Tad my friend, this was a terrific article and I'm glad Mustang talked you into putting it up. Mustang, you serving with Tad is one of the things I am jealous of, on the other hand, I know you are jealous of my good looks and YOUTH.
Seriously, I was talking the other day to a friend and we were talking woodworking. He has some very expensive drill bits that he seldom uses because they are not sharp and he doesn't know how to sharpen them. He noted how much harder he had to work when using them because they are slower and not as accurate.
Drill/Sharpness... they go together in more than the military.
When I went to OCS at Ft. Benning, I cannot imagine a formation without looking our very best, even if we had just come off a grueling exercise we dusted off our boots, streightened up our gig lines and smiled. Our tactical officers drilled that into us time and time again.
Great article Tad and thanks Mustang.
One cannot hope to master the more technical aspects of soldiering if he has not first mastered the basics. Most Marines understand that formations are necessary — but most do not know why. It is a fallacy in the instructional process — if the student can understand why its important, then he will better appreciate why the learning is worthwhile.
I believe formations are more than a means of moving a body of men from one place to another. As you point out in this article, “pomp and ceremony” are building blocks; formations teach our NCOs how to lead, but they also teach the troops how to take care of one another, and how to become NCOs.
When I served in the 8th Marines, everyone marched to chow after three daily formations — including all NCOs not on commuted rations. One company officer dined in the mess hall during weekdays (one at breakfast, one for noon chow, and one officer at the evening meal). This requirement was in addition to the battalion duty officer, who also ate in the mess hall. Our company commander showed up on Sundays to sample our faire — and in this way, we Marines knew that they were making sure our food was sufficient in quality and quantity. Of course, that never stopped us from gripping about “Dinotelli’s Diner.”
Besides, how can servicemen develop an esprit de corps if they are always pursuing their own (selfish) interests? Right!
I hope Tad will allow me to put up some of his other works here, as well. Good job, sir.
Tad,
Good to see you posting here! Did Mustang twist your arm? 
A ceremony reinforces lawful obedience, and discipline. It is part of the bonding process that causes Marines to "stand together" in the chaos of battle.
I'm not military, but my husband was (MP at Fort Meyer, so many years ago).
I remember how much Mr. AOW liked the routine drills and formations. More than that, he felt that such discipline strengthened the men (all men in those days), particularly with regard to unity of mind and of purpose--even though most of the men at Fort Meyer were not going to see actual battle (though some would later and had before, many in Vietnam). In addition, the men took pride in performing properly and well during the drills, which Mr. AOW wished had been held more often. This from a draftee from laid-back Southern California!
In a similar way, I saw with schoolchildren (elementary and middle school) just what a good effect wearing uniforms and following the rules of lining up for buses, car pools, playground, and changing classes) had. The children became easier to discipline, of course. Beyond that, their academics improved as well. Of course, some parents, those of the anti-military type, groused about the regimen, and a few withdrew their children when the school converted to uniforms; but, overall, the parent body saw the benefits. Even we teachers wore a sort of uniform for several years--until the "new generation" came in and wouldn't do so; the faculty became less cohesive, I think. Certainly we got a batch of new teachers who refused to follow the directors' philosophy of education. As a result, the school ended up closing a few years later.
That school, BTW, was owned and directed by a retired colonel in the Air Force and his wife, and was one of the most successful private schools in the state of Virginia, though our student body was very small. I attribute much of the school's success to its strong sense of discipline.
IMHO, discipline is an element sorely missing in our society today. Too many are marching to the beat of their own drummer and in all sorts of directions. We see the sad result in our national psyche.
Surely, surely our military, especially our Marines, haven't slid down that slope by neglecting drills and formations? Your post seems to indicate that discipline in the Marines has degenerated. Let me know if I'm wrong or reading too much into your post.
AOW,
1. Mustang has been twisting my arm for one thing or another since we've known each other. In seriousness, its always worked out to my advantage. He's a good friend and a good man.
2. Concur on discipline. Outside discipline is imposed by parents and authorized elders on children. This is for their own benefit and safety. Later, self-discipline is self-imposed. Lacking the first or second, we have problems. We see it every day.
3. I live in Deep South Texas so I do not see much of the Marines. However, all that I hear (friends and/or currently serving Marines) the Corps still is as sharp as ever.
4. In terms of my article (written in 198
, one must know that the Corps is a large organization spread over the globe. We've units of just five Marines (that was the size of the Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy in Oslo, Norway when I was there in 1964) to units with vast numbers. All of them have specific missions that they must do. That is their reason for existence. Sometimes (and some units) would focus so much on the mission, they would neglect the Core Values that made/make the Marine Corps the "go to" folks when you want it done. Thus, I was encouraging my fellow Marines to pay attention to those things.
Did I answer your question?
BTW, I always read your stuff and and buoyed by your words and the stances you take.
Respectfully Yours,
Tad,
You read my site? I'm flattered!
Core Values are often out of vogue these days. I'm not speaking directly of the USMC.
AOW,
Those Core Values you spoke of. We really need to get them back. Liberty and Freedom are not license. We cannot each do whatever we want. The individual wolf can only really be free and thrive if he conforms to those proven positive attributes of the pack. See Rudyard Kipling's poem on this.
Nice hearing from you. You and Mustang are always batting great thoughts back and forth.
Tad,
First of all, good job. I was not a Marine, but a soldier in the Army. I hated formations, but understood why they were necessary.
In basic training, they used to call formations just to tell us there was going to be a formation, later. That was a means of keeping us on our toes and sometimes a product of the DI's boredom. But at my duty stations (Ft. Riley, Germany, and Mother Rucker) there was meaning and purpose behind them all (most of the time).
Thanks for allowing Mustang to put this up.
I will say that Colonel Curtis didn't hold battalion formations often, but when he did, they were matinee caliber events. To say they were interesting would be an understatement; they were easily more entertaining than a civil war reenactment.
I know because I was there.
LASunsett,
Thanks for the input. As you note, and I attempt to describe, good formations are worthwhile. Stupid wasteful ones are injurious to discipline.
Note: I stood in many a formation myself (Pvt-SSgt and 2ndLt-LtCol).
Note 2: Mustang has always told me what to do. He will claim otherwise, but don't believe it.
Cheers,
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