Compass Points - Eternal USMC
Taking the long view
Compass Points - Eternal USMC
Taking the long view
April 6, 2024
There is an eternal Marine Corps as well as a temporary Marine Corps. The eternal Marine Corps is now in its third century of service to the Nation. The eternal qualities of Marines never change, like courage, honor, and fidelity to duty.
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But not everything is eternal. For example, the Marine Corps has underway today a program to build a new combat utility uniform. The Marine Times is reporting that, "Marines release specs for high-tech next-gen combat utility uniform." The new uniforms will be more fire resistant and will be more camouflaged across the electronic spectrum.
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. . . According to the solicitation, the flame-resistant properties of the next-gen uniform will include either no-melt, no-drip technology ― which protect the wearer from injury when the fabric is exposed to flame ― or self-extinguishing capabilities, which mean the fabric will stop burning once a fire source is removed.
. . . Separately, the new uniform will build in an increasingly valuable tactical feature: signature management. The Marines’ patented MARPAT camouflage, highly effective for concealment under the naked eye, emits a glow under short-wave infrared optics. The U.S. military has been working since at least 2012 to develop materials, from special fabrics to dyes, that neutralize this compromising effect.
-- Marine Times
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Marines have strong opinions about their uniforms and the process of agreeing on a new design is not an easy one. There are disputes, disagreements, and different points of view. The broader and more robust the discussions, the better the new uniforms will be. As important as uniforms are, however, what is more important is what is inside the uniform, the Marine.
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It is the responsibility of the Marine Corps to organize, equip, and train Marines so the Marine Corps is always updated, enhanced, and improved. Just like designing a future uniform, designing a future Marine Corps necessarily generates disputes, disagreements, and different points of view. The broader and more robust the discussions, the better the new design will be. The process of designing the next Marine uniforms began with the founding of the Marine Corps and has continued since then. The process of designing the next Marine Corps underway now is just a momentary portion of building the third century Marine Corps.
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Next week Compass Points will begin a review of the Commandant's recent frag order. The review of the order will be constructive and collegial. All Marines, including those now on active duty and those once on active duty, as well as friends of the Corps, want the same thing, a Marine Corps that is strong today and stronger tomorrow.
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The discussions about the future of the Marine Corps would be better if they included the voice of former Commandant Al Gray. But he is no longer with us. Demaine Funeral Home, Alexandria, Virginia is reporting they will hold a visitation at their facility this weekend.
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Fortunately, the wisdom and spirit of Al Gray is eternal. The Carolina Museum of the Marine has an Al Gray Marine Leadership Forum. As part of the forum, there are a series of online interviews of Marines who talk about Al Gray and what they learned from him. Al Gray had a love for Marines and a love for the Marine Corps. He was never satisfied with how things were. He always wanted the Marine Corps to be better. Throughout his life he generated and encouraged robust discussions about the future of the Marine Corps.
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Some things are eternal, and some things are temporary. The Marine Corps is in its third century of service to the Nation -- with more centuries to come. Marine uniforms are more temporary -- important, but temporary. Compass Points salutes all the hardworking Marines and civilians working to build the next Marine uniform and salutes all those across the Marine community and in Congress working to build the next Marine Corps. The more we put the wisdom and spirit of Al Gray into the robust discussions about the future, the better the future Marine Corps will be.
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Marine Times - 06/02/2023
Marines release specs for high-tech next-gen combat utility uniform
By Hope Hodge Seck
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Demaine Funeral Home, Alexandria, Virginia
A.M. Gray - Visitation
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/alexandria-va/alfred-gray-11723333
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Carolina Museum of the Marine
Al Gray Marine Leadership Forum
95th Birthday Interviews
https://www.museumofthemarine.org/category/general-al-grays-95th-birthday/
The uniform requirements present again the longstanding contest between the wearer's comfort and their survival. Experience and history suggest fabrics that breath and help maintain the comfort and health of the wearer. Treating uniforms to protect against exposure to chemical and nerve agents meant eliminating the fabric's ability to breath making them very uncomfortable to wear. This may present a matrix of challenges and problems that won't be solved until we get to battle suits.