Photo By Sgt. Haley Fourmet Gustavsen | Mr. Russell Woody, left, deputy for G-3/5 at MCIWEST, Marine Corps Base Camp...... read more read more
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Russell Woody watched young men leave his neighborhood as one person and return as another. They stood taller. They carried themselves differently. They were more disciplined and exhibited an increased sense of strength.
As a young man himself, Woody wondered what could transform people so profoundly.
Looking back more than 50 years later, after 31 years as a Marine officer and 20 years as a civilian federal employee, it was quite evident. The United States Marine Corps was the answer. His life and legacy, like the Marines who influenced him, set the transformation for countless individuals and that continues even today.
By 1975, Woody was a scholarship athlete at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he played center on the football team. As graduation approached, he planned to pursue a master’s degree in social work. Then his football coach asked a question that would alter the course of his life.
“Have you ever considered the United States Marine Corps?”
His coach’s suggestion resonated immediately. Growing up, Woody had already witnessed the impact the Marine Corps had on young men in his community. But, before making a decision, he sought advice from his mother, whom he describes as his “chief confidant.”
“She said it may not be a bad idea,” Woody recalled.
Encouraged by her support and drawn to the challenge of earning the title Marine, Woody put aside his immediate plans for graduate school and pursued his journey to commission in the Marine Corps. Although he momentarily stopped his pursuit to further his education, he later earned a Master of Science in National Strategic Studies from the National Defense University in 1997.
When Woody visited the Officer Selection Officer, his test scores qualified him for aviation. He refused.
"I throw up on an airplane when I just fly commercial," Woody joked. "I wanted to be infantry."
The infantry appealed to the former football lineman. It offered him the same sense of teamwork and camaraderie he had on the field.
Entering the infantry in the 1970s as one of the few African American officers came with uncommon challenges. His approach was simple: work harder than anyone else.
"The one thing that I liked about the Marine Corps was that if you worked hard, people appreciated your work,” he said.
His experiences also shaped his philosophy on leadership. As a child, Woody was frequently bullied and observed both positive and negative examples of leadership throughout his life.
"I looked at it from the standpoint of this is the person I want to be like, and this is the person I am not going to be like," he said.
Woody often describes the Marine Corps as an institution built on behavior modification. He believes that when people from different backgrounds are required to work together toward a common mission, barriers begin to break down.
Once you see who the person is and that we're all Marines, we can work hard together.” Woody explained. The sense of belonging Woody sought was reinforced early in his career.
In 1977, Woody married his wife, Esther, at Del Mar Chapel aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Because neither of their families could afford to travel to California for the wedding, his company commander, Capt. Keith Duhe’, stepped in.
Captain Duhe’ walked Esther down the aisle, arranged for Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines to perform a crossed-sabers ceremony and hosted the wedding reception at his home.
“Wow, this is the way people treat you here,” Woody recalled. “I think I'll stick around with this organization.”
That act of kindness demonstrated by his new Marine family cemented Woody’s lifelong devotion to the military. Over the next three decades, Woody served exclusively as an infantry officer. He commanded Marines from the platoon level through battalion command and held leadership positions across operating forces and the joint force.
He served with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines; 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines; 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines; and 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. He later served as a tactics instructor at Amphibious Warfare School with III Marine Expeditionary Force. His leadership assignments included commanding officer of 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, assistant chief of staff for G-3 at U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and chief of operations for Combined Joint Task Force-7 and Multi-National Force-Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Woody also served at Headquarters Marine Corps in Plans, Policies and Operations and in academia as a professor of military strategy and dean of students at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.
Throughout his career, colleagues developed a consistent impression of Woody.
Kara Morin, who served under Woody when he commanded 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and now works with him at Marine Corps Installation West as a civilian federal employee, described him as a leader who consistently leads by example.
“Mr. Woody is an awesome leader who leads from the front with absolute tactical proficiency, earns the unwavering trust of others by fiercely looking out for their welfare and puts the accomplishment of the mission above his own ego,” Morin said.
Woody attributes much of his success to a leadership philosophy he calls "pointers and rowers."
"I am a rower just like everybody else," Woody said. "I'm not at the end of the boat, pointing this direction and telling everybody just to go there."
The philosophy emphasizes leading through participation rather than observation.
Woody also learned from mentors, including while he served as an operations officer for Gen. James Mattis, who was the Deputy Commander for I MEF at the time.
“He said if there is a plan of action and milestones, you have to be relentless on ensuring everything is accomplished and stay resolute,” Woody said.
Woody has long advocated for mentorship, professionalism development and equal opportunity. He frequently encourages young Marines and government employees to persevere through adversity.
"You have to show composure, and you just have to work harder,” Woody said.
His commitment to mentorship extends beyond his official duties. In 2011, he received the Black in Government Department of Defense Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes military members and civilian employees who demonstrate exceptional leadership, mentorship and commitment to the core values of their service while serving as role models for others.
The recognition reflected years of work supporting the professional development of military and civilian personnel and advocating for equal opportunity. He also served as a keynote speaker for organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Naval Officers Association. Later, in 2022, the National Naval Officers Association recognized his contributions with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Woody retired from active duty as a colonel in 2006, as G5 MCIWEST, but continued serving as a civilian federal employee. Today he serves as Deputy for G-3/5 at MCIWEST, MCB Camp Pendleton.
At 73 years old, Woody still gains energy from working alongside Marines.
“The most rewarding part for me is having the opportunity to be around Marines,” he said. “I gain energy from being around them.”
Morin said Woody’s influence extends throughout the command and will continue long after his eventual retirement.
“Everyone within the command knows Mr. Woody,” Morin said. “He is a presence because he cares. He does the work and expects others to do the same. He is accountable and holds others to the same standard. He will leave an indelible mark on this command by raising the standard of excellence that will be sustained long after he moves on.”
As Woody reflects on more than five decades of service, he remains grateful for the opportunities the Marine Corps provided him, the family he built and the leaders and Marines who shaped his journey.
As a result, Woody was recognized for his combined military and federal service, a milestone reached by few within the Marine Corps community.
The young man who once watched Marines return home transformed by their service ultimately experienced that same transformation himself. More than 50 years after first raising his hand to serve, Woody continues to lead, mentor and support others, helping shape the next generation of Marines just as the Corps helped shape him.
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2026 19:04 |
| Story ID: | 567659 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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