Mike Barrett

General: Brass joked about Marine angst over uniform sleeves

By Dan Lamothe on October 8, 2013 General officers, The CMC, Uniforms

As you may have seen, four Marine Corps generals and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Mike Barrett sat down with me recently and discussed a variety of issues, including the commandant’s new tough plans for barracks security, the manpower drawdown and the future of the service after Afghanistan. Times are tough, they acknowledged. But Maj. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commanding officer of 1st Marine Division, said Marines are also afraid of change, or the perception of change. He referenced a hot-button issue — Commandant Gen. Jim Amos’ decision to ditch rolled sleeves for Marines — while addressing it: Marine Corps…

Modern Day Marine exposition kicks off at Quantico

By Dan Lamothe on September 24, 2013 Gear, General officers, Science & Technology, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps, Uniforms, Vehicles, Weapons

The Marine Corps’ annual exposition of gear, weapons and vehicles kicks off today at Quantico, Va. It is expected to draw thousands of Marines and civilians from across the country, with a special emphasis on what industry is producing for the Corps. Marine Corps Times prepared for the expo by producing its annual State of the Marine Corps issue. Out on newsstands this week, it leverages insight from 15 general officers to paint a picture of where life stands in the Corps. If you’re on base and looking, you’ll find it available at the expo. Highlights of the event include…

New glimmers of hope for wounded warriors with blast injuries

By Dan Lamothe on May 15, 2013 Afghanistan, Iraq, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps, Wounded warriors

Commandant Gen. Jim Amos and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Mike Barrett visited Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore last week, intent on seeing Army Sgt. Brendan Marrocco, the first American serving in Iraq or Afghanistan to survive a quadruple amputation. As I outlined in this feature story, the trip renewed a friendship between the commandant and the soldier, a wise-cracking infantryman with an (unfortunate) love of the New York Yankees. In December, he became the first veteran of this generation’s wars to receive a double-arm transplant, and he has pushed hard with his physical therapy since. Marrocco doesn’t yet…

Behind the Cover: Marines prepare for women in combat units

By Dan Lamothe on January 28, 2013 Infantry, Leadership, Manpower, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps, Uniforms, Washington, women

Pentagon leaders announced last week that they were rescinding the 1994 Combat Exclusion Policy that kept women out of ground combat units, raising a host of questions about what will change for rank-and-file service members. This week, Marine Corps Times addresses many of those concerns. Our cover story is splashed across four pages inside the magazine, and includes interviews with Lt. Gen. Robert Milstead, deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Mike Barrett, and other senior leaders. By now, it seems safe to assume that nearly all of our readers are aware of the…

Remembering Henry Black, 7th sergeant major of the Marine Corps

By Dan Lamothe on August 29, 2012 History and heritage, Korea, Leadership, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

The country lost a legend on Friday with the death of Sgt. Maj. Henry Black, the service’s oldest surviving sergeant major of the Marine Corps. As noted in an obituary I wrote Monday, Black served in combat in both Korea and Vietnam, even earning a Silver Star for heroism as a junior Marine. It’s his leadership that Marines miss the most, however. Retired Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, the Corps’ 16th sergeant major of the Marine Corps, recalled Black as a father figure and mentor when I spoke with him Monday. Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, the Corps’ current top enlisted Marine,…

Commandant, sergeant major visit Marines in Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on July 18, 2012 Afghanistan, General officers, Infantry, Leadership, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

Sometimes, the boss comes long ways to check in on his people. That was the case yesterday in Afghanistan, where Commandant Gen. Jim Amos and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Mike Barrett dropped in on six bases and outposts, fielding questions from Marines and thanking them for their service. There are at least two accounts of their travels published. A Marine Corps news release said the brass visited Marines at Camp Leatherneck, Forward Operating Base Payne, FOB Geronimo, FOB Jackson, FOB Zeebrugge and Combat Outpost Shir Ghazi. That means they traveled from Kajaki district in northern Helmand all the…

Video: The 236th Marine Corps Birthday Message

By Dan Lamothe on October 20, 2011 Afghanistan, History and heritage, Marjah, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps, Washington, World War II, Wounded warriors

The Marine Corps Birthday is still a few weeks away, but the service extended one tradition tonight by posting its annual birthday video message. Featuring narration by Commandant Gen. Jim Amos and Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, the Corps’ top enlisted Marine, it honors Marines everywhere, with special appreciation set aside for those who served in World War II and since the attacks on 9/11. Watch it here: [HTML1] The commandant and sergeant major filmed pieces of the message in New York City and in the Washington, D.C., area at both the World War II Memorial and the Pentagon. They also…

Behind the Cover: The plan to cut the Marine Corps

By Dan Lamothe on August 15, 2011 Behind the Cover, Capitol Hill, Leadership, Manpower, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

For nearly a year, the Marine Corps’ top officials have stayed on message with two main points regarding manpower: A drawdown wouldn’t begin until after the war in Afghanistan, and it would reduce the service to 186,800 Marines. Those points were reinforced early this year with the release of the Corps’ force-structure review recommendations. It called for a 13 percent reduction in ground combat forces, but stuck with that 186,800 end-strength figure. It’s time for a reality check. In light of the nation’s financial trouble, that plan may not be feasible. In this week’s Marine Corps Times cover story, we…

Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent says farewell at I MEF

By Dan Lamothe on April 27, 2011 Camp Pendleton, Leadership, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

Cross another item off Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent’s list. The Marine Corps’ senior enlisted Marine traveled to the West Coast this week for what could be the last time before he retires, speaking to Marines from I Marine Expeditionary Force and other commands. A brief Marine Corps account of the trip is posted here. As noted in this recent Marine Corps Times feature on Kent, it’s no surprise he’s making the rounds as the clock ticks down on his time in the Corps.

Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett as a Marine corporal

By Dan Lamothe on April 20, 2011 Leadership, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

As noted here, Marine Corps Times’ cover story this week will introduce tens of thousands of Marines to Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, who will become the 17th sergeant major of the Marine Corps on June 9. One of the threads we explore in that story is Barrett’s life as a junior Marine at Twentynine Palms, Calif. He met his wife while stationed there, and still owns a home in the area. A friend of Barrett’s, former Lance Cpl. Mitchell Ybarra, passed along this photo of those early days in the Corps: The photo was taken outside Barrett’s mother’s house in…

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