Principles of Management Applied Research Paper

5^th Marines regiment, 1^st marine divsion Jeremiah Manuel Rivas Ottis Walizer

Park University Internet Campus

A course paper presented to the School for Arts and Sciences and Distance Learning

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Baccalaureate Principle of Management

Park University

March 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 3

BODY............................................................................................................................... 4

International Business.............................................................................................. 5

Social, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities................................................................. 5

General Planning & Strategic Planning..................................................................... 7

Operating Management and Plans........................................................................... 8

Organizing Work and Synergism............................................................................. 9

Organization Structure and Chart............................................................................. 12

Work Team Utilization............................................................................................ 15

Staffing................................................................................................................... 16

Employee and Manager Development..................................................................... 17

Motivating Employees; Appraising and Rewarding................................................... 18

Leadership and Management................................................................................... 19

Managing Conflict and Stress.................................................................................. 21

Managing Change................................................................................................... 22

Controlling.............................................................................................................. 24

Operations Control................................................................................................. 25

CONCLUSION................................................................................................................ 26

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................. 27

INTRODUCTION

The Fifth Marine Regiment is the most decorated infantry unit in the Marine Corps. Since its inception in 1917, the Regiment has been an integral part of the American military landscape. The Fighting Fifth, as they are well known as, has fought in every war since World War I. The Regiment was one of the American forces that fought in World War I's infamous Battle of Belleau Wood. French forces were on the run from an advancing German line in the frozen forests between Germany and France (USMC, 2008). The American 5^th Marine Regiment did not back down however. Outnumbered and beleaguered, the men of the Fighting Fifth charged into the woods with such ferocity, that the German soldiers began to shout that the Marines were "Teufelhunden", translated into "Devil Dogs". The battle was fierce, but the Allied forces prevailed. This historic battle earned Marines the famous nickname "Devil Dogs", because of the Fifth Marine Regiment, and also earned the Regiment the battle honor of the French Fourragere for Valor, only one of two American units to be ever awarded this tribute. The Fifth Marine Regiment has also distinguished itself in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and in Iraq during both gulf wars. This is all due in no small part to the organizational management and tenacious leadership that has guided the Regiment from its beginnings to now. It is now that question must be raised from a managerial standpoint: What can be gleamed from the managerial successes of this organization?

BODY

Mission of the Fighting Fifth Marine Regiment: To Close With And Destroy The Enemy, By Fire And Close Air Support.- Posted on the Regiment building's inner wall at Camp San Mateo, 62 Area, Camp Pendleton, California.

The Fifth Marine Regiment does not operate like a standard business. While it does have a mission and organizational structure, it does not rely upon profit motivated objectives to complete its tasks. The following subtopics are presented as a case-study analysis to emphasize the similarities and the differences between a military organization and a purely business one. The Marines have broken all forms of management into a science, one that can be used at all level of supervision, from the small unit leader up to the Commanding Officer himself.

International Business

The United States Marine Corps is by virtue of its nature, an international organization. While many businesses must contend with problems such as e-commerce, tariffs trade blocks and embargos, the military faces none of that on a direct basis. The Fifth Marine Regiment does, however, face dilemmas when dealing with international deployments either for combat or for SASO (Stability and Support Operations) (Rue and Byars, p 100-105). The Regiment at one time conducted warfare operations with minimal contact with foreign entities, except for cases of direct confrontation and conflict. Beginning with the war known as Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF), the Regiment began to change its policies regarding contact with foreign officials and the local population. Colonel Lawrence D. Nicholson, Commanding Officer of the regiment in 2006 during its second deployment to Iraq, made it his mission to aid the local population and its leaders to restore order and peace to the embattled al-Anbar Province, Iraq. Just one year prior to the arrival of the regiment for SASO, the City of Fallujah was the site for the bloodiest battle in OIF, known as Operation Al-Fajr, or the Battle of Fallujah. According to an interview by Brian Whitman in 2006, RCT-5's (Regimental Combat Team 5) mission in Iraq was not one of just decreasing violence. The Regiment began to focus its efforts in other areas of social development, and indeed began to help the Al-Anbar province proser and rebuild its war stricken industries. Colonel Nicholson said: "The key to our success in Fallujah has been a thematic approach. We focus on 'team Fallujah,' meaning that as the Marines, the Iraqi army, the Fallujah police and the local citizens working together, nothing can stop us, no one can beat us" (Whitman, 2006). The regiment's focus has become one of a partnership with the local population adna team rebuilding effort. This has typified the American military structure and dealings with international populations in recent years, allowing commerce and trade to flourish not just within its own borders, but also with neighboring nations and with its American military supporters on the ground. This ties in exactly to the next point of discussion, which are the social legal and ethical responsibilities of the Regiment.

