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New dispute erupts over Marine commandant's basic officer training | Marine Corps Times | marinecorpstimes.com

Paging URR, paging URR. Your favorite four-star is in the news. Gen. Jim Amos’ most dogged critics are not letting him quietly retire as commandant of the Marine Corps, raising fresh allegations of wrongdoing even as he prepares to end his tenure on Oct. 17. At issue is whether Amos attended basic Marine officer training…

Paging URR, paging URR. Your favorite four-star is in the news.

Gen. Jim Amos’ most dogged critics are not letting him quietly retire as commandant of the Marine Corps, raising fresh allegations of wrongdoing even as he prepares to end his tenure on Oct. 17.

At issue is whether Amos attended basic Marine officer training in 1972 as he said in the career service record he provided Congress four years ago upon his confirmation as the service’s 35th commandant.

Amos was a Navy pilot and lieutenant junior grade who cross-decked to Marine Corps aviation and bypassed The Basic School, a rite of passage for all Marine officers. The Corps says its top officer did complete TBS – five years later than claimed and via correspondence course.

via New dispute erupts over Marine commandant’s basic officer training | Marine Corps Times | marinecorpstimes.com.

I haven’t really paid much attention to Amos. I’m an Army guy. I know he’s got a lot of detractors, some upset just because he was an aviator, and not a groundpounder.

But having taken a brief look at his service as listed in the article, it’s even more unusual. Commissioned originally in the Navy, then lateral transfer to the Corps (rare enough in itself), then a break in service to fly for Braniff for four years before returning to active duty? I’m surprised he screened for Lieutenant Colonel.

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  1. Krag

    I don’t see that he had any entry level Marine Officer instruction or training at all – no OCS, PLC, ROTC, and no TBS. WTF? (And no, TBS-by-mail is about as useless as bootcamp-by-mail.) This explains a lot about him. We’ve had a damn squid as Commandant all this time.

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  2. ultimaratioregis

    Amos has been problematic from the get-go. He was carefully chosen, in my humble opinion, for two reasons. It was a thumb in the eye of the Marine Corps to put an aviator at the helm. and because he wouldn’t resign over DADT repeal. (Note they waited until after Conway retired, because he would have resigned very publicly and eloquently.) Amos is a political animal who doesn’t have the respect of a good deal of the Officers he supposedly leads.

    The Corps should never have any except an 0302 Infantry Officer as Commandant. They are the heart and soul of the Marine Corps, and everything we do is to support them. This has become an increasingly unusual philosophy, but it is the essence of our success. No artillerymen, no tankers, no trackers, no aviators, no loggies. An INFANTRY OFFICER.
    Joe Dunford has a lot of cleaning up to do.

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  3. Tarl

    What do they hope to achieve if they prove that he didn’t attend TBS? It’s not like they can block his nomination; he is about to retire. Hard to believe a guy could go through a whole career and countless promotion boards without this being uncovered.

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  4. Quartermaster

    I would say ignored. I don’t buy that was accidentally overlooked. Like Brad, I’m surprised he made Leaf Colonel much less 4 stars and Commandant.

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  5. ultimaratioregis

    What do they hope to achieve? Perhaps hold him accountable. Lots of references to the Hadithah Marines that Amos wanted to burn on the MCT article site. If Amos was untruthful in his testimony (and presenting a biography to Congress that is knowingly in error certainly qualifies), he should face disciplinary proceedings. If he is lucky, his will be more fair and of less undue command influence than Jeff Chessani’s or any of his Marines.

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  6. Tarl

    “At this point, what difference does it make?” =)

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  7. timactual

    I must say I find this article extremely funny. I have been chuckling for hours.

    I googled The Basic School and looked at their curriculum. Correspondence course? The jokes write themselves.

    Land navigation; Find your way from the living room to the kitchen and back (timed). You can combine it with field sanitation by finding your way to the bathroom (untimed).

    MCMAP: Self abuse.

    That’s just Phase I.

    Some unkind soul might think that the Marines are tougher and more diligent in selecting enlisted men than they are selecting those who lead them.

    From the link;
    “The Basic School, a rite of passage for all Marine officers.”

    I would argue that anyone who trivializes The Basic School as a “rite of passage” instead of a vital and necessary introduction to the basics of the job of an officer really needs to be reeducated.

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  8. Quartermaster

    It is a “rite of passage.” That in no way trivializes the course and its importance to the Marine Officer. No man should be allowed to remain a Marine Officer without having graduated. That alone makes it a rite of passage.

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