Compass Points - Gunny, Read a Book

Time for some self study.

Compass Points - Gunny, Read a Book

Time for some self study.

June 5, 2024

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The Marine Corps has announced its new "Talent Acquisition Pilot" program in an effort to get more technology specialists into the Marine Corps. Some technology specialists will be able to become instant Marine Gunnery Sergeants. Gunnys have traditionally been looked to as a steady and sure source of Marine Corps wisdom and experience. In the past, new Marines with problems could always go to Gunny for guidance. Gunny knows what to do. With no service stripes, how will these new, instant Gunnys guide Marines?

Compass Points will have more to say about the Talent Acquisition Pilot, but for now instant Gunnys would be wise to follow advice from a former enlisted Marine who would most likely tell the instant Gunny, "Gunny, read a book."

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Part 2

Interview with Lt Gen Paul K. Van Riper

First President, Marine Corps University

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CP: After your recent interview about the Marine Corps Professional Reading Program, many Compass Points readers wanted to hear more.  Could you tell us a little about what you read, how you go about choosing books, and can you provide specific reading recommendations?

PKVR:

While on active duty I had a reputation for reading a lot.  I used to respond to folks who mentioned this, “No, I don’t read a lot, I read smart.”  I still read smart today.

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CP: That’s an unusual answer, what do you mean?

PKVR:

Well, there are a number of elements to the statement but before I describe them let me tell you how I learned to read differently.  As a young Marine in a reserve infantry battalion I discovered training manuals, manuals on tactics and techniques.  They intrigued me and I began not just reading them, but actually studying the material in them.  It wasn’t long before I found I was able to perform tasks and answer questions that other Marines could not.  When these Marines asked me how I knew so many things that they didn’t, I answered, “I cheat.”  This usually startled the questioners, and they would ask what I meant, and I would tell them, “I cheat. I read.”  I hoped my answer encouraged some to do likewise, but I’m not sure it was very many.

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CP: In a sense this is a form of professional reading, but how did you move from manuals to books?

PKVR:

Though I subscribed to Leatherneck magazine as a recruit at Parris Island it wasn’t until some years later that an officer told me about the Marine Corps Gazette, to which I soon subscribed.  The articles in that journal widened my professional horizons considerably.  And in its pages, I discovered reviews of seemingly interesting books, books I knew I wanted to read.  The first book I bought for the then princely sum of $1.35 was S.L.A. Marshall’s Men Against Fire, which I studied as I had military manuals.  Though I certainly did not recognize it at the time, this is how I learned to “read smart.”

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CP: You mentioned earlier that you were going to explain how to "read smart."

PKVR:

Well, there are four parts to reading smart, none more important than the others. 

First, I never borrow a book because I know I cannot keep myself from highlighting text and writing notes in the margin.  I mark up a book so that when I come back to the book, I can recall what caught my attention in previous readings.  In a very real sense, I feel I am discussing the book with the author, sometimes arguing or disagreeing with what he or she says and even expanding on a thought or an idea.

Next, I never feel compelled to read a book from cover to cover, especially if I lose interest in it or I find a different topic deserves more attention because of ongoing events.  When this happens, I simply put the book back on the shelf having learned at least something new.  More often than not I return to it later, usually when a topic comes up and I recall it was covered in the book I had stopped reading.  Many times, this new awareness motivates me to finish reading the book.

Then, read more than one book at a time. I discovered early on it was better to be reading more than one book.  Even today I have four or five books near at hand.  If I become bored with one for some reason, I simply pick up another.  Also, I seldom go anywhere without a book because if I have any free time, such as waiting for a doctor’s appointment, I can read.

Finally, whenever I buy a book, I don’t just start reading it.  First, I examine it—comments on the dust cover, overview and information about the author on the flyleaves, table of contents, list of figures and maps, and appendices if there are any.  Often, I read reviews beforehand.  This preparation is akin to what anyone would do before they start off on a long trip; I want to be oriented and have a good idea of the journey I am staring on.

Those are the four elements.

I need to note that I seldom lend a book because I have invested too much time and effort making it mine, that is, in the highlighting and marginal notes.  Also, many of my books have copies of reviews in the back and I don’t want to lose them.  If I feel strongly enough about a book, I have on occasion bought a copy for a friend rather than lend my copy.

