UNCLAS 051134Z MAY 07
CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
AL ALMAR(UC)
ALMAR
ALMAR 030/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM//
REF/A/MSGID:MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC/082020ZFEB2005//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. REFERENCE A IS CANCELLED.
2. PURPOSE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ALMAR IS TO HIGHLIGHT A KEY
ASPECT OF OUR DISCIPLINED, EDUCATED APPROACH TO THE PROFESSION
OF ARMS. THE MARINE CORPS PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM BEGAN
AS THE COMMANDANT'S READING LIST IN 1988, ALTHOUGH RECOMMENDED
READING LISTS HAVE BEEN GENERATED FOR MARINES SINCE THE 19TH
CENTURY. EACH COMMANDANT SINCE 1988 HAS PLACED HIS PERSONAL
STAMP ON THE PROGRAM, BUT MANY OF THE BOOKS HAVE REMAINED
CONSTANT. THE 2007 READING PROGRAM HAS THREE COMPONENT
PARTS: A "MARQUEE TITLE" OF ONE BOOK THAT BEST INFORMS
READERS OF THE CURRENT CHALLENGES WE FACE AND IS REFLECTIVE
OF MY PLANNING GUIDANCE; A STREAMLINED CMC READING LIST,
COMPOSED OF BY-GRADE TIMELESS CLASSICS; AND BROADER WEB-BASED
READING LISTS ORGANIZED AROUND FUNCTION, REGION, AND TOPIC.
3. ACTIONS
A. I REQUIRE ALL MARINES TO READ AND DISCUSS THE MARQUEE
TITLE, LTGEN BRUTE KRULAK'S "FIRST TO FIGHT: AN INSIDE VIEW
OF THE US MARINE CORPS." THIS BOOK DEPICTS AN ELITE,
ECONOMICAL FORCE THAT RELIES ON ADAPTABILITY, INNOVATION, AND
ESPRIT TO SUCCEED. IT DESCRIBES OUR CORPS, AND I WANT EVERY
MARINE TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE ABOUT.
B. I EXPECT ALL MARINES TO READ THEIR GRADE APPROPRIATE BOOKS
- THAT IS THE MINIMUM STANDARD. NO ONE GRADE HAS MORE THAN
SIX BOOKS.
ONCE YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE MINIMUM, YOU CAN THEN EXERCISE
THE INITIATIVE TO READ MORE BROADLY.
C. I REQUEST THAT COMMANDERS VIEW THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OF THEIR SUBORDINATES AS A DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR
PERFORMANCE AS COMMANDERS, AND TO DEVELOP LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT
EMPHASIZE READING AND SELF-DIRECTED STUDY. IN ADDITION TO THE
BY-GRADE LISTS OF REQUIRED READING TITLES, DISCUSSION GUIDES AND
INSTRUCTIONS FOR GETTING THE MOST FROM A READING PROGRAM ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE MARINE CORPS PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM
WEBSITE AT WWW.MCU.USMC.MIL/READING/.
D. I EXPECT COMMANDERS TO EXECUTE A UNIT READING PROGRAM
TAILORED TO THE MISSION NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION. ASIDE FROM
THE MARQUEE TITLE AND COMMANDANT'S READING LIST, LISTS HAVE BEEN
DEVELOPED BY FUNCTION, REGION, AND TOPIC. FOCUS ON THOSE TITLES
THAT ARE MOST APPROPRIATE TO ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
E. THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION (PRODEV DIVISION) AT
MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY SERVES AS THE EXECUTIVE AGENT FOR THE
PROGRAM AND WILL ENSURE IT IS CLOSELY COORDINATED WITH THE STATED
NEEDS OF LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE CORPS. SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR ADDITIONS TO THE PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM TO PRODEV
DIVISION, MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY, 2076 SOUTH STREET, QUANTICO,
VA 22134-5076 OR VIA THE WEBSITE AT WWW.MCU.USMC.MIL/READING/.
4. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM ARE TO
ENHANCE THE WARRIOR ETHOS OF THE CORPS, ENCOURAGE CRITICAL
THINKING, AND BROADEN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT OPERATING
ENVIRONMENT.
WHEN COMBINED WITH FORMAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION, SELF-DIRECTED
READING CREATES SMARTER, MORE ADAPTABLE WARFIGHTERS.
5. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//