The following is an opinion piece written by Gunnery Sergeant Ramon Marquez.

All right Devil Dogs, listen up, good to go?

I'm a doggone Staff Non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, good to go? My promotion warrant reads:

To all who shall see these presents, greeting:

Know Ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of Ramon E. Marquez, I do appoint this Marine a Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps to rank as such from the first day of May, two thousand ten.

This appointee will therefore carefully and diligently discharge the duties of the grade to which appointed by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto pertaining. And I do strictly charge and require all personnel of lesser grade to render obedience to appropriate orders. And this appointee is to observe and follow such orders and directions as may be given from time to time by superiors acting according to the rules and articles governing the discipline of…