Social, Legal, Ethical Responsibilities

According to Rue & Byars, ethics is defined as "a set of moral principles or values that govern behavior" (Rue & Byars, p. 114). Like any other organization, the Fifth Marine Regiment is guided by a set of ethic and guidelines established not only by the Geneva Convention on Warfare, but also by the Marine Corps and the major command elements above it as well as the Commanding Officer's own guidance on matters. Marines are governed by three overriding ethical principles that are ingrained to recruits from the first day they land on the yellow footprints at recruit training: honor, courage, and commitment. These three principles form the basic code of ethics and guide all further policies and decision making at every level of the organization. The rules of basic warfare are also inculcated into every Marine from private to General. These include such tenets as not attacking or firing on unarmed civilians, stealing or looting foreign treasures, firing or attacking religious buildings, attacking hospitals, and the fair and humane treatment of prisoners of war. This code of ethics allows the Regiment to fulfill it missions without morally defacing the image of the United States amongst other nations. Every commander also instills a moral compass to their subordinates by teaching them skills to recognize right from wrong. What is meant is that a junior leader would be able to recognize if an order is ethical or unethical, and can thus make an informed decision if he or she should follow such an order or disobey it on the grounds of it violating certain rules of warfare and of ethics.

The Regiment has in recent years had a number of problems of this nature. In 2006, elements of Lima Company, 3^rd Battalion, 5^th Marines were charged and held in contempt of a basic rule of warfare when a squad of Marines allegedly planted an unarmed civilian with a rifle after shooting and killing him. The man was later found never to have been an insurgent, and that Marines were trying to seek retribution for the killing of one of their own squad members. The ultimate failure came when members of the Chain of Command failed to report the incident to higher authorities for further investigation. The Sergeant in charge f the squad made sure everyone had gotten their stories straight before talking with any investigators. Sgt Hutchins gave the squad the order to kill the Iraqi man, as of yet unnamed. Had the squad realized the unethical nature of the order, this scandal could have been prevented and the wonton loss of life could have also been avoided (Rogers, 2007). This is why ethics and social responsibility play a larger role in the functioning of management in an organization like the military. Ethical standards and the following of them can mean the difference between life and death.

General Planning and Strategic Planning

The Fifth Marine Regiment gets most of its overall objectives from higher sources, such as the 1^st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. One they hand these mission to the Regiment, it is up to the Colonel to begin disseminating the plans to the staff. At the beginning of every year, and especially during the beginning of the Commanding Officer's tenure in office, his first duties are to create the Commanding Officer's Intent and Policy letters, which will ultimately become the Regimental formal plans. These letters are used to enumerate the plans for the years and the objectives and agenda for each stage of the year, from upcoming training plans to operational and strategic planning. Long range planning is done for the year in advance. Short term planning or operational planning is covered on a month to month basis as events occur. Every day the Colonel will sit down and have strategic and daily operational meetings. First, he meets with the Regimental staff which includes one senior member from each section within his command element. These include: the Administrative Officer, the Intelligence Officer, the Operations Officer, the Logistics Officer, the Motorized Transport Officer, the Communications Officer, the Regimental Executive Officer and the Headquarters Company Commanding Officer. This meeting is designed to discuss problems and strategies for the regiment as a whole and to establish day to day affairs and long terms goals modification. Next, the Colonel then meets with his subordinate Battalion Commanders, four in all, to discuss different issues within each subordinate battalion in the Regiment. Usually these round table meetings are conducted in the morning every week for the Battalion Commanders, while the Staff meetings occur every day. These meetings are where most of the functional planning will originate from.

Regimental strategy is one of a unified team spirit and one for growth. Though the organization is static and really does not grow by sales or profits, it does grow by experience and by achievement. The Fifth Marines have been goal oriented in every year of their existence from peace to wartime. During peacetime, the strategy would remain as mainly stability strategies such as training and unit readiness. Maintaining overall leadership and fitness within all ranks has made the Regiment a beacon in the Marine Corps and a unit perpetually at the pinnacle of its strategy. During wartime, the strategy of the Fifth Marine Regiment is one of maintaining unit cohesion and resolve to "bring the fight to the enemy". The Regiment also does a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis regarding its competition, mainly being foreign enemies. The intelligence section gathers much information regarding the current state of affairs in the world and identifies nations or states that could be the next potential hotspot. Training is then implemented for scenarios where a combat deployment order could be issued to confront such a nation. The Regiment also has its Operations Officer give a report of the strengths and weaknesses of the Regiment's current operational readiness and planning procedures, which will be further discussed in the following section.

