Faces of the Force: Capt. Tiffany Basham

Capt. Tiffany Basham, a logistics officer, as well as a recent graduate of Norwich University, in Northfield, Vermont, is the first female officer at 1^st Battalion, 24^th Marines, 4^th Marine Division.

Her job includes embarkation and retrogrades. She is also in charge of supervising the Administrative and Logistics Operations Center and coordination of movement with truck runs, resupplies and the chow hall.

Basham is excited to be an example of a female transitioning into an infantry unit. She is working with her command to make pointers for other units, refining the procedures of the Marine Corps Force Integration Program.

“My command and my commanding officer have been very supportive as far as concerns that I have, and making the changes,” said Basham. “One of the things that we are trying to do here at 1/24, since I arrived, is make a playbook of sorts for the Marine Corps. That way, people can proactively figure out how to do things right so that everyone feels comfortable.”

Exercise Nordic Frost is one example of training that helped 1^st Battalion, 24^th Marines enhance their integration program.

Nordic Frost is an annual two-week exercise conducted by Reserve Marines to train in cold weather in the midst of the mountainous terrain at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vermont, to ensure that they are ready to fight tonight and respond to the nation’s calls. This was a great opportunity for Marines to spend time working together, battling the elements and refining MCFIP procedures.

“We are making a lot of adjustments so the junior Marines have the opportunity to step up and take leadership roles and see how the Marines handle different situations,” said Basham. “What’s great about this scenario is that we are self-supporting. We can put Marines in situations where they can make mistakes, they can learn from their mistakes, and we can identify where our gaps are so we can improve.”

From the beginning of the exercise many obstacles came up that gave the junior Marines real world difficulties that could arise during operations, such as weather delays and postponed gear and personnel shipments.

“We are really trying to dig deep into the details during this exercise to ensure that each individual Marine knows their position and that they are able to work through difficult processes, and see how they fit in during real life situations,” said Basham.

Despite the many obstacles during the exercise, Basham and her logistics team were able to work through them and come up with new plans and scenarios to keep the Marines engaged, and to follow the commander’s intent of the exercise.

“In logistics you are focused on support and doing supportive operations wherever you go,” said Basham. “However, there is a lot more field time than in my previous units. We are a lot more operationally focused here, always thinking in advance about upcoming events.”

Basham has also used the skills she learned in the Marine Corps as an advantage to which she can grow to reach her future goals as a mother and as a military history teacher.

“I am currently a stay-at-home mom, who volunteers at my children’s school,” said Basham. “I’m really focused on mentorship and how I can get these young kids to take our places and eventually be responsible adults. The Marine Corps does a great job about mentorship and leadership focus at all levels. Learning how to stand out in front of a group of people and effectively communicating with them has been a great tool.”