State of FORCECOM June 2017
Fellow Marines!
Brigade Muster season is drawing to a close. With only one or two musters left on the schedule, all eyes are now turning to the International Conference, and Marine Muster. With the Awards Office issuing out over 700 awards, and streamers since the beginning of the year, it might behoove every Marine with a swagger to log into the SFI Database, and check to ensure your record is up to date! If there is something missing, or incorrectly documented, contact your Brigade OIC at the soonest. We all want to make sure we’re looking our best at mess this year!!
Of course, I’m talking primarily about awards, and while on that topic, let’s talk about nominations. There are reports about occasional problems using the online award nomination forms found on the SFMC Website. Occasionally the nominations are not being processed properly by the website’s addon program. If you are submitting a recommendation for an award, you will receive a copy of your recommendation via the email you provided with the recommendation. If you do not receive this email, your recommendation was not processed. If the award was a brigade level award, contact your OIC immediately so the problem can be forwarded to the appropriate personnel.
If you experience this issue, and after reporting it to your chain of command, you can always fill out a manual awards recommendation form, and email it to your Brigade OIC. The forms are available from your OIC, or you may contact me directly at forcecom@sfi-sfmc.org, and I will forward you the proper forms.
Let it be known, Marines, time is running out to get those nominations in. Your OICs have been given a directive to have STARFLEET Cross nominations to the Dant, and all Honor awards to the DepDant by June 26. All lesser awards need to be forwarded to me not later than 30 June. Remember, anyone can recommend another Marine for an award. If you feel there is a Marine deserving, refer to the Marine Forces Manual for the proper award, and get a recommendation turned in!!
There are a number of projects on the table here at Forces Command. I would like to make mention of just a couple. Our 50-meter target project is the annual SFMC Dress Mess and Muster, that is to take place during the International Conference. I, along with a few Project Officers, have been tapped to bring to you a high-quality mess dinner, and equally entertaining muster brief. We’re busy thinking outside the box, bringing into play what will be a memorable, and enjoyable weekend for our Marines.
Another pocket project that we’ve been keeping close to our armored vests is the upcoming Physical Challenge. I know there are many questions, but we are still working diligently to work out the fine details in a proposal to the Dant, which we hope will be the keystone of our presentation at Marine Muster. The late-night oil is being requisitioned thru the Quartermaster, and will be burned until the proposal is complete and sitting front and center on the Dant’s desk.
I know there’s a bunch more projects written 3×5 cards, and strung together on a grenade ring around here somewhere, but I will leave you with these two ‘cause, honestly, they’re the big ones right now. I would really like to see as many Marines as we can, well.. muster at IC this year. Perhaps talk a bunch of bull stuffing, toss down a challenge coin or two, and make IC17 an event every Marine, and particularly every Fleeter, will remember. Oorah!?
Rock Steady, Marines!
COL Brian “Tusker’ Allen
COFORCECOM