Operations Management and Plans

Rue and Byars define Operations Management as "application of the basic concepts and principles of management to those segments of the organization that produce its goods or services" (Rue & Byars, 2007). The 5^th Marine Regiment's operations are the most critical area of importance to both the Commanding Officer and to the Regimental Staff. It is of note that the Operations Officer is third in line to command the Regiment after the Commanding Officer and the Executive Office. The operational planning is set forth by the S-3, the Operations Section. They control the plans and execution of training evolutions, setting and achieving the Regiment's missions and goals, the movement and the deployment of troops, and the operational planning of the day. Any and all systems in place for operations have to come through the auspices of the S-3 and their officers and senior enlisted advisors. The system in place for allocating resources and tasks used is the continuous flow system, since the service or output is that of a singular nature, the warfighting abilities of an infantry battalion of Marines. During periods of peacetime or during periods of operations at home in the U.S., the Regimental S-3 has less of a presence than most sections. It is only during training events, simulations, and actual deployments that the S-3 becomes the functioning right arm of the Commanding Officer. Operations then become key as planning and strategies for the upcoming mission are ever changing and can sometimes be evolving from minute to minute. The Commanding Officer relies upon the S-3 to marry the information it receives from troops on the ground, intelligence gathered from many sources and its own knowledge of the Regiment's capabilities to make informed command decisions for tactical and non tactical purposes.

Organizing Work and Synergism

The Fifth Marine Regiment is a highly centralized organization. As with any military environment, scope of authority increases dramatically between ranks, including between enlisted and officer grades. Organization is formal with finite structure and rank. Work trickles down the chain of command via successive subordinate leaders. Tasks at the Regimental level are handed down from the Commanding Officer in the form of general goals. Section Chiefs and Officers then follow through these general goals with more precisely broken down ideas that begin to define these goals in real terms. In the next successive leadership level below the section heads, The platoon leaders and the small unit leadership finally uses their own judgment on how to carry out these tasks and translate them into the division of labor within each squad and team. The Regiment and the Marine Corps as a whole relies heavily on the junior enlisted Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), Corporals and Sergeants, to carry out the organizations intents and goals. Junior NCOs are often referred to in the Marine Corps as "the backbone of the Corps" because of the important role they have in fulfilling the Commanding Officer's intent. The following guidelines are taken directly from the Marine Corps Institute Distance Learning Program entitled "Leadership" designed for Junior NCOs. Regarding tasking and division of labor, the book states that "Without...coordination, capable people will not be assigned the right tasks, and the unit will be in a state of confusion... A military unit is made up of people organized to accomplish a mission that requires the successful completion of a series of tasks. When a unit is deployed, a set number of tasks must be assigned and completed. The unit must be inspected to ensure readiness, training schedules are prepared, and logistics plans are initiated (MCI, 2001)." This is what synergy is all about. Synergy is the sum of its units making up a greater whole that can accomplish more than the sum of its parts (Rue & Byars, 2007). Junior enlisted and senior leaders are all encouraged to delegate power as they see fit to those subordinates that can handle it. Micromanagement, while practiced is recently being discouraged and is being phased out as a standard operating procedure. Micromanagement is most often applied to Marines of the most junior ranks, such as Privates and Lance Corporals, and also to Marines that have shown a tendency toward disciplinary problems. The Regiment has not deviated from these Marine Corps wide policies, and indeed, as is the tradition with many infantry regiments, has imposed stricter policies and disciplinary guidelines for its Marines with respect to the Marine Corps as a whole. For example, where many units will reprimand a Marine or even take pay or liberty privileges for a member that has committed a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) infraction, the Fifth Marine Regiment's policies has been to follow through with the maximum penalties allowed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) which includes confinement, loss of rank, loss of pay and liberty restrictions for up to two months.

