The commanding officer has issued the following philosophy to his Marines and sailors: Mission accomplishment is the focus of everything we do. Accomplishing the mission can generally be distilled down to being “brilliant at the basics". Training, planning, and good leadership are essential to mission accomplishment. We will never waste an opportunity to train and develop our skills; repetitions equal proficiency.
Taking care of Marines and Sailors goes hand in hand with accomplishing the mission and is a pillar of good leadership. Know your Marines and Sailors: challenge them mentally and physically. Be aware of their family situation and do everything you can to ensure they are ready for combat. Remember, the fathers and mothers of America have entrusted us with what they hold dearest; their sons and daughters. Do not abuse that trust! Lead by example and live up to the high standards of those who have gone before us.
Accountability is vital: accountability for our Marines and Sailors, for equipment, and our actions. Hand in hand with accountability is maintenance. Maintaining our equipment is paramount to ensuring readiness and our ability to respond to any contingency.
As serious as our profession is, and as difficult and miserable as some things we do are, this line of work should still be fun. Create an environment that makes your Marines and Sailors want to come to work. Being a valued member of the team, being challenged and feeling like you can contribute are essential elements of making your subordinates motivated and wanting to come to work. Be creative and foster a challenging positive atmosphere whenever you can.
Lastly, Marines are expeditionary in nature, physically fit, and tough! Marines do it all. The Commandant called us a middle weight force. We conduct operations that range from combat to humanitarian assistance. We can accomplish anything under any circumstances with fewer resources than anybody else. We play away games and win! Our enemies fear us and our allies respect us. This is what we are: this is the expectation, this is our legacy.
Col. Scott D. Campbell
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Commanding Officer