Menu

State of Forces Command January 2017


Fellow Marines!


Welcome to 2017!It’s a brand-new year and a brand-new command group.Congratulations to BG James and my General Staff teammates on your selection to comprise the ‘13^th Team’.Great year, great team, awesome Corps!
Stepping out sharply on the left foot…

* _Brigade staffing changes_:We’ve had two changes in the staffing with the turn of the year.After very successful stints, Brigadier Generals TJ Allen and Dan Toole have relinquished command of the 1^st and 13^th Brigades, respectively.My thanks and gratitude go out to these fine officers and I wish them continued success in their new ventures and positions.I would like to thank General Wade Larkin for stepping up from his deputy position to lead the 1^st Brigade until a new Skipper is selected.
On 3 January, I posted the vacancies on all available communications media and have received a number of able, and qualified applications, making the decision that much more difficult.As per policy, I will be seeking the advice and recommendations of the General Staff and, as such, I have left the application window open until the 28 February.This is to allow time for any delays in communication.
If you’re interested, please contact me privately and provide your resume noting both SFI/SFMC and real life skills and experiences that would be beneficial to this position. Also, a brief but reasonable detailed Letter of Intent of what you believe would make you the best candidate and what you would bring to this position.

*_Commandant’s Campaign Award CY16_:The data collection cycle for calendar year (CY) 16 CCA closed on 31 December, so it is an opportune time to start collecting your information and submitting it to your Brigade OIC for the February 2017 report.Remember, tho, the activities authorized for the CY 16 CCA are the USMC Toys for Tots, the Special Olympics and the Corps Sergeant Major’s March for the Disabled.You must have volunteered at least four hours of *time* to one of these activities to be considered.Submit the following information:name and rank; SCC#; the activity you were involved in; where the activity took place; what you did for the activity and how much time you spent doing it.Don’t procrastinate!Get your information in now!

* _Database Issues_:Just as in the past, please continue to email me with any issues you may find in the SFMC database.Currently our database is humming right along, but I do suggest to all Marines that you go into your personal file and take either a screenshot of your ‘Member Eligibility’ page, or downloading a printable version for your own files.This is a failsafe in the event the database should crash and become unrecoverable.
As per guidance in the past, DO NOT USE THE ONLINE DATABASE REPORTING FORM!It’s not authorized for reporting purposes, but we’ll notify you when it is.Submitting your report via this form is a ‘no-go’ and doing so will not relieve you of responsibility in the event of a late report.So, please, don’t risk receiving a Failure to Report (FTR) by not following guidance.
Currently, I am not able to adjust a member’s affiliation status, that is, changing them to active or reserve.Yep, another quirk of the database.Please let your members know where and how to change their status in the database themselves.This is particularly important when it comes to issuing awards and decorations.Let’s stay on top of this.

* _Special Projects_:I have been given the ‘green light – go’ by the ‘Dant for our first special project for the new calendar year, and it is called ‘To the Corps!’.This project is designed to bring special attention to the Corps and its members, while promoting esprit and motivation throughout the Fleet (perhaps some good old competition as well).‘To the Corps!’ will be executed in two phases.

The first phase is a call out to all the graphic artists in the Corps to design, and produce, original Trek-style ‘recruiting posters’, much like the one I’ve posted with my report on the SFMC Facebook page.The staff will collect these posters here at Forces Command, and the best will be printed and displayed during the Corps Muster at IC 2017.Additionally, all posters will be posted on the SFMC and SFI Facebook pages for all to see.These posters can highlight the Corps as a whole, or your MSG/MEU and Brigade.Entries must be submitted thru your MSG OIC, to Brigade, and on to Forces Command for consideration.Entries must pass the ‘reasonable person’ standard, and follow these rules:

  • is not sexually explicit or suggestive, violent, or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group, profane or pornographic, and does not contain nudity;
  • does not promote alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, (or the use of any of the foregoing), any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous, or any political agenda or message;
  • is not obscene or offensive and does not endorse any form of hate or hate group;
  • does not defame, misrepresent, or contain disparaging remarks about STARFLEET, the STARFLEET Marines or its members, or other people or groups;
  • does not contain trademarks, logos or trade dress owned by others, or advertise or promote any brand or product of any kind, without written permission;
  • does not contain copyrighted materials owned by others (including photographs, sculptures, paintings and other works of art or images published on or in websites, television, movies or other media or musical material) without written permission;
  • does not contain materials embodying the names, likenesses, photographs, or other indicia identifying any person, living or dead, other than the entrant, without written permission;
  • does not depict, and is not itself in, violation of any law or regulation.

Phase two consists of Brigade and unit ‘Shout Outs’.These are reports from the field about the accomplishments and feats performed by our members and units.These reports can include pictures, videos, and sound bites for dramatization.Just like the posters, ‘Shout Outs’ will be posted on the SFMC and SFI Facebook pages, and any videos will be included in a presentation shown during the Corps Muster at IC 2017.

We would like to present a new unit or poster every month, or even several units or posters every month, but the only way this project will succeed is if you, the membership, makes it happen!Let’s show our pride in our Corps, in our Marines, and share it with every member of our great Fleet!
In closing, and as always, if you have questions, please, push them up your chain of command.All of us from your MSG/MEU OIC, to your Brigade OIC, to the members of the General Staff are here to help.We can’t answer questions or lend assistance if we don’t know!
 
In Service to the Corps!
 
COL Brian “Tusker’ Allen
COFORCECOM

Related Posts