployment of the 13th MEU(SOC). Shortly after liftoff from the flight deck of the USS Juneau, Dennis' CH-46 had a catastrophic failure, and it immediately and uncontrollably crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Other Marine crew members lost that fateful day included: co-pilot Captain Paul D. Barnes, USMC; aircrew (AC) chief Corporal Michael J. Tsoris, USMC; and aerial observer (AO) Lance Corporal Rodolfo Guajardo, USMC. All 4 Souls were lost at sea - their bodies never recovered from a watery tomb. I do remember that Dennis had gotten married to a beautiful young lady! I am sure she was his Soul Mate! A very sad, tragic event - however, Dennis (call sign "Dogman") died doing what he loved in life best - flying a CH-46 Sea Knight as a Marine Corps Naval Aviator/pilot. As I have written before in my profile, anything one does in the Marine Corps is extremely and inherently dangerous (training, combat, peacekeeping, small skirmishes, mechanical failures, humanitarian operations, etc.). As a Marine Corps Warrior, physical death is always a close and constant grim companion - I suppose we all accept it, not thinking about it, and move on with focused intent on our mission and our Marines.

I want everyone who happens to stumble on my profile to read how special Major Dennis Dogs was - we lost another Bright LIGHT visiting Mother Earth! I'll see you again, Dennis - you are simply in your true state of infinite, divine Conscious LIGHT/infinite energy. Reincarnation, my Warrior friend!

My other "oh-shit" memory with 2ndLt Dennis Dogs. All 2ndLt's at The Basic School (TBS) must have at least 4 to 6 hours of Officer "sword manual of arms" training. As usual, it's the boring repetition of movements of the sword based on the TBS SgtMaj's commands: i.e., present arms, order arms, etc. Our TBS SgtMaj/Drill SgtMaj in the summer of 1985 was SgtMaj David Sommers, USMC - that's right, later, he became the 11th SgtMaj of the Marine Corps. Of particular note, when I attended MCRD San Diego boot camp (Plt 2060) in 1981, Sgt Maj Sommers was the SgtMaj of the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion - a small world, right? One particularly hot afternoon, all the Echo Company 2ndLts were out on the Camp Barrett grinder practicing sword drills. Of course, many of the 2ndLts had their belts and sword frog harness all screwed up (it was tricky). SgtMaj Sommers, a very kind and intelligent Marine, was simply herding cats while on the parade field grinder, trying to keep all the 2ndLts engaged and interested in sword drills. Bored to death, 2ndLt Dennis Dogs and I started to play "The Two Musketeers" sword combat play, placing our strikes and countering with defensive blocks while trying to place a lethal strike (we agreed not to strike each other's sword with force with high/low parries). Once we got into the basic moves of striking - counter striking dancing around the parade grinder, we didn't realize all the other 2ndLts were watching us - and, more importantly, SgtMaj Sommers. Finally, we both spun around with the same low-blow strike to the legs, and both our swords hit with a loud ping - we each hit our swords exactly 6 inches from the tip on the leading edge of the sword - noticeable deep strike marks on our swords - "OH SHIT." Both Dennis and I looked up, and all the 2ndLts were clapping and laughing their asses off. SgtMaj Sommers came strolling over to us laughing, "Lieutenants, are you done playing 3 Musketeers?" We both replied, "Roger, that SgtMaj Sommers." And that was that.

I understand all other Marines have their own life and family lines - is it really true that "life gets in the way?" I suppose so. Life is simply a journey of paying attention to synchronistic relationships and real moments with each and every human being.

One can never make another human being like and/or love them or befriend them - spiritual synchronicity is everything with fellow Souls on Earth - especially Warrior Souls. Of course, you never abandon your immediate and extended family - altruistic love is everything! Always, always spend time with the people who like and love you - remember, half the world's human population will hate you.

Life is simple - one must live in the moment to have real moments with, of course, loved ones and even strangers who come into your life every day to continue growing and learning as a Human Being.

