Non-Commissioned Officer the Embodiment of the Corps’ History

Cpl. Stalinsky,Travis Class 318-13 20121202 Squad #1 â€Å"How is the Modern Corps’ Non-commissioned Officer the Embodiment of the Corps’ History and Tradition? † The United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers are the Marines who have proven that they are worthy to handle the responsibility to lead junior Marines. The backbone of the Marine Corps as they have been described as. Their job is not just a few tasks’ it’s a large variety of tasks. It requires them to be professional, have courage, and integrity to set the example for others to follow and look to for guidance; thus emulating the corps history nd traditions.Throughout history the loyalty and commitment previous NCO’s have displayed made it a tradition to teach the new NCO’s picking up rank to carry on the standard, which modern NCO’s can be proud of and carry on with pride. When looking back into Marine Corps history of Medal of Honor recipients, the first on to receive the Medal of Honor was Cpl. John Mackie. He was the very picture of a Marine setting the right example as a non-commissioned. On May 15, 1862 while on board the U. S. S Galena in the Fort Darling attack at Drewry’s Bluff. â€Å"As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Cpl.Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits along the shore, and when he was ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, he manned the weapons with skill and courage†. This standard he set of instant and willing obedience to orders and courage is still what NCO’s to this day uphold. When the word Marine is heard by civilians, the word â€Å"loyal† comes to the top of their head. The modern Marine NCO’s are loyal to everything that is important to them and the Marine Corps. They proudly and loyally serve their country, their Corps, their unit, and themselves.They must show loyalty to their junior Marines. I t’s their job to mke sure their junior Marines have the right tools to be successful, and must always point them in the right for direction; thus gaining the junior Marines trust and respect. The Marine Corps depends on these fundamentals to be able to have efficient units, to have effective leaders to lead Marines into battle, and for Marines to be able to trust one another with each other with their lives. Now we fast forward from Cpl. John Mackie, who was awarded the first Medal of Honor, to a modern day NCO who was also awarded the Medal of Honor.This Marine displayed an abundance of courage, which overshadows all traits; without it we are doomed to fall short in all the other traits. On September 8, 2009 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Cp. Dakota Meyer maintained security at a patrol rally point while other members of his team moved on foot with two platoons of the afghan National Army and Border Patrol into the village of Ganjgal for a pre-dawn meet with the village eld ers. The patrol ended up being ambushed by more than fifty enemy combatants. Cpl. Meyer heard over the radio that four U. S. team members were cut off on their way back to safety.Cpl. Meyer had a fellow Marine do the driving while he took up the exposed gunner’s position in a gun truck in attempt to disrupt the enemy attack and locate his fellow team members. Cpl. Meyer seizing the courage to make this bold and brave action, while under intense enemy fire, killed a number of enemy fighters, made a couple of trips saving and searching for his comrades. His unbelievable courage allowed him to commit to the dangerous task of helping his fellow Marines. This shows why courage is the most important trait because without it how could you face your fears to make the unpopular decision?How would you have the intestinal fortitude to conduct yourself as a Marine on and off duty always making the right decisions? To stand in front of your peers and subordinates and teach them knowledge? This is why NCO’s can lead is because they have the courage to do what is necessary. Modern Marine NCO’s are the true embodiment of the Corps history and traditions because as leaders they emphasize the professional values of their leadership concepts; such as loyalty to the Corps, loyalty to their nation, loyalty to their units, exhibiting selfless services, and their professional responsibilities as an NCO.The two Marine NCO’s that I have discussed have displayed vital points of the Corps history and traditions. The Corps values, leadership traits, and leadership principles that were demonstrated was courage, loyalty, and setting the example. Their actions have set the standards which modern Marine NCO’s take pride in and continue to uphold the tradition.