NEW ORLEANS --
Green
discussed a variety of topics, informing Marines of the numerous changes
happening in the Marine Corps, and answered Marines’ questions. He also spoke about
the “Protect What You’ve Earned” campaign which encourages Marines to practice
good decision making in the Corps by raising awareness on decisions that lead down the wrong path, rather than
toward success.
“You
earned your eagle, globe and anchor, now protect it,” said Green. “There are
two names on your chest, the one you were born into, and the one you enlisted
into. Both mean family. Make sure you don’t let either one of them down.”
Making
good decisions is crucial to the overall readiness in the Marine Corps. When
one individual fails within a unit, it affects everyone as a whole.
“The strength of the pack is the wolf, the
strength of the wolf is the pack,” a poem Green quoted, The Jungle, by Rudyard Kipling.
The
Marine Corps’ rules and regulations are in place for a reason, to protect the
individual on your left and right, or to keep those left behind you safe.
Marines are held to the highest standards and are expected to uphold all of the
Corps values on and off duty.
“We
have rules, we have regulations, we have to play by them and so do the wolves,”
said Green. “If you don’t play by the rules, you’re like a weak link in the
chain that we all depend on.”
While
Green expects nothing but the best from his Marines, he also knows we all make
mistakes.
“We are not measured by how far we fall, we are measured
by how far we get up,” he said.
The campaign is a reminder to Marines that they have a
responsibility to themselves and to the Corps to protect what they’ve earned as
a Marine. A unit is only as strong as its weakest link. Marines hold
accountability for each other and well as themselves in and outside the
uniform, keeping the nation safe and the Corps at peak readiness.