While many organizations have followed the trend of empowering it employees, the Fifth Marines, though centralized, have always had the policy of empowering its junior leadership to carry out policy and make on the spot tactical decisions as the situation may warrant. On the battlefield, the Regiment has enjoyed much success letting its NCO ranks control the battle rhythm. Colonel Nicholson during a deployment in 2006 comments that:

"...would tell you, the Iraqi security forces, the Iraqi army, they're great mimics. And I don't mean that in a negative way. They mimic. They see how a young NCO conducts inspections before patrol, they see what a patrol order looks like, they see the rehearsal that goes into -- before you leave a FOB, and they mimic that...So I think our Marine NCOs that work down there, and young officers, understand that, and there's a great deal of satisfaction of seeing an Iraqi platoon that you've been working with and training going out and just nailing a patrol and just doing great out there" (Whitman, 2006).

This further expounds the essential role that the junior leadership has with regard to the organization as a whole, and to the accomplishment of its mission with regards to allowing a Corporal or Sergeant become the embodiment of the institutional core values of honor courage and commitment. The Regiment also enjoys a firm unity of command. A subordinate only responds to one superior, which is placed above him. No Marine serves two masters. All ranks have a superior above them, and they all know exactly whom to report to. This avoids confusion and disorganization especially during high stress or trying times such as combat. In the next section, Organizational Structure and Chart, a full breakdown and description of all levels and ranks will be fully developed. Organization Structure and Chart

The structure of the Regiment is as follows in the graphic. NOTE: Due to the size and limitations of the PowerPoint Slide presentation, a breakdown is only given of ONE representative Battalion, Company, Platoon, Squad and Fire team.

Enlisted Rank Structure, E-1 Private through E-9, MGySgt +SgtMaj (E-1's have no rank insignia)

The Regiment is broken down into groups of three's and fours. There are four battalions subordinate to the Regiment. Each battalion consists of three line companies and one weapons company and one Headquarters and Support Company. Each company consists of four platoons, each platoon consists of three squads (sometimes four) and each squad consists of three fire teams. The basic Marine Fire Team is the most basic unit of the Corps. The team consists of a Team Leader, usually a Corporal, an Assistant Team Leader, a Lance Corporal, a Point, usually ther lowest rank either Private or PFC, and a Gunner, a PFC or Lance Corporal. The Squad is led by a Sergeant, called the Squad leader and the platoon is led by a Staff Sergeant, known as the Platoon Sergeant. The platoon also incorporates the first level of officer involvement, being ultimately led by a Second Lieutenant. A company is led by a Captain with his second in command, the Executive Officer being a First Lieutenant. The enlisted leadership of the company includes the Company Gunnery Sergeant, in charge of all platoons and menial matters, and the senior enlisted leader which is the First Sergeant, in charge of the company's enlisted matters and administrative matters. The Battalion staff is mainly comprised of sections that act as platoons and are led by senior enlisted leaders from Staff Sergeants up to Master Sergeants. The Battalion Section Heads are comprised of Officers from Lieutenants to Captains. The Battalion Commander is always a Lieutenant Colonel, with his Executive Officer being a Major. At the Regimental Level, the Commanding Officer is a "full bird" Colonel, with his Executive Officer being a Lieutenant Colonel. The staff is comprised of Majors and Lieutenant Colonels for Section Heads, and the enlisted leadership ranges from the Regimental senior enlisted leader, the Regimental Sergeant Major, to the section enlisted leaders, Master Gunnery Sergeants and Master Sergeants. (Though a Master Gunnery Sergeant is equivalent in grade to a Sergeant Major, they do not hold a command billet thus they are subordinate to a Sergeant Major, as is the same case with Master Sergeants to First Sergeants.) The highest ranking individual in the Regiment is always the Commanding Officer, the Colonel. The position is always filled by a Colonel, unless he is away in which case the role may be filled in temporarily by the Executive Officer, a Lieutenant Colonel. Junior Marines are Privates through Lance Corporals, with limited leadership ability. The NCO ranks begin at Corporal and Sergeant, and their scope of authority is equivalent to a supervisor's position. Staff NCOs are Staff Sergeants through Sergeant Majors and they are considered equivalent in duties to mid-level management. For Commissioned Officers, Company Grade Officers (Lieutenant through Captain) are considered mid-level managers. Field Grade Officers (Major though Colonel) are considered upper-level or senior management.

