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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - More than 60 Marines with Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point’s Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron attended the Junior Leadership Development Course at the Training and Education building Jan. 9.
Lt. Col. Charles J. Basham, commanding officer of H&HS and Sgt. Maj. David Eldridge, sergeant major of H&HS, initiated the program to re-familiarize junior Marines with the Marine Corps’ leadership traits and principles, allowing them to define their meaning, and assisting them in applying these traits and principles in everyday life. The series of classes are scheduled to occur monthly for all junior Marines within the squadron.
“90 percent of the Marine Corps are sergeants and below,” said Basham. “We are preparing junior Marines for leadership by putting tools in their tool bag to better lead and allowing them to take charge in more situations to exercise the leadership skills being taught.”
The program compliments the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ “Reawakening” campaign, a Corps-wide effort to help Marines refocus on discipline, said Basham.
H&HS leadership hopes to promote a lifelong pursuit of learning within the squadron and want Marines to know the standard they are being held to and what is expected of them, and to always remember that leadership requires making judgment calls, he said.
The training helped steer Marines in the direction of leadership. The classroom instruction included classes on basic military customs and courtesies, ethical leadership, moral character, and the tradition of honor, courage and commitment common to all Marines. The Marines learned to lead by example, be mindful of their thoughts and actions and how to set and reach goals in a moral and ethical way.
During the training, Eldridge emphasized the need for junior Marines to prepare for future leadership roles. Junior Marines must know their jobs and learn the duties of their peers and senior Marines, according to Eldridge.
“Pro-activity is always better than reactivity,” said Eldridge. “What you expect from a leader is expected of you as a leader.”
Eldridge explained and expounded on leadership traits and principles, focusing the discussion on ways to enhance the performance of the squadron as a whole and how individual performance and unit cohesion tie together to create a great leader. Initiative promotes dependability from leaders, he said.
Following the class Eldridge led a guided discussion with the Marines regarding issues Marines may face during their career.
While some information being taught was a reiteration of what the Marines already knew, other information was new to them and taught them valuable skills and lessons.
“These classes were really beneficial because they taught us as junior Marines to start being leaders and refreshed all the knowledge we already had” said Lance Cpl. Stefan Heitz, a meteorology and oceanography analyst forecaster with H&HS.
The program gives junior Marines an opportunity to not only learn from their senior leaders but to also meet and learn from peers.
“Getting other Marines point of view on subjects helped me better understand what we were being taught and it opened my eyes to ideas I may not have thought of otherwise,” said Heitz.
Eldridge said these classes will continue throughout the year. He encouraged Marines to engage their senior leaders with topic ideas for future classes.
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.15.2014 16:14 |
| Story ID: | 119209 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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