If you live in the past or in the future, you have nothing - and I have to ask, "Who are you?" What is your purpose and meaning while here on planet Earth? If you are one of those Marines constantly Doing, Doing, Doing - and you STOP Doing, who are you? Yup, empty heart, empty mind - an angry human being is choosing a life of bullying or harming others...

Can you recount a particular incident from your service, which may or may not have been funny at the time, but still makes you laugh?

Trouble in Hawaii: All Officer's Hawaiian Ball Hilton Hawaiian Village Nov 8, 1987

Every day in the Marine Corps, because you have control over nothing as a U.S. Marine!

Photo: 1st Radio Battalion, FMFPac Officers attending the all-officer Ball at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, November 8, 1987.

Captain Larry Girod, XO, Alpha Company, was the funny comedian of the Battalion. Larry and I played a prank on Captain Tammy Lovelady, the Bn ADJ, during the Birthday Ball. Captain Larry had purchased a "clacking wind-up pink penis with little feet" and placed it in Captain Lovelady's salad bowl before we all sat down for the formal ceremony. Captain Larry somehow managed to set the penis in her salad with a cherry tomato up against the wind-up key so as not to go off and start clacking until she started fishing around the bowl with her salad fork. For some perfect reason, Captain Lovelady waited to touch her salad at the exact same time there was a silent pause (you could hear a pin drop) for the Fallen Marines! Lo and behold, the penis started clacking and moving in her salad - only for Captain Lovelady to loudly scream out in shock and surprise, "OMG, there is a moving penis in my salad." At the same time, she pulled it, and it continued to clack loudly in front of her dinner plate. The entire Ballroom broke out in uncontrolled laughter since everyone heard her comments. Since I was sitting next to Captain Tammy Lovelady (she's leaning into me in the photo) when this happened - the Battalion Commander and Executive Officer gave me the stink eye a table away. I'm sure to this day that CG, FMFPAC, said something to LtCol (Col) Jim Hust, the 1st RadBn Commanding Officer. The Executive Officer (who said he was humiliated at the Ball) gave Captain Larry Girod and me the 1st RadBn Command Duty Officer (CDO) every weekend during December 1987. Our prank worked flawlessly; however, it was well worth the extra weekend duty.

Invariably, some bullshit element of the stupid, ignorant, or incompetent behavior of subordinates, peers, and leaders kept me laughing every day! Semper Gumby - one must keep a keen sense of humor!

Like I said before, 1) one can never train to prevent stupid, 2) one can never implement pre-emptive actions to prevent stupid, and finally, 3) one can never fix stupid. The human factor, "Stupid" in the Marine Corps, has the potential to kill innocent Marines, kill Command Leadership positions and careers, lose the skirmish/tactical battle/fight, as well as force our best Marines to get out of the Marine Corps.

Go ask any "relieved for cause/lack of confidence in a subordinate's abilities" General Officer, Field Grade Officer, Company Grade Officer, or SgtMaj/1stSgt about the human condition of "Stupid" while leading Marines. It's real!

What profession did you follow after your military service and what are you doing now? If you are currently serving, what is your present occupational specialty?

14th Marine Corps Marathon November 5, 1989; Washington D.C.

DoD/Defense Industry Contractor/small business owner - 12 years!

Now, daily Meditation & Spiritual Mastery of my Consciousness to be an Altruistic Human Being!

Life is full of synchronistic moments with fellow human beings; here's a perfect example.

Captain Mike Smythe, USMC (TBS Echo Company, 1985 "Super Smythe") and Captain Bill Dolley, USMC, "clipping along" at a blistering 6:00 minute/mile race pace on a very hot day in N. VA and Washington, D.C. In all fairness, I was struggling to keep my 5:55ish race pace - whereby "super Smythe" Mike ran up behind me on the other side of the U.S Capitol Building to pace with me to catch up with me as we flew down the Mall heading towards Hains Point in the race. After we hit the turn to enter Hains Point, Mike said I'll see you at the finish line, and off he went at a super blistering pace of 5:25ish - he slowed down to pace with me while talking to me for about a 1/4 mile on the marathon route - it was a rest for Mike. He got his name "Super Smythe" in TBS Echo Company - because he broke every PFT, Circuit Course, O-Course, and Double O-Course record - he was an animal performing any physical activity. This is a fond memory since Mike was prior enlisted, too, and he had a crazy, funny sense of humor. An awesome picture for many reasons.

