Compass Points - Week in Review
Plus, "Mother's Day Mystery"
Compass Points - Week in Review
Plus, "Mother's Day Mystery"
May 12, 2024
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Happy Sunday!
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In 1984 President Reagan designated the Friday before Mother's Day as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. In addition, today is Mother's Day. Compass Points sends best wishes to all military spouses and also wishes Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers throughout the broad Marine community and beyond. These special people have a dedication and service all their own. In this post, after the "Week in Review" is a special Mother's Day tribute to moms everywhere, "Mother's Day Mystery."
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As always, Sunday is a good day to look back at the week.
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On Monday, we began a rediscovery of the concept, "Operational Maneuver from the Sea." Tuesday continued with a discussion of cognitive dissonance, when values and actions are in conflict. Wednesday asked if the Marine Corps can accurately identify friend from foe. On Thursday a powerful discussion began about the need for senior officer integrity. And on Friday, an article raised the issue of victory in IndoPacom. We ended the week with some outstanding reader comments.
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Monday 6 May -- Concept Reconsidered
Writing for Real Clear Defense, author and Marine Gary Anderson urges the Marine Corps to rediscover "Operational Maneuver from the Sea," an advanced warfighting concept that was set aside during the decades of intense fighting in the Middle East. Gary Anderson's article is, "The Marine Corps That Should Have Been."
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-concept-reconsidered
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Tuesday 7 May -- Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological distress and discomfort that occurs when actions conflict with values. The Commandant makes clear the Marine Corps is at its very soul a warfighting force. Strangely, other senior Marine Corps leaders were recently quoted advocating a much different view of the Marine Corps. Two Marine General Officers speaking at the Modern Day Marine Expo 2024 explained that there is a new focus in the Marine Corps and "blowing stuff up" is now considered out of fashion.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-cognitive-dissonance
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Wednesday 8 May -- Friend or Foe
The Marine Corps has a problem identifying friend from foe. Identifying friend and foe goes far beyond a simple technology issue. Who is friend and who is foe? Some Marine leaders seem to feel anyone doing their own thinking about the future of the Marine Corps is somehow a foe. That is not true. Those engaging in robust discussion about the future of the Marine Corps are friendly forces.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-friend-or-foe
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Thursday 9 May -- Leaders of Integrity
Brigadier General Keith T. Holcomb, writing for Real Clear Defense, has provided a powerful article about the importance of integrity: "Decline of Senior Officer Integrity and Civilian Control of the Military."
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-leaders-of-integrity
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Friday 10 May -- IndoPacom Victory
Marine and former US Representative Mike Gallagher and his co-author Matt Pottinger argue in their Foreign Affairs article that there is: "No Substitute for Victory- America’s Competition with China Must Be Won, Not Managed."
Victory means being strong enough and resolute enough to deter China and other bad actors in the Pacific. The Marine Corps for decades has been a powerful deterrence tool for the United States. Deterrence is costly, but the US cannot afford deterrence that does not deter.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-indopacom-victory
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Saturday 11 May -- Compelling Comments
Compass Points readers have responded online and off with a treasure load of comments, insights, and analysis. One reader, Jeff Dinsmore, commented:
"Like Brute Krulak, Gen Gray understood that America doesn’t need its Corps to do what the other services can already do, but it wants it for its ethos, its unfailing alchemy, and its integrity."
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-compelling-comments
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Compass Points appreciates all the great discussion this week and thanks all our readers who served as seminar leaders this week by providing topics, articles, and comments. Many thanks!
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- - - - -
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Finally, on this Mother’s Day, Compass Points has received a special tribute to moms everywhere, "Mother's Day Mystery."
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Mother's Day Mystery
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What do leaves whisper,
Caressed by the breeze?
How does the sand know,
To outline the sea?
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Where does dew come from?
And where does it go?
How do stars practice
Their nightly show?
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These miracles of nature.
These great mysteries. Yet mom
Is so far greater than these.
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How can so much
Strength, love, and smarts,
Fit inside a mother's heart?
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A child grows first in mom's womb.
And then grows always in her views.
Through every struggle, fear and doubt.
Her children want to make mom proud.
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Moms are strong in love and giving.
Strong in wisdom and forgiving.
Strong in seeing and in knowing,
Strong in guiding and in growing.
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It's mom who cares, when kids are young,
Pets are fed and prayers are said,
Before all souls are tucked in bed.
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The unfailing radar of mom
Always sees just what you've done.
Was the science project solved?
Was the squabble all resolved?
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When things seem lost and things seem gone,
It's mom who says, you can go on.
And even offspring far away,
They always hear what mom would say.
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Moms have their quirks and their flaws.
They make mistakes and make wrong calls.
But with constant course corrections,
Perfect in their imperfections.
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Moms may work in high positions.
Leading some great expedition.
Of great positions, kids don't care.
They are just glad that mom is theirs.
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Wounded men alone in battle
As they gasp with cold death's rattle.
Call out to their cosmic maker.
And call for their earthly mater.
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No matter what the race we run,
All through the tears and through the hugs,
It's mom who saw us well begun.
We're wrapped at first in mother's love.
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What do leaves whisper,
Caressed by the breeze?
How does the sand know,
To outline the sea?
.
Where does dew come from?
And where does it go?
How do stars practice
Their nightly show?
.
These miracles of nature.
These great mysteries. Yet mom
Is so far greater than these.
.
How can so much
Strength, love, and smarts.
Fit inside a mother's heart?
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(C) 2024 JDK
Fantastic Mother’s Day poem. Perhaps the USMC’S PAO who posts on X should read it, their post today was a montage of photo supposedly depicting Marine Mothers….it was not very inclusive.