Boy did this ring a bell. In the fall of 1979, this writer was a young 0302 in 3/2. The call came out for officers preferably 03’s with platoon leader experince to be interviewed for assignment to the 2ndMarDiv’s Infantry Training Company, which was being transitioned to the Infantry Training School. A senior captain interviewed me, for about 30 minutes. About a week later I received orders to ITC and landed at their HQ out at Camp Geiger. To say as the “company” transitioned from a small almost expeditionary nature to train recent graduates from Recruit Depot Parris Island in the five infantry MOS’s was an adventure by flying by the seat of your pants would be an understatement. Somehow we managed to get things done. Primarily because of several wonderful and experienced Senior Staff NCO’s, Mastery Gunnery Cliff Steadham as a prime example. Mission came first and over time the POI was enhanced and we gathered up a small cadre that cared and improved the training. The Corps can be an odd place from time to time. But from your experiences we got “Left of Bang” so sometimes the crazy stuff leads to great stuff. Semper Fi.
Patrick, those early days were quite a mess, the officers and senior NCO’s that pulled ITC together had had their hands full, as did 1st Lt. Eric Nyberg and Gunny Bliss when they set up the Division’s Squad Leader School. (Not sure how it is today, but winning the super squad award was a big deal.) So it took a while for HQMC and MCB LeJeune to figure out just what the Hell was going on out at ITS. Initially we were a dump site for units passing their trash, with some brilliant exceptions. We went through several officers and senior NCO’s that were flatly UNSAT. But that stopped when Colonel Joe Goodwin took command and his Boss Major General David Barker, got the word out, that sending your problems out of the Division to Base to a school charged with getting basic recruits trained in their basic infantry MOS’s was a bad idea. Also as we started shaping up, the Marines we sent to the Division were making an impression. I was in the 6th IOC Class and we had a lot riding on us and once it became clear schools mattered things improved. Things really sped up when Colonel Paddy Collins showed up one day. HQMC sent him down to find out just what the Hell we were doing. Talk about a great officer, he jumped in and got us in front of people at HQMC including General Sardo (That’s a story BTW) who clearly had the desire to move ITS to the next level. I became General Barker’s Aide de Camp, even though he was an 08, he got the joke! It is hard to imagine the T/O and T/E of the School of Infantry today. From small acorns mighty oaks grow.
I just got your book, Left of Bang and as General Van Riper would advise, I will grab it and “get busy”!
Boy did this ring a bell. In the fall of 1979, this writer was a young 0302 in 3/2. The call came out for officers preferably 03’s with platoon leader experince to be interviewed for assignment to the 2ndMarDiv’s Infantry Training Company, which was being transitioned to the Infantry Training School. A senior captain interviewed me, for about 30 minutes. About a week later I received orders to ITC and landed at their HQ out at Camp Geiger. To say as the “company” transitioned from a small almost expeditionary nature to train recent graduates from Recruit Depot Parris Island in the five infantry MOS’s was an adventure by flying by the seat of your pants would be an understatement. Somehow we managed to get things done. Primarily because of several wonderful and experienced Senior Staff NCO’s, Mastery Gunnery Cliff Steadham as a prime example. Mission came first and over time the POI was enhanced and we gathered up a small cadre that cared and improved the training. The Corps can be an odd place from time to time. But from your experiences we got “Left of Bang” so sometimes the crazy stuff leads to great stuff. Semper Fi.
"Mission came first..." It's that simple Charles! Semper Fi.
Patrick, those early days were quite a mess, the officers and senior NCO’s that pulled ITC together had had their hands full, as did 1st Lt. Eric Nyberg and Gunny Bliss when they set up the Division’s Squad Leader School. (Not sure how it is today, but winning the super squad award was a big deal.) So it took a while for HQMC and MCB LeJeune to figure out just what the Hell was going on out at ITS. Initially we were a dump site for units passing their trash, with some brilliant exceptions. We went through several officers and senior NCO’s that were flatly UNSAT. But that stopped when Colonel Joe Goodwin took command and his Boss Major General David Barker, got the word out, that sending your problems out of the Division to Base to a school charged with getting basic recruits trained in their basic infantry MOS’s was a bad idea. Also as we started shaping up, the Marines we sent to the Division were making an impression. I was in the 6th IOC Class and we had a lot riding on us and once it became clear schools mattered things improved. Things really sped up when Colonel Paddy Collins showed up one day. HQMC sent him down to find out just what the Hell we were doing. Talk about a great officer, he jumped in and got us in front of people at HQMC including General Sardo (That’s a story BTW) who clearly had the desire to move ITS to the next level. I became General Barker’s Aide de Camp, even though he was an 08, he got the joke! It is hard to imagine the T/O and T/E of the School of Infantry today. From small acorns mighty oaks grow.
I just got your book, Left of Bang and as General Van Riper would advise, I will grab it and “get busy”!