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The Marine Corps’ 14 leadership traits – BEARING

Marines Uncovered  //  June 1st, 2011  //  By Sgt. Sneden

By: Staff Sgt. Greg Thomas

BEARING is this week’s Marine Corps leadership trait, and it’s defined as, “the way you conduct and carry yourself. Your manner should reflect alertness, competence, confidence, and control.”

This trait is stressed by drill instructors continually throughout recruit training. I remember hearing tall tales of experiments resulting in the creation of sand fleas just to test recruits’ bearing at MCRD Parris Island, S.C. Of course they aren’t true, but the fact remains they do a very good job of teaching recruits to maintain their BEARING.

It is those times of maintaining BEARING that I use to frame my understanding of this trait. A leader must keep their composure by controlling their mind and their body no matter the circumstances.

Which would be more effective: a leader hysterically shouting orders OR a leader calmly directing his assets? The calm, cool, and collected leader will prevail where the hysterical fails every time.

All of us have had to maintain our BEARING at some point in our career, whether it was recruit training or getting a good ol’ fashioned ass-chewing from the first sergeant!

Being able to maintain your BEARING in a stressful situation is part of what sets Marines apart from “lesser” services … where they crumble we prevail!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Roger-Proctor/100000093600468 Roger Proctor

    Sounds like what I experienced in 1982.

  • Daniel G.

    My brother finished bootcamp a few weeks ago. Recruits pissed their pants, were humiliated, beat on, yelled at, spit on, you name it. Kid fell off of a climbing rope, broke his leg, got laughed at by the DI’s and will now never be able to be a Marine. I can assure you they only want the best and I would expect nothing less. 

  • Dan the Man

    We’ve been technically at war since 2001 and they’ve seem to be doing pretty good since like 1979.

  • Mike Fogelsanger

    Ya they now have sensativity classes can’t call you names or put their hands on you. P.C. will destroy this Country. If you can’t handle being called names and having a DI push you around a little how you going to handle WAR.

  • Lorenzo

    funny how different things are compared to when i went through parris island 7-3-69. been hearing some really disturbing things like the D.I.’s no longer can kick your ass when you screw up?, tell this Marine it’s not true. we are the best and we will always be the best, i just think boot camp is too soft since like 1979

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