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THE e-WORD          November 2008
Happy Birthday, Marines, and welcome to our first publication of the e-WORD. One of the most important activities necessary to keep an organization alive is communication with the membership. In the past our traditional means of getting information to our membership has been through the official magazine, "The Word." As we work to bring the Association back from the depths of bankruptcy (Yes, we were technically bankrupt, but more on that later.) we must revise our method of communication. Two problems are clearly evident with the old glossy publication of "The Word." One; it is an extremely expensive method of publication. Two; much of the information was already outdated by the time it was gathered, composed, edited, printed, and mailed to the membership. Our plan is to use the Internet to the greatest extent possible to solve both of these disadvantages of the old publication. The Board of Directors has spent a great deal of time discussing this. The problem centers around those members who have no easy access to the Internet. We have an obligation to those members who are not able to use the Internet, but our current problem is that we cannot generate a mailing list from our database to send a version of the e-Word by snail-mail. We will be working on that problem, but for the moment we simply cannot afford to mail out Association news to the entire membership.

The "LPM"

A Birthday Message from the
Commandant of the Marine Corps

During the summer of 1982, in the wake of a presidential directive, Marines went ashore at Beruit, Lebanon. Fifteen months later, on 23 October 1983, extremists struck the first major blow against American forces-- starting this long war on terrorism. On that Sunday morning, a suicide bomberdrove an explosive-laden truck into the headquarters of Battalion Landing Team 1/8, destroying the building and killing 241 Marines and corpsmen.

Extremists have attacked our Nation, at home and abroad, numerous times since that fateful day in Beruit. Their aim has always been the same--to kill as many innocent Americans as possible. The attacks of 11 September 2001 changed our Nation forever, and our President has resolved that this nation will not stand idle while murderous terrorists plan their next strike. Marines will continue to take the fight to the enemy-- hitting them on their own turf, chrushing them when they show themselves, and finding them where they hide.

Only a few Americans choose the dangerous, but necessary, work of fighting our Nation's enemies. When our chapter of history is written, it will be a saga of a selfless generation of Marines who were willing to stand up and fight for our Nation; to defend those who could not defend themselves; to thrive on the hardship and sacrifice expected of an elite warrior class; to march to the sound of the guns; and to ably shoulder the legacy of those Marines who have gone before.

On our 233rd birthday, first remember those who have served and those "angels" who have fallen--our reputation was built on their sacrifices. Remember our families; they are the unsung heroes whose support and dedication allow us to answer our Nation's call. Finally, to all Marines and Sailors, know that I am proud of you and what you do. Your successes on the battlefield have only added to our illustrious history. Lieutenant General Victor H. "Brute" Krulak said it best when he wrote, "... the United States does not need a Marine Corps ... the United States wants a Marine Corps." Your actions, in Iraq and Afganistan and across the globe, are at the core of why America loves her Marines.

Happy Birthday Marines!


A Message from the Assistant Secretart of Defense, Reserve Affairs




MCRA Golf Tournament A Winner!

Perfect weather, smiling faces, a great course, and some really good golfers made a trophy winning combination at the recent MCRA Golf Tournament held at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. According to Executive Director Vern Leubecker, and Board members Tom Green and Joe Vowell, who are veteran MCRA golf tournament organizers of many years, this year’s tournament went as smoothly and professionally as any they could remember in the history of the event.
Vern Luebecker, Joe Vowell, Lieutenant General Dennis McCarthy, Charlie Allen, Bob Donaghue, and Tom Green

 Notable participants included Lieutenant General Jack Bergman, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, and Retired Lieutenant General Dennis McCarthy, the Executive Director of the Reserve Officers Association (ROA). There was also a strong turn-out from the corporate sector, including golfers from BAE, Bell Helicopter/Textron, FATS, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon, and Sikorsky.

The competition was stiff, and many foursomes finished with low scores that were high in the standings. The winning foursome with a score of 59 included Bruce Bowen, Carl Showers, Jim Lindsay and Rich Stolarski. Finishing close behind them with a 61 was the threesome of Ken Best, Mike Farage and Greg Hoffman. Coming in third with a 64 was the foursome including Skip Gaskill, Mark Ehudin, Mel Chang and Larry Outlaw.


The longest drive award went to Skip Gaskill, and the closest to the pin award to Alan Truitt.

Following the tournament, everyone relaxed on the patio with some cold refreshments and a great luncheon, followed by a spirited presentation of trophies, prizes and gifts.

Special thanks went to Fort Belvoir resident golf pro Jeff Lychwick for organizing and conducting a very successful outing.


All the participants left in great spirits, and many promised they would be back again next year.











MCRA Board of Directors Meet

Baltimore, Maryland was the location of the 4 October meeting. Charlie Allen, Bob Donaghue, Tom Green, Tom "LPM" Howlett, Vern Leubecker, Gary Schroeder, and Joe Vowell were in attendance. Al Jennings also participated by telephone.