As you can see, Mike is not even breaking a sweat - I am a soup sandwich of sweat trying to think about a steady 6:20 pace around Hains Point. I believe Mike ended up in the USMCR for a career. I remember that I finished up at or around the 3-hour mark - it was a hot, humid race in the sun that year.

What military associations are you a member of, if any? What specific benefits do you derive from your memberships?

Life is Simply a Mud Run: Camp Pendleton Mud Run Lake O'Neil, CA

MOAA Life Member (supplemental Health Insurance for spouse)

DAV Life Member (for me, IRS tax write-offs for good-cause cash contributions to help the DAV help disabled veterans)!

Annual membership options with MCMA (formal recognition of prior-enlisted commissioned officers) - not sure how MCMA benefits restricted and unrestricted Mustang Officers (i.e., lobbying U.S. Congress, offering health/life insurance, VA Claims, etc.) - I haven't figured out if this is in fact a "Defacto" CWO Marine Corps Association.

Military Associations are a normal extension of our Active-Duty Unit social associations - perhaps life is one giant "mud run" with changing tribal affiliations. The rule of 3 applies here: Never violate the rule of 3! We can only manage three different things at a time! For me, three military associations are good enough (80 percent solution to maintain my military social connections). In the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, we divided our 6-man team into 3 x 2-man sub-teams (buddy-system) to better manage our strengths/weaknesses against the clock.

Photo courtesy of GySgt Terence D'Alesandro, USMC, Ret. - a "Chesty Puller" of Marines! I MEF HQs, AC/S G-2 (Col Mike Brock), and SCIF [(SIO/SSO/SIGINT Branch (Major John Hickey III) and MAFC (Major Dave Shelton)]. Photo L to R: Sgt Terence D'Alesandro (GySgt, Ret), 2ndLt Sean McBride (Col, Ret), 2ndLt Kevin Kraft, 1stLt (?), Capt Bill Dolley (LtCol, Ret), SSgt Eric Hannel (MSgt, Ret). We all loved Camp Pendleton - an amazing Marine Corps Base with abundant running courses, humping trails, and clean beaches! Always fun in the sun in SOCAL!!

In what ways has serving in the military influenced the way you have approached your life and your career? What do you miss most about your time in the service?

Steely-Eyed Warriors - 128th OCS Class Brown Field Quantico VA

My life experience as a Warrior!

I only miss the great Americans who served as Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers, Guardians, and especially Coast Guardsmen (our real heroes every day) - both enlisted and Officers who were in my "sphere of military life."

Photo: 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, OCS Command, Brown Field, Quantico, VA. Funny story, our Staff Platoon Commander (SPC) was Capt (COL) Jay Bruder, 2602/0202/9906; once I became a 2602, we became good friends - Col Bruder, extremely intelligent with a nimble mind, is clearly a "Chesty Puller" of Officers. I had to work on his sense of humor, though - still a work in progress. I am in the 2nd row, far right (behind Carl Reynoso, 1st row, far right).

Reaching the very end of the OCS ten weeks, all that was left was our final Platoon formal inspection by the SPC, Captain Jay Bruder. This was a big deal - Capt Bruder had the power to drop candidates if they miserably failed his final inspection. A candidate found neither compatible nor fit for Marine Corps commissioning and Officer positions of greater responsibility would simply be a liability to all Marines. My bunkmate, Candidate Daniel Cowdrey, came from a proud military family. As an OCS college graduate, Danno did not have the advantage of having extra commies, underwear, and boots - as the ECP'ers did.

