October 2017

Tooele, Utah Marine, Cpl. Devan Gowans, captured one of the calendar shots in the Marine Corps Association’s 2018 offering. Gowans is assigned to the Camp Pendleton, California-base lst Marine Expeditionary Force.

USMCCCA has an additional three one-year scholarships (a $350 value) to Lynda.com available to 2017 DPA winners (1st, 2nd or HM). We will take names of those interested until Nov. 5, 2017 then pick three names randomly. Contact kate@usmccca.org if you would like to be entered.

The USS HUE CITY will be coming to New York City, docking at the Staten Island Pier over Veterans Day weekend. Danny Gillen is the Captain of the ship and another Breezy Pointer Lt. Cmdr. Tommy McDonald flies his helicopter off the Hue City. The ship will be available for Read more…

Cpl. Brandon Maldonado, a graphics illustrator by trade, learned still and video photography during his latest deployment, landing this shot in the 2018 Marine Corps Association calendar. Maldanado, a native of Hayward, California, was assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Download, sign and send.

October 9, 2017, is Joe’s 106th birthday and the D-Day, or “Delivery Day,” of our request and petition to the US Secretary of the Navy.

In fact, our letter and petition reached the Pentagon Thursday morning, but clearing security takes a few days. By tomorrow, the package should be on the Secretary’s desk.

We delivered 2,054 signatures with our letter, and over 800 more from the online petition will be delivered electronically tomorrow. I’m hoping by the time the online signatures are delivered, our total will be 3,000 names or more. That should get the Secretary’s attention!

This is the first salvo. Our efforts do not end tomorrow, but simply enter Phase 2. Almost 50 paper signatures have come in since we sent in our request, and they will continue to come in. The online petition will continue to bring in signatures from around the country. Our outreach efforts also continue: contacting veterans groups, making public presentations at libraries and in classrooms, and last week, participating in the 6th Annual Veterans Job Fair at the Marines Memorial Club in San Francisco, thanks to the support of MGen. Mike Myatt.

(more…)

Holy South Pacific, Batman!  Yup, as of 1 October 2017 our warrior-storytellers are now known as “Combat Mass Communicators.”  Those currently on active duty are respectfully referred to as “legacy” combat camera or  public affairs Marines – but from here on out, they will learn, teach, lead and fight as Read more…

Lt. Col. Michael Armistead

Lt. Col. Michael Armistead has been appointed to the post of USMCCCA Expeditionary Liaison by national president Keith Oliver. Armistead is stationed at Camp Lejeune as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Communication Strategy and Operations.
The mustanger’s USMCCCA assignment was designed specifically to “help us lean forward in including deployed Marine storytellers in annual awards submissions and correspondence,” Oliver said.

Keith said “his Association duties mean keeping the CC membership apprised of colleagues’ unclassified overseas adventures.”

“Too often, it’s been ‘out of sight – out of mind’ once our warriors leave our shores,” said Oliver. “Now we have an active duty Association member who is making it his business to keep them in the loop regarding our various program deadlines – especially where the awards are concerned.”

(more…)