Re: Marine band


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Posted by Boot Camp? on July 05, 2002 at 20:06:24:

In Reply to: Marine band posted by Tony on July 05, 2002 at 09:54:56:

OK. Here we go again....

Members of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band do NOT attend recruit traning. They are enlisted under a contract "for duty with the U.S. Marine Band only" and are fully fledged active duty Marines. They are distinguished from other Marines by their rank insignia, which has a music lyre in place of crossed rifles or a bursting bomb. They may not be transferred to any other unit in the Marine Corps.

The tradition of musicians being non-combatants goes back to the Revolutionary War. That, in fact, is why the Marine Band's uniforms are red. Musicians in Revolutionary War times were dressed in red specifically because they were non-combatant and were not to be fired upon. So this is NOT a new concept.

Members of "The President's Own" are trained 100% at their own expense, not government expense, and unlike aviators or lawyers who enter the military, do not hold officer ranks. The Marine Band's primary mission is "to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps." There is NO secondary combat mission for these Marines and to send them to recruit training would be a waste of government dollars and training spaces.

Having spent 27 years in the Marine Corps -- and all of it at 8th and I with the Marine Band -- I can tell you that going to boot camp does not guarantee that an individual will be a good Marine. Even when Marines are screened and hand-picked, some are immune to what Marine recruit training offers. It is erroneous to assume that because the fine musicians of "The President's Own" do not attend recruit training, that they lack commitment to the Marine Corps. That is not the case. Every Commandant of the Marine Corps in my experience (Cushman to Jones) believes the members of "The President's Own" are real Marines and would take off the head of anyone who said otherwise. To quote Gen. Robert Barrow (former CMC) "I am working hard to bring the Marine Corps up to the level of the Marine Band."

Take it from one who knows: members of "The President's Own" ARE Marines. Period.

Frank


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