Or “How the Current Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David H. Berger, habitually ignored his Combat Engineers and yet survived to become a careerist now endangering America’s premier force.”

Note: Past Lessons in poor leadership at Camp Pendleton, CA for a Combined Arms Exercise in the 1980s were an indicator of the sad predicament in which Berger has placed America’s beloved US Marines today. US #Marine Combat Engineers had a term for when an occasional knucklehead #Infantry officer would ignore Engineer advice and leave their critical support “in the rear with the gear” … it was called ‘Dumps in the Stumps’ (referring to Marine Corps Base 29 Palms as “The Stumps”). This usually resulted when combat engineers critically needed for obstacle and mine clearance exercises, were relegated to the rear in their ponderous M-51 Dump Trucks. In peacetime, this resulted in Infantry embarrassment. But in wartime, this potentially resulted in death and defeat. America’s Marines face this threat from within today.

by Jim Gladbach, veteran US Marine Combat Engineer with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division

Original Report: The Day 2nd Lieutenant Gladbach “got into it” with the Future CMC

I have been out of the Marine Corps longer than I was in, and while I recall the faces of Marines I served with, I find it hard to remember the names of many; especially those from my enlisted and early officer days; my closest buddies and C.O.s being exceptions. Throughout my time in the Corps, and periodically since, I would recall a heated exchange I had with a 1st Lt. David H. Berger, the S-3 Alpha, over engineer support and capability. I had long forgotten his name, but I remembered his face and the content of our exchange as clearly as a bell. One day a little over a year ago I decided to check-out the Marine Corps website to see what was going on. I was immediately surprised to find that that same Lieutenant from nearly forty years ago, was now the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David H. Berger. His name, posted below his photo, immediately clicked as well. The following describes how he and I “got into it”:

As a Second Lieutenant right out of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, I reported to First Combat Engineer Battalion (1st CEB), First Marine Division, on Friday, 07 Oct 83; the Friday before the Columbus Day long weekend. I was immediately assigned to Bravo Company. However, the following Tuesday (Monday was Columbus Day and everyone was off) I was re-assigned to Charlie Company, which had a greater need at the time. By the time I left 1st CEB in September of 1986, I had been in every Company of the Battalion, but I had not actually “served” in Bravo; I was assigned for period of one, three-day weekend, and never “turned a nut” for Bravo Company. My assignments at 1st CEB were Platoon Leader -then XO- of Charlie, XO of Support Company, CO of H and S Company, and lastly CO of Alpha Company. I departed 1st CEB on Friday, 12 Sep 86, to report to Marine Barracks, Diego Garcia. A humorous note: as a Company Commander, one of your many responsibilities is ensuring all your troops meet various requirements, like making their scheduled medical and dental appointments. As a 1st Lt. and C.O. of H and S Company (to which the Battalion Commander is administratively assigned), I remember the adrenaline rush of entering the Battalion Commander (Col. Gerry Polyasko)’s office to “get on him” about a dental appointment he had missed. I jokingly told him that, since I knew he was busy and this was his first offense, this would only be a verbal warning. BUT … if it ever happened again, I’d have to write him up, and he’d be locked and cocked in front of my desk. First, he gave me an icy stare (and I went, “Gulp!”), then he broke into a wide grin and said, “Aye, aye, Lieutenant!” He was a good man, with a great sense of humor. I always got the impression he really liked me by the assignments he gave me. I have to say that I really liked him, too.

Charlie Company supported the Seventh Marines, which was also posted at San Mateo at that time, and it made for very convenient liaison. Since 1st CEB was posted at the far west end of San Mateo, I could walk to any of the Battalion Headquarters and the Regimental Headquarters in a matter of minutes.

I wasn’t with Charlie Company long (maybe a year to 18 months) before a shortage of manpower required the Company cut back to two platoons. Accordingly, the two remaining platoons were as busy as one-legged men in a fanny-kicking contest providing support to the three infantry Battalions.

The specific memory mentioned was of a meeting I had with 1st Lt. Berger, who was the S-3 Alpha of 3/7 (if I remember right) at the time and occurred per the following:

My platoon supported 3/7 in a short exercise on Pendleton; a portion of which was conducted up at Case Springs. My platoon was allowed only one truck to transport not only the entire platoon, but also its gear, material, and equipment. Considering this was nearly forty years ago, my memory is foggy on this part. I remember the vehicle as being a dump truck, but that surely isn’t right. Even a 5-ton would have barely sufficed, but a dump truck would have been so full of equipment and gear that the platoon would have had to hump the entire exercise.

While at Case Springs I was called-up to meet with one of the Company Commanders. In front of his company’s position was a wide-open field that stretched the entire front of the Company (a couple of hundred yards as I remember) and extended out to the edge of the woods approximately one-half to three-quarters of a mile (0.84 – 1.00 kilometer) to the company’s direct front. The Company Commander said he wanted to have concertina extending out to the woods from both ends of the front, with intermittent wire to channel attackers into the fields of fire of his M-60s, and to erect other wire obstacles to slow-down attackers within the fields of fire. I informed the Skipper to the effect that, “Sir, the First Marine Division doesn’t even own that much concertina, but we’ll do what we can.”

Continue Reading Part 2:
https://www.colmikehoward.com/article/Part+1%3A+Gen.+David+Berger+Missteps%2C+Narcissism+%26+Premonitions%3A+Dumps+in+the+Stumps