Five minutes before Capt Bruder walked on deck, Danno said, "Bill, I need three skivvies and two tee-shirts (I screwed up the stamp markings). Do you have extra?" I said, "Yup, roger, that Danno, but let's do this - since I have my name stamped on these extra items, let's put them on the bottom of your underwear display in the locker - Capt Bruder will never think to dig through undergarments - he's on the clock. right?" Danno said, yup, you're right." I said, "Danno, if you get caught, it was my idea - I'll take the heat." We thought we were smarter than Capt Jay Bruder...oh no, we weren't!

Capt Bruder came in front of Candidate Cowdrey and was asking normal knowledge questions while inspecting his M16A1 service rifle. "Candidate Cowdrey, is your locker display complete?" "Sir, yes, Sir!!" Capt Bruder immediately went to the tee-shirts and skivvies - took them all out to check each one. Appearing shocked, Capt Bruder said, "Candidate Cowdrey, why are Candidate Dolley's clothing items in your locker for final display?" "Never mind Candidate Cowdrey, Candidate Dolley, why are your clothing items being displayed in Candidate Cowdrey's locker display?" I said."Sir, you are absolutely correct - you taught all of us never to leave a candidate behind in need and never to hold on to extra ammo - spread the load. In that thinking, Sir Candidate Cowdrey has given 110% for the past three days. In doing so, he had soiled his undergarments beyond SL-3 serviceability by performing his normal Chesty Puller PT efforts. Having extra skivvies and tee-shirts, I spread my combat load, Sir. Sir, by using buddy materiel-aid, I assisted Candidate Cowdry with materiel support to ensure he is now SL-3 complete and ready for your inspection, Sir! Candidate Cowdrey is now C-1 and combat-ready, Sir!

Capt Bruder immediately broke out in laughter and said, "both of you candidates passed inspection!" And he proceeded on to the next candidate. I didn't even get inspected - how dare Capt Bruder! Give me your best - a funny moment during an intense inspection. If one knows Col. Jay Bruder, he is not one to joke around and laugh, especially with OCS candidates. A very, deadly serious Marine! Of course, Capt Bruder somehow knew exactly what we did to get both of us ready for his final inspection - he went right to the undergarments, nothing more or less.

The greatest commingled personality trait/leadership principle is simply simple: discernment. Are you surprised, right? Objective knowledge of truth is a single point, but the foolish have multiplied it. Objective knowledge of truth and honesty is the greatest purifier for discernment - period. If you master discernment during your career, you will rise to a top position of your choice in the Marine Corps! I learned that discernment especially applies to one's life/civilian career as well.

A "shout-out" to the Coast Guardsmen/women who are warriors/heroes living real-world missions every day. There are no bullshit garrison training or mindless training schedules/TEEPs during "deployment downtimes." They get to live and act on their real-world missions every day -- fighting every day to protect our Nation, day in, day out.

Of course, the "Coasties" never count how many people they save; they only count how many people they didn't save while performing their life-saving duties. A big cross to bear in one's accumulative sea-service career!

BZ, job well done, "Coasties!" I have a fondness for Coasties since my son is a U.S Coast Guard Coastie, and I have worked with warrior "Coasties" in the Middle East/Northern Persian Gulf.

Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to those who have recently joined the Marine Corps?

Alii Mule Skinners of Molokai - Kalaupapa Expedition

If you accept the fact that you have joined a benevolent dictatorship - you'll be just fine whether you do your minimum Service time or a Service career! There are only two types of U.S. Marines: (1) Marines who fit in and have a love-hate relationship with the Marine Corps or (2) Marines who never fit in and have a singular hate relationship with the Marine Corps.

Remember, take every frigging opportunity to keep your mouth (pie hole for you U.S. Marines) shut in front of Flag and General Officers - never, ever willingly volunteer your opinion unless a Flag or General Officer asks you directly.

