Equipping the Corps

Have you ever wondered how Marines who might be operating out in the middle of nowhere have access to fuel and clean drinking water? These two resources are critical to sustaining our Marines in any environment. From fueling ourbodies to powering our vehicles, clean water and fuel are vital to the survivability of our forces.

Current and future operating environments require resilient and stable water production capabilities and versatile fuel systems with a minimal logistical burden. Marine Corps System Command's Fuel and Water Team is tasked with equipping the Fleet Marine Force with fuel and water systems to enable battlefield responsiveness, lethality and sustainability. They provide full lifecycle support for the Corps' fuel and water systems.

On today's episode, Tripp sits down with the man who ensures Marines have access to clean water and fuel in any clime or place. Maj. Craig Warner is the Team Lead for Fuel and Water in our Logistic Combat Element Systems Portfolio.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes:

Book recommendation - Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect

He Desperately Needs by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

From the first Marines at Tun Tavern to today’s modern force, one thing helps the world identify Marines in the field – their uniforms. As the nation’s only premier naval expeditionary force-in-readiness, the Marine Corps can be called upon to serve in any clime or place, and they need a selection of uniforms that can help them meet that mission.

Program Manager for Infantry Weapons Clothing and Equipment Team is responsible for designing, fielding and sustaining uniforms and other worn items for Marines across the globe, including physical training uniforms, maternity uniforms and extreme weather gear. Their efforts ensure Marines have a strong foundation

On this episode, Tripp chats with a clothing designer with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center supporting PM IW, Emily Madden.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes:

Book recommendation – Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger’s Planning Guidance underscores the need for enterprise IT engineering and the importance of meeting peer competitors on a complex future battlefield. This future environment requires a unified network in which Marines can quickly transmit data for command and control purposes.

Cue Technical Management and Analysis Directorate, a team of technical experts tasked with modernizing the Marine Corps Enterprise Network, or MCEN. TMAD provides technical leadership and enterprise network configuration management to improve information-environment operations for the Naval Force. They assess new or critical technologies and provide technical recommendations about network changes that could impact operations from the tactical edge to the supporting establishment.

On this episode, Tripp sits down with the acting director of TMAD, Mr. Keegan Mills.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes:

TV show recommendation - Detectorist

On this bonus episode, Manny introduces Equipping the Corps’ new host, Tripp Elliott. Tripp is Marine Corps Systems Command’s Head of Command Safety. His charismatic, dedicated and his fun demeanor make him a ‘trip’ to work with. To learn more about Tripp, make sure to check out Episode 23, MCSC’s Command Safety Office with Tripp Elliott.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes:

TV show:

Gilligan’s Island

Hogan’s Heroes

Living in a world where the threat is constantly evolving and changing is challenging. Finding the technology and capabilities to meet and defeat those threats in a timely manner can sometimes prove twice as daunting. But for one team at Program Executive Office Land Systems, those challenges do not deter them, but rather energizes and drives them to find creative solutions for Marines who face those threats daily. They are the newest program team at PEO LS, the Ground Based Air Defense team, also known as GBAD. They are quickly making a name for themselves not only for the diverse capabilities that they will be fielding, but also for the speed in which they are getting that gear in the hands of Marines. On this episode, Manny chats with the Program Manager for GBAD, Don Kelley.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

The Force Design 2030 update released in May emphasized that the Corps must continue to develop concepts for resilient logistics webs in a contested environment with multiple options for support, to include distribution networks, and multi-domain delivery methods. Marine Corps Systems Command’s Logistics Combat Element Systems Portfolio provides and sustains many of these capabilities for the Fleet Marine Force. LCES equips and sustains our Marines with engineering, supply, maintenance, ammunition and tactical wheeled vehicle systems and solutions to support various missions and enable lethality. On this episode, Manny sits down with the portfolio manager for LCES, Col. John Gutierrez.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes:

Book recommendation- Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram

The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory or MCWL, is tasked by the Commandant to identify future challenges and opportunities, develop warfighting concepts, and comprehensively explore options available to the warfighter, in order to inform the combat development process to meet the challenges of the future operating environment. In more simplistic terms, the Lab is tasked with the experimentation and wargaming required to inform the needs and capabilities of the future battlefield. As I have mentioned before on previous episodes, Marine Corps acquisition is a team sport and MCWL plays a huge role on that team. On this episode, Manny chats with the Chief of Staff for MCWL and Deputy Director of Futures Division, Mr. Scott Lacy.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes:

Podcast recommendation- Building the Base

Book recommendation- The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan

Marine Corps Systems Command is responsible for a lot of high-value gear, but our people remain our most valuable asset. One office at Marine Corps Systems Command is tasked with the great responsibility of ensuring our Marines are safe and preventable mishaps are eliminated throughout the acquisition process— the Command Safety Office. The Command Safety Office provides assistance and education to program management teams and promotes the commander’s Safety and Occupational Health policy. The expertise delivered by the office enhances the testing and fielding of safe and environmentally sound ground equipment and weapons systems. On this episode, Manny sits down with the man leading our safety efforts, Tripp Elliott.

The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions or the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

Show Notes: Contact MCSC Command Safety Office [email protected]

Book recommendations- Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It by Gregory A. Freeman

On June 9, Marine Corps Systems Command welcomed a new Commander, BGen David Walsh. He’s an aviator by trade with a wealth of acquisition knowledge including time serving as the USMC Light/Attack Helicopters assistant program manager for systems engineering for the Marine Aviation Detachment at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. During that period, he was selected as part of the first cadre of Marine Corps Acquisition Officers. Throughout his 30-year career, he grew from a young aviator in various Marine operational squadrons to being the individual responsible for much of the gear in those squadrons to ultimately the head of all Marine Corps ground and IT acquisition. On this episode, Manny sits down with BGen Walsh to discuss his goals and priorities for the command.

Show Notes

Book recommendations-

Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Marine Corps Systems Command collaborated with Marine Corps Recruiting Command to develop the Marine Corps Recruiting Information Support System, also known as MCRISS. This system has been vital in streamlining recruiting operations, enabling the command and control of systematic recruiting operations across all distributed locations from coast-to-coast. The latest version, MCRISS II, is a mobile platform that provides Marines with their recruiting needs from the moment they meet an applicant to the time they leave for boot camp. On this episode, Manny chats with the program manager for MCRISS, Jason Glavich.