New commandant writes letter to U.S. Marines

Marines, I am truly honored and humbled to serve as your Commandant. I’d like to begin my tenure by thanking Gen. and Mrs. Amos for their four decades of extraordinary service and commitment. They transition to the next phase of their lives with the admiration, appreciation and affection of all Marines and their families.

The Marine Corps is in great shape. We are recruiting and retaining high-quality Marines who are fit, tough and smart. Our Marines are well led, well trained and well equipped. The infrastructure at our posts and stations — our barracks, family housing and training facilities — has been significantly enhanced over the past decade.

We remain forward deployed and forward engaged in the Pacific, South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Just in the last year, we have responded to crisis in the Philippines, South Sudan, Libya and Iraq. In Afghanistan, we have remained engaged in combat operations. We have clearly demonstrated our flexibility, versatility and adaptability. Marines are relevant and in high demand.

We have answered the call and we have delivered! Throughout the last decade, Marines have enhanced their reputation as the nation’s premier force in readiness. Today’s Marines, like their predecessors, can be very proud to claim the title United States Marine.

Despite these accomplishments, much work remains to be done. As Marines, we maintain the highest standards and we constantly seek to improve. We will continue to attack by:

-- Maintaining a first-rate, well trained total force of Marines in a high state of readiness;

-- Prioritizing the support of those Marines in harm’s way;

-- Developing and fielding Marine Air-Ground Task Force capabilities that will ensure the Marine Corps remains an innovative, relevant, naval, expeditionary force-in-readiness; and

-- Building upon our success in leader development, professional military education, wounded warrior care and family readiness.

Our Corps is informed by your input. I will continue to engage with Marines of all grades to solicit feedback. Your ideas will help us improve our warfighting and crisis response capabilities and provide the foundation for detailed Commandant’s Planning Guidance in the New Year.

Know that I’m extraordinarily proud to stand in your ranks.

Thanks for who you are and what you do.