Promotion Remarks

The promotion ceremony went well, posted below are my remarks (in full). I’ve been asked often (recently) how many CWO5’s are in the Marine Corps. As of July 2006, there were 81 Active Duty, 22 Reserve, and 3 Active Reserve CWO5s, for a total of 106.

“I’ve decided to read my remarks for the following reasons: First, I want to respect your time, and not waste it while I search for words or try to concoct my remarks as I go. Second, I’ll only get one shot at this—I may have an opportunity for some remarks when I retire, but as that date is potentially seventeen years away, I think I’ll go for it now.

Primarily, I want to thank the Triune God, who is my Lord, my Savior, and my Inspiration, for the following: my body health, my mind, my leaders and mentors, and my opportunities. None of these are factors over which I have choice, and I want to acknowledge God’s providence in each of these areas.

Twenty five years ago today, at the age of twenty, I enlisted in the Corps. I was never an athlete, never on a varsity team, but I have never missed a PFT, and never failed to achieve a 1^st class score. I’ve never fallen out of a run, dropped out of a hump, been unable to physically complete a mission. In all the training I’ve participated in, from Boot Camp to MSG school to the Airborne Paratrooper’s Course to SERE school, I’ve never sustained a debilitating illness or an injury. I have never paid a price for an aggressive decision while driving an automobile, for a reckless decision on a motorcycle, or been injured off-duty while skiing, hiking in the mountains, body surfing in a rip tide, or rappelling down a rock face. I thank God for His grace in this regard.

When I took the ASVAB at the AFEES Center (now called a MEPPS Center, I believe) a quarter of a century ago, I had no idea the impact it would have on my career. Time and again, throughout my career, I have had to rely on my mind, the ability to recall experiences, retain information, and apply knowledge with wisdom. I have never failed to qualify academically or to achieve some required test score to participate in any program that has presented itself, and have never fallen below the minimum standards for graduation in any course during my time in the Marine Corps. OK, the one exception was the Army Radio Code Examination, in which my failure was extremely fortuitous. My ability to adequately overcome tests of the mind applies to formal and MOS schools, MCI courses, college courses, extension courses, distance learning programs, and aptitude battery tests. Whether standing final inspection in Boot Camp, meritorious promotion boards, problem solving in the field as a platoon sergeant, conducting performance evaluation counseling for those Marines with whom I serve, I have relied on my mental capacity to pull me through, and I thank God that my mind has always been equal to the task.

The statement that “you cannot pick with whom you serve” has certainly been true during the whole of my career—I have had no choice over who my commander was, who my senior SNCO was, who my platoon Sgt. was, or who my associates were. Leaders and mentors such as former Marine John Tomlinson, who provided the initial desire to join the Corps; Pastor Rick Hawks; Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Pare, Platoon 3109; the Reverend William Mangrum; Gunnery Sergeant Burns at Marine Security Guard School; SSgt. Doherty, now a Marine Gunner, one of my MSG Det Commanders; CWO5 Ed Moroney and Master Gunnery Sergeant George Noteman of Marine Counterintelligence; Colonel Burkhart, whom I’ve known since I was a warrant and he was a Captain; Colonel Rick Gittings; Colonel Irish Egan; and Colonel Devlin, the I MEF G2. The progression of professional and highly competent people that contributed positively to the formation of my own character is almost as endless as the number of lessons learned I’ve experienced—and unfortunately mostly forgotten—over the past decades. Equally important are the Marines who were and are my peers, hundreds of Marines who have contributed to my life and added something of value to who I am today. Every single personal award or decoration I am today authorized to wear on my uniform was, without exception, the result of a team effort. My rifle and pistol badges I received due to superb coaching on the range. Other decorations I’ve received for accomplishing some mission that would have not have been possible without many other dedicated Marines performing their assigned tasks day after day in a superlative manner. I thank God for placing each one of these individuals in my life.

I’ve been afforded so many opportunities in life that I must constantly guard against failing to recognize them as such or take them for granted. Being born in the United States, often called “the Land of opportunity,” has been without a doubt the most determining factor of my life. As opportunity relates to my Marine Corps career, I enlisted under an open contract, have never contacted my monitor, MOS OccField sponsor, or MOS Billet Manager. That being said, I have never received orders that I was inclined to reject, I’ve never been sent any place where I did not have a positive experience (and that includes Pohang, Korea, Camp Wilson at Twenty Nine Palms, or here at Camp Fallujah), and I’ve been sent places on orders where some of the most positive and memorable experiences in my life have taken place. Places like Camp Johnson at Camp LeJeune for Supply School, Iwakuni and Okinawa Japan in 1982, Camp Pendleton in 1983, Freetown Sierra Leone and Monrovia Liberia in 1985, Jakarta Indonesia, Bangkok Thailand and Dhaka Bangladesh in 1987, Quantico Virginia and Washington DC in 1988, Ft. Benning Georgia in 1991, and Miramar California in 1992. I am deeply grateful to God for each of these opportunities.

I’d like to thank my Mom and Dad and my sister and brothers. They formed my character, and were the major factors in how I developed, matured, and attained adulthood. I’d also like to thank my wife Sheryl. It takes a special kind of woman to marry, and stay married, to a Marine. I won’t expound upon my relational shortcomings, but suffice it to say that each is significant and there a many of them. I’m thankful for my son Joshua, 6 years old, who chooses to joyously love me, regardless.

All these things I am thankful for, they are the result of God’s grace and provision in my life. Of course, there are things in my life that, due to freedom (which is also a gift) I can control. I have made many choices in life, and these choices have also contributed to my promotion today. While standing on the yellow footprints at MCRD, I was told that the following three things would insure success as a Marine: perform every task to the best of my ability; complete every assignment as quickly as possible; and approach every mission with a positive attitude. Every day, to this day, I’m still trying to accomplish these Big Three things. I developed three additional goals for myself (while in Boot Camp): the first was to be meritoriously promoted, the second was to run a maximum score Physical Fitness Test, and the third was to achieve the rank of Sergeant of Marines. I chose to pursue these goals, and achieved all of them. In achieving them, however, I discovered very little fulfillment or accomplishment—not to mention recognition or acknowledgment from my peers—beyond that which I experienced in daily accomplishing the Big Three. Hence, I have done all that I have done for the last twenty years in the Corps with the same three simple goals I was charged with on my first night in the Marine Corps.

Often quoted along with the statement that “you cannot pick with whom you serve” are the lines “you cannot pick the mission which that you are assigned to accomplish” and “you cannot pick the location where you must serve.” All three of these statements have been argued by our Air Force brethren, but most Marines accept them as universally true. I am no exception. But having chosen to enlist in the Marine Corps, vice spend my life in any other profession, and having trusted God to direct my life as He will, the unknown factors contained in these three statements are no longer significant. I will be serving with Marines. I will be accomplishing a Marine Corps mission. I will be where the Marine Corps wants me to be. I wake up every day, frankly, pleasantly surprised that I’m a member of the most select and elite band of warriors the world has ever known. I count it a privilege, every day, to wear this uniform, and I know that in wearing it, I must assume certain responsibilities. I know that I must stand for honor, courage and commitment. I am proud to take my place beside all Marines, past and present, but am careful to guard against pride in myself, vanity in what I may have done, and expectations regarding entitlements that should be mine in the future.

I’ll end my remarks with a Biblical admonishment that has been foremost in my mind for the extent of my career. 2^nd Timothy 2 verses 1-4 say, “Be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. Your have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others. Endure suffering along with me, as a warrior of Christ Jesus. And as Christ’s warrior, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the One who has enlisted you in His service.””

Semper Fi, Jon G.