For 247 years the United States Marine Corps has fought and won America’s wars. The Marines carry a history, a tradition and a brand focused on winning…no matter the challenge. 

Sergeant Major Troy Black, the 19th Sergeant Major Of The Marine Corps joins Fran Racioppi from the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego Museum for a Jedburgh Podcast exclusive look at what it means to be a Marine past, present and future. 

They cover Sergeant Major Black’s 35-year career leading Marines, Talent Management 2030, Force Design 2030, the lessons of the Global War on Terror, and the Marines’ most important mission; returning high-caliber Veterans to America’s civilian workforce. 

Whether you were a Marine, want to become a Marine, or never considered the Marines, you will be ready to join after this conversation!

Special thanks to the San Diego Military Advisory Council for their support in producing this episode. 

Learn more about SMMC Troy Black at marines.mil and on social media at @19thsmmc.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego Museum
• 2:30 Joining the Marine Corps after Vietnam
• 4:17 The mission of the United States Marine Corps
• 6:55 Talent Management 2030
• 14:35 The relationship between noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers
• 21:12 Integration of females into the Marine Corps
• 23:52 The lessons of The Global War on Terror
• 27:27 Force Design 2030
• 32:53 Protecting the mental health of our Marines
• 41:18 Returning Veterans to the civilian workforce
• 45:20 The next generation of Marine
• 52:54 Are you ready to be a United States Marine?
• 55:49 SMMC Black’s Foundations to Success

Quotes: 

• “Send the Marine Corps. We come with our own logistics, our own aviation, our own artillery, our own ground forces and components to do things now.” (5:17)
• “You have to have a competent force that when it has to be called upon, can win…period.” (9:14)
• “The private that graduated today is not taught to follow. They’re taught to lead.” (11:37)
• “Don’t ever deny me an opportunity. You don’t get to determine if I can do it or not.” (23:17)
• “There are only three organizations in any weapons engagement zone in the littorals; it’s Marines, it’s submarines, and it’s SOF.” (32:04)
• “Mental fitness. Social fitness. Behavioral fitness. Spiritual fitness…You can’t have one without the other.” (35:58)
• “We have to focus more on how to tell people how to be in a team right now.” (49:29)
• “We’re looking for something. It’s someone who wants to win…only.” (54:21)

SMMC Troy Black’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

• Eat to keep the body fit
• Workout to stay strong and create time to think
• Read to learn from the past, think and grow

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s & Compass Workforce Solutions