The meeting agenda concentrated on a Calendar of Events for 2009, a budget for 2009, and a member communications plan. After lengthy discussion, particularly on what we can afford to do, consensus was reached on the above items and the following decisions were reached:

2009 Calendar of Events:

A modified Annual SOP will be used for planning and executing events.
* A congressional Reception will be held in March 2009.
* An Annual Meeting will be held in May or June 2009.
* A Golf Tournament will be held in August 2009.
* The Office of Legislative Affairs Brief will be held on a date to be determined.
* Other items (BOD metings, etc.) will be scheduled and announced as needed.

2009 Budget:

Approximately $18K is currently in the bank and another $18-$30K in corporate sponsorship is expected. Note that a year ago we owed more to our creditors than we had in the bank. We have managed to reverse that situation. We expect to have a total of $36-$60K to be available to fund the following items:

* The Congressional Reception will be funded at $15K.
* The Association Annual Meeting will be funded at $2K.
* The Golf Tournament will be funded at $5K.
* The Office of Legislative Affairs will be funded at $500.
* Membership mailings will be funded at $4K.
* Awards (unit, ROTC, etc.) will be funded at $1K.

Note that this budget does not contain any funds for paid staff. Hopefully with the help of some corporate sponsors, we will generate enough additional dollars to fund some paid staff help. Maintaining our database, managing the Association books, maintaining the Web site, writing the e-Newsletter, and producing the Word is very time consuming and stretches the limits of some our volunteer help.

Membership Communications Plan:

* The primary means of communication with members will be electronic, utilizing the Web site and e-mail to the greatest extent possible.
* The WORD (-) will be published monthly, or as needed, with the first edition to be ready not later than 1 January 2009. It will be on the Web site and e-mailed to the membership.

Recognizing that some members do not use computers to access the Web site or use e-mail, we would like to mail the WORD (-) to those members. The problem is that we currently have no ability to generate mailing labels for just those members. Unfortunately sending communications by snail mail to the entire membership is simply cost prohibitive in our present financial condition. Hopefully in the future we will find a way to generate mailing labels for those who do not use computers.

Other Items of Discussion

The Board discussed the required preparation for the Annual meeting. Charlie Allen, Tom Green, and Vern Leubecker will prepare draft updates for the Association by-laws and the updated by-laws will be presented at the Annual Meeting. Calls for nominations will be in the January WORD (-).

Bob Donaghue will explore getting an audit of financial transactions that led to our financial problems.

Joe Vowell wishes to devote more time to family matters. Joe has been our corporate fundraiser for years, so a new fundraiser (or fundraising team) will be needed. Tom Howlett has volunteered to help in fundraising, but additional fundraising help will be needed. MCRA is grateful for the services of Joe.

Tom howlett floated the concept of creating a MCRA Life Membership Trust. The purpose of creating such a trust is to create a legal protection for the life membership funds so that they cannot be squandered as has happened on some occasions in the past. The trust will be designed to help fund the MCRA annual budget through earnings and an actuarially based formula. The wording of the trust will provide legal protection from undue influence to spend money contrary to the purpose of the trust. Charlie Allen, our Staff Judge Advocate, concurred with the concept. It was agreed by the board that this concept should be explored.

Semper Fidelis


WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THE ASSOCIATION ?

A frequently asked question is about how we got into such a financial mess. At this time the Board does not wish to make any public comments on this matter until we can investigate further.

OPINION COLUMN

The Al Jennings Manifesto
A Vision of a New MCRA

The new MCRA should be a leap into the 21st century to meet the needs of our Marine Reservists, our members. These Marines, even the older retired members, are now a part of the Internet, Online, Email, Xbox, Wii, iPhone, iPod, texting, cell phone, (et al) generation. MCRA should forge ahead and embrace and capitalize on the available, existing, and evolving technologies to offer our members (officer AND ENLISTED) a wide range of services in real time, and worldwide, in the most cost efficient manner.

First of all, it would be helpful to agree upon who comprises the membership of MCRA. WHO are our members, our customers?? This is the Marine Corps “RESERVE” Association. I would aggressively try to expand our membership and my primary source would be the members of the SMCR. We are nothing without them. To that end, I would SERIOUSLY consider offering all of them FREE memberships. This would obviously require some creative funding and that is a separate topic.

Let us make MCRA the Communication Center for the Marine Corps Reserve but not just the communication center. Let’s make it the (online) communication center, the news center, the meeting place, the PX, the chapel, sickbay, SNCO Club, NCO School, the school solution, etc., etc.

All of this is blue sky thinking on my part. I don’t mean for a new MCRA to be limited to any of the things listed below, nor must all of them be included. These are simply a list of thoughts that have come to mind that seemed like they might be useful and/or meaningful to our members… the Marine Corps Reservists!!

Envision a MCRA website… Maybe called “The Word” but “theword.com” is not available. This would be a single site for MCRA members… for Marine Reservists. This website, whatever it might be called, would BE MCRA.

We would largely build it (the new MCRA) around technology…meaning the internet. Accessibility should probably be limited to verifiable members. Contact data required for access. No John Does.

The following is a list of potential website offerings in no particular order. They are thoughts that have come to mind. Maybe they make sense, maybe they don’t.

