In the beginning was the word, and the word was God. In the beginning was God, and all else was darkness and void, and without form. So God created the heavens and the Earth. He created the sun, and the moon, and the stars, so that light might pierce the darkness. The Earth God divided between the land and sea, and these he filled with many assorted creatures.
And the dark, salty, slimy creatures that inhabited the murky depths of the oceans, God called sailors. And he dressed then accordingly with little trousers that looked like bells at the bottom and with shirts that had cute little flaps. He also gave them long sideburns and shabby beards. God nicknamed the "squids" and banished them to a lifetime at sea, so that normal folks would not have to associate with them. To further identify these unloved creatures, he called them "petty" and "commodore," instead of titles worthy of red-blooded men.
And the flakey creatures of the land, God called soldiers. And with a twinkle in His eye and a sense of humor that only He could have, God made their trousers too short and the covers too large. He also gave them pockets so they might warm their hands. And to adorn their uniforms, God gave them badges in quantities. And gave them emblems and crests.
On the 5th day, He thought about creating some creatures for which He designated a Greyhound bus driver's uniform. After more thought he called them flyboys.
On the 7th day, God rested. And on the 8th day, at 0730, God looked down upon the Earth and was not happy.
So he thought about His labors, and in His divine wisdom God created a new creature. And this he called a Marine. And these Marines, who God created in His own image, were to be of the air and the land and of the sea. And these He gave many wonderful uniforms. Some were green, some were blue with red trim. And in the early days, some were tan. He gave them practical fighting uniforms, so they could wage war against the forces of Satan and evil. He gave them service uniforms for their daily work and training, so they might be sharp and ready. And He gave them evening and dress uniforms, so they might promenade with their ladies on Saturday night and impress everyone. He even gave them swords, so that people who were not impressed could be dealt with accordingly.
And at the end of the 8th day, God looked down upon Earth and saw it was good. But God was still not happy. Because in the course of His labors, He had forgotten one thing. He did not give a Marine uniform for Himself. But He thought and finally was satisfied knowing that not everyone can be a Marine.
Semper Fi Mac
Three out of Five our our PP&C staff on defense programs are Marines, Army aviators, Navy, Coast Guard aviators, or Air Force. There is a special sort of experience needed for PP&C in defense. Team, fidelity, most of all the dedication to the mission. The mission is the purpose for our existence. The successful launch, the successful flight test, the deployment of the system to the end user. In this side of our business, the end user is not called the Customer, he (she) is called the War Fighter.