It wasn’t until recently that I tried to count the books in my library.  Turns out that buying a few books each month for more than 60 years adds up to about 3,000 books.  I have read most, but not all of them.  I learned a long time ago not to pass up buying books I considered important because too often they go out of print and the cost of the few still available skyrockets.  My intention is to eventually read these books as I continue my never ending education.  The more I learn the more I realize how much I don’t know.  I wish our recently retired commandant understood that.

For those who think my professional library is large, it pales in comparison to those of our late Commandant, General Al Gray, or General Jim Mattis.  Just as you can never have too many beers in the refrigerator you can never have too many books on your bookshelves.

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CP: What are some books you would recommend to Compass Points readers?

PKVR:

There are several, but if your subscribers want a complete picture of my reading over six decades, they might want to read a chapter I wrote in the book, The Past as Prologue, edited by Williamson Murray and Richard Sinnreich.  My chapter is titled, “The relevance of history to the military profession: an American Marine’s view.”

Besides that chapter, let me suggest a book for young NCOs and lieutenants, one for captains, and one for field grade officers.

A true classic, which I mentioned earlier, should be high on every young Marine’s list of things to read, S.L.A. Marshall’s Men Against Fire: The Problem of Command in Future War. 

In the late 1980s several scholars questioned SLAM’s claims of analytically arriving at his conclusions about the percentage of soldiers who fired their weapons in combat because there are no analytical records in his papers.  All, however, agree that his observations on unit cohesion and performance under fire were on the mark and well worth studying. So, do not be put off by his critics.

For captains I recommend Charles MacDonald’s vivid description of infantry combat in the Second World War, Company Commander.  Those of us who experienced fights in Vietnam with NVA units that employed large formations, artillery and rockets, and occasionally armor, were prepared because our ranks were leavened with veterans from the Second World War and the Korean War.  We Vietnam vets worry that today’s Marines have dismissed the possibility of such actions in the future because they were largely absent during recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Ukraine should dispel that notion.  I focus on infantry because every Marine is a rifleman and every officer a combat leader regardless of MOS, thus, all need to understand what close combat is like.

For field grade officers whose horizons are naturally wider, I recommend Colin Gray’s book, Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy.  I typically avoid so-called principles and maxims or anything like them; they are usually worthless.  Thus, when Colin graciously sent me a copy of his book, I almost set it aside.  I’m glad I didn’t because the forty maxims are actually forty short essays on the topics in the title.  So, for those becoming oriented to the larger issues of warfare—military theory, strategy, and operational art—this is a good book to begin your study.

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CP: General, what would you say to a young Marine warrior who does not want to read as much as they want to lead Marines?

PKVR:

Many of the greatest military leaders—Napoleon, George Washington, and Patton—tell us that they were students of history, and they were voracious readers.  It is hard to argue with success.  As we used to say, “’Read to lead.”

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CP: You have not said anything about new technology. Isn't modern war all about technology?

PKVR:

I'll just repeat what I said in the first interview. New technology is always important in war, but there is no technology that can substitute for deep, continuous, self-study. The profession of arms is unlike anything else. All Marines and particularly Marines who aspire to be leaders of Marines, must grow themselves in every way. They must grow their physical strength, their spiritual strength, and their mental strength. Engaging with the classic books on war and warfighting is like engaging in a live fire exercise with a well-armed adversary. Take hold of one of the great books on warfighting. Go page by page. Wrestle with the author, underline key ideas, stop and think, argue, question, and learn. Reading deeply is like good PT, exhausting, worthwhile, and fun.

The current Marine reading program is not where it should be. It needs a drastic overhaul and a new focus on war and warfighting. But no matter how much needs to be done to restore the Marine reading program today, Marines should remember that ultimately professional education is the responsibility of every Marine and every leader of Marines. Take time to read and study. Do not approach it as a chore. Approach it as a way to grow your mental muscles.  The right kind of reading can draw out the best in a Marine, so that every Marine can give more to Country and Corps.

I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1956. Decades and wars have rolled by. I have studied war, experienced war, and taught war. I am still studying, still learning, and still growing today. Why bother after all these years? Because working to get better day by day is what Marines do. Grab a book and get busy.

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Compass Points thanks LtGen Van Riper for his nearly seven decades of service, in war and in peace, to Country and Corps, and looks forward to his ongoing reading recommendations for all Marines -- including instant Gunnys.

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Marines.mil -  5/31/2024

FISCAL YEAR 2024

MARINE CORPS TALENT ACQUISITION PILOT

MARADMINS Number: 253/24

https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3792621/fiscal-year-2024-marine-corps-talent-acquisition-pilot/