1. There would be an online version of The Word; not The Word three or four times a year (filled with information that may be two or three months old) but The Word every day. Updated as things happen and not limited to a fixed number of pages. No delay, no postage costs.

2. Education… no end to the possibilities here. Articles and dissertations on any relevant topics – squad tactics, staff planning, global strategies, map reading, etc. Any presentation that might have been made at a national conference can be made online Education by rank/grade/MOS Links to Gazette/Leatherneck articles Links to MCI, MCU, TECOM etc. Montgomery GI Bill info - testimonials Links and info on local college opportunities, e.g. Eastern Carolina, Phoenix, others with military affiliations Text of speeches by senior Marine leaders Data on opportunities and applications for NROTC & USNA School quotas and openings… MOS schools, jump school, EE&S, etc. Online Discussion groups/forums

3. USMCR Related news

4. Up-to-date billet availability information.

5. Promotion information, promotion services, assistance with preparation, guidelines for submission of documents, fitness report review tips, understanding conduct and proficiency marks, building up cutting scores, guidelines for pictures, etc.

6. Reserve Retirement Points, What they mean, Ways to accumulate more reserve retirement points, what they are worth, forecasting retirement benefits (as an incentive to stay-in),

7. Understanding Tri-care, links to Tricare, FAQ’s

8. News of deployed units

9. Sergeant Major’s Office. Give space to the Div and/or Wing SgtMaj for a monthly column.

10. CG’s Forum… Likewise offer the CG’s (MFR/Div/Wing) a chance to write a monthly column, “update” the hot scoop.

11. The Chaplain’s Corner… A place for a good chaplain or two to offer advice and counsel

12. “Sickbay,” “Corpsman Up,” or “Hey Doc” Similarly a place for a good salty HM1 or HMC to offer advice and tips… maybe answer questions. Possibly a place for the Division/Wing surgeon to pontificate

13. “The Armory” Let the armorer offer up tips on the care and feeding of various weapons

14. “The Squad leaders hooch” A place for a hot shit corporal or sergeant to post tips and advice related to a deployment or whatever.

15. Legal Officer’s Guidance (JAG). A monthly column of tips and advice about the numerous legal pitfalls that reservists can get into.

16. Mandays, availability of. Occasionally funding is available for Marines in specific MOS’s or with certain skills to work on special projects. MCB CLNC might need a Marine with surveying skills or desktop publishing skills for a 90 day period or whatever.

17. The USMCR Calendar… ATD’s, Schools, Birthday Balls, events related to the USMCR

18. Topical forums, forums where reservists can discuss problems and find solutions… discussions about promotions, boot camp, OCS, 29 Palms, help with planning the next birthday ball or mess night, dependent’s benefits, etc. I think these forums are most important… they would be interactive, and members could spend a lot of time discussing and debating. It would be a place for them to hang-out.

19. A focal point for assistance with problems peculiar to reservists, shared knowledge, and communication.

20. Classified ad listings. Good place to buy/sell uniforms, books and gear

21. Information on Officer programs: PLC, NROTC, MECEP, NESEP, USNA, OCC etc.

22. Information exchange. Sharing lesson plans for classes on marksmanship, the 60mm Mortar, or the UCMJ, sharing information on weekend liberty around Camp Pendleton. Why re-invent the wheel over and over again?

23. The reality of activation (reserve unit activation) opens up another large category of possible information service offerings… sharing of information.

24. An online member directory… on a voluntary basis, let members post some of their own data so that friends can find them… a USMCR myspace sort of thing.

25. The CMC Reading list and book reviews.

26. Online “Chapters.” In the old days we had local chapters. What about electronic chapters?? Geographical? By MOS? By rank/grade, you can belong to more than one. They can promote local gatherings.

27. Travel benefits… affinity trips/cruises and things. Week long trips/meetings at some of the Armed Services Recreation centers, the Hale Koa, Garmisch Partenkirchen, Chiemsee, Seward Alaska, Branson Missouri, Las Vegas, etc… maybe cut rate deals with commissions going to MCRA. Maybe a significant online offering for spouses and families!

28. Family Assistance offerings… there is a whole world of possibilities here for activated, and soon-to-be-activated reservists.

Etc. ,etc., etc. You get the idea.

Obviously such an undertaking would require a staff. Not just computer weenies but also folks with some serious editorial skills and Marine Corps knowledge. Remember, there would be no printing and mailing of “The Word.”** Also, consider this: If properly organized, there would be no reason for this “staff” to be located in our office in VA. They could work out of their own homes, wherever they are. We could hire anyone (anywhere) in the country. They could be part-timers. Perhaps we can get support and assistance from those involved with the usmc.mil site.

Anyway, those are my two cents worth of thoughts on MCRA’s future.

AWJ


** What happens to our members without internet access?? How do they get “The Word?”

My answer is: They don’t.


Editor's Comment

Al wrote this quite some time ago. It's not necessary to agree with everything he wrote, but there certainly are some good thoughts in his "Manifesto." Some of his ideas have already been implemented. Some are simply not something we can do at this point and others--well, we'll need much more discussion on the issues. Thanks Al, for providing input for our future direction!

"LPM"