Do NOT stupidly de-select yourself from the U.S. Marine Corps for any reason prematurely -- keep what you have earned! Always depart the U.S. Marine Corps on your terms, never on the Marine Corps' terms (it will never bode well for you, for the Marine Corps is a jealous bisexual mistress).

Trust the "mules" in your life - they are sure-footed and will keep you safe!

Eight hours on a mule ride down/back to visit the fine Hawaiians still living in the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement, Molokai - many still horribly scarred and disfigured for life (but cured). This was a tough R&R adventure - Haole and the mule simply beat me down to parade rest! My ass was broken for two weeks - afterward, I was in the resort's hot tub for 4 hours and had ingested 4 x 800 mg of Motrin orange beauties. Happily, I have to say it was an amazing mule-powered expedition to the Colony.

You will have a most hateful, shitty Duty Station assignment (all MOS Monitors/Detailers lie, they become worse than our worst politicians in U.S. Congress - they will do anything to accomplish their mission), and you will experience the utmost incompetence, and selfish, bullying, immediate narcissistic supervisor/Reporting Senior/Commanding Officer during your service/career - my advice, weather the poor leadership "shit storm" for 1 to 3 years -- it doesn't last forever. In the end, these former U.S. Marines will sadly die as they live - trapped in their own living hells while on Earth. Can you think of any better justice or punishment for these Souls?

Laugh often and have fun with your fellow U.S. Marine peers - take especially good care of them every day -- your fellow sisters/brothers who will always have your "6"!

As a U.S. Marine on active duty, in the Reserves, in the IIR, or as a career/non-career Veteran: always help your fellow Active-Duty warriors and veterans! You have three ways to give/help all warriors: (1) volunteer your time and donate your money; (2) only volunteer your time; or (3) only donate your money. All are appropriate ways to make life better for our American Warriors (all heroes)!

Our existential threat is that our present blunderings now impact future generations without their votes or input. Our present actions or inactions impact the well-being of conscious experiences for humanity - present and future. American politics and religion are efficient killing machines in long term (it's hard to care about future people).

In what ways has TogetherWeServed.com helped you remember your military service and the friends you served with.

I am capturing and documenting my military memories to create a subjective historical repository for my future family generations to view/read - a snapshot in time of my "blink-of-an-eye" life experience as a Marine!

For sure, every enlisted Marine never forgets their MCRD Bootcamp SDI/DIs & Officers never forget their OCS Plt Sgt and Sgt Instructors!

Photo: Well, fancy that, the Marines who made MCRD San Diego Bootcamp a "living hell" for me; photos never lie! There you have it; what more do I need to say? They are guilty as charged!

In summary of my hybrid enlisted/officer career, I am one of the luckiest former Marines alive to have answered an "otherworldly higher calling" to protect Lady Liberty, America's U.S. Constitution, and its People. Every U.S. Marine's creed: If not me, then who? The net value of my 20-plus years in the Marine Corps added up to a positive life experience as well as I learned many life lessons which were not repeated. Every Marine has to add up his or her own net value of their respective Marine Corps experiences (tour(s) or career) to determine if it was a positive or negative life experience. For any Marine Warrior -- THIS IS THE WAY!

Always remember, you are a "forever" Former U.S. Marine - always act accordingly with strength & honor each and every day of your remaining life! Tick Tock - everyone's biological life clock is winding down - make each day count to make the world a better place for humanity's future generations!

We all have to play our part as U.S. citizens and as professional warriors so that this "Great Experiment of Democracy" called The United States of America thrives and flourishes well into the far future of humanity.

Who knows, since reincarnation is an innate knowing for me, my wish is to come back in a future life and read about one of my past lives - how cool is that! Perhaps I may tear up reading about one of my past conscious lives on Earth like this one - I hope I do not conclude I could have done more to better Humankind in this particular life as a Marine.

In the end, for this particular incarnation added to tens of thousands of my past lives as a human being on Earth, all good; I will have no regrets at all! I wish everyone well.

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