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 the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

Now daggone it, that's some motivating trash right there, good to go? Now, I have a couple things I want to highlight from that warrant, so it would behoove you to continue reading along, roger?

• Special trust and confidence: Yeah, that's right. The motivated Marines at HQMC think I know what I'm talking about, and so does Congress. You know Congress needs to convene a special session just to bust me down? Yeah, that's daggone right, devil dogs.

• Render obedience to appropriate orders: That's pretty easy to grasp, right devil dogs? If I tell you to not wear daggone white socks, or clean your daggone weapons for 12 straight hours, you need to friggin daggone do it, good to go?

Now I want to address a few things that are irritating the hell out of the Gunnery Sergeant. I don't know why we got frickin' daggone Marines walking around with their freakin' daggone hands in their pockets. That's unauthorized according to Marine Corps Order P1020.34G, roger? I don't care if your hands are freakin' cold. Get some daggone gloves on, and if you are wearing those daggone gloves, everyone will be wearing those freakin' daggone gloves. Uniformity, gents.

Now Gunny has also been noticing that Marines have been drinking underage in the daggone barracks. Hey gents, we can't be drinking if we're not 21, good to go? We're daggone Marines, and we're held to a higher standard, check? The Gunny doesn't want to see another frickin' Marine drinking if they ain't freakin' 21, good to go? Ok, no really, good to go?

Very Respectfully Submitted,

GySgt Ramon E. Marquez

Co GySgt, "FORCE" Lima 3/3 "America's Battalion"

DSN: 312-235-5535

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."