Work Team Utilization

The Regiment has a few work groups which it utilizes on a regular basis. The most obvious one is the Command Group, which is essentially the Regimental Staff. There are also work teams for sniper groups, administrative sections, training teams for martial arts, training teams for water survival and so on. These extra duties are known as "collateral duties" and may be assigned from the Commanding Officer to his subordinate staff at his discretion. Examples of temporary work teams include Court Martial Officer teams, appointed to handle one and only one case and then dissolved. Whenever an investigation needs to occur, the Commanding Officer also appoints one commissioned officer and an enlisted to research and create a report of findings for him. Other than special interest assignments and training, many work teams are created within the Regiment to handle seasonal or daily situations. Some teams are created to handle the Marine Corps Ball and how to fund it, others are created within platoons to handle certain duties such as clean-up or weapons handling. A common thread among these groups is that there is always a leader and it is never self-directed. Usually a higher ranking leader is chosen, but in some instances a leader can be of the same rank as the group, but just senior with regard to the member's time in rank.

Staffing

In terms of the Regiment, staffing is both limited and narrow in scope of authority. Recruitment is not an option for the Regiment, as their personnel is assigned to them by higher headquarters. The Commanding Officer has no control over who enters or leaves the organization, (unless the member has committed a serious disciplinary infraction, in which case the Commanding Officer has the authority to initiate separations proceedings) and thus can only work with what he is given. The Regiment therefore has no authority for any staffing needs, only to request more personnel to support its missions based on operational tempo.

Employee and Manager Development

The Fifth Marine Regiment and indeed the Marine Corps as a whole puts a large emphasis on developing its Marines on every level for both promotions and to advance the organization's objectives. Junior Marines within the Regiment are taught on a daily basis through many avenues including formal classes, simulations, and lectures. Leadership is one of the main ideas expounded to younger Marines. In the Regiment, many classes are also directed specifically toward the infantry Marines regarding small unit tactics, weapons handling, live fire exercises and different tactical situations. Marines are also required to develop physical strength and acuity as well. The Regiment encourages its subordinate units to PT (Physical Training) everyday which includes unit hikes and runs. Junior Marines are also encouraged to take classes through the Marine Corps Institute for Distance Education (MCI's) which will help them advance in rank by earning points toward promotion. Once Marine reaches the NCO ranks, he then begins more specialized PME (Professional Military Education) which begins with Corporals going to "Corporal's Course" a junior NCO Leadership Traning Academy. It is the first of many "formal schools". Sergeants have "Sergeant's Course" and then Staff NCO's have what is known as "Staff Academy" for advanced leadership and administrative training. IN addition to Leadership training, every military occupational specialty has advanced schools related directly to that specific job. The Regiment regularly sends its Marines for training in different bases around the nation for job-specific courses and specialized training. An old Regimental mantra states that Marines are "always training". In fact, most of the workday for infantry Marines consists of nothing but training, either physical, mental or for weapons. This can include live fire weapons training, Computer aided battle simulators, training with actors, Marine on Marine simulated combat between squads or platoons and so on.

Motivating Employees; Appraising and Rewarding

For the most part, motivating Marines appears to be one of the easiest jobs that enlisted and officer leadership encounters. Marines in the Regiment have come to the unit straight from service schools and recruit training. Recruit training is where Marines are taught to "stay motivated" and to be proud of their accomplishments and status. Marines in the Regiment are given lectures and speeches by senior leadership that is designed to motivate them to want to be the best that they can be. Marines are also motivated by recognition of their achievements. Many leaders in the Marine Corps have the power to recommend a subordinate for a medal or certificate of commendation. If a Marine is technically or tactically proficient, they may be recognized by receiving a medal, or perhaps praise and even an early promotion. This encourages Marines to excel in whatever tasks they are assigned by higher powers. Corporal McChan, a junior enlisted leader for the Remain Behind Element of the Fifth Marines, says of the reward system:

"Marines like two things, Liberty (Libo), and Chow (Food). Give a Marine these and for the most part they'll be happy and content. However to Motivate them, if you mention getting off work earlier than planned, you'll hear a big YUUUT (motivation)...Praising and Rewarding on a daily basis can most like follow what I said about motivation, however when you officially reward someone, there are ceremonies that are held for medals, and we have the Marine of the Quarter program, where every 2 and a half months or so names are submitted, packages looked through by the appropriate authority, if the Marine wins he gets his picture put up on a nice wooden board in a picture frame. Much like employee of the month" (McChan, 2008).

Marines are also evaluated in different ways. For the junior ranks, every six months, Marines up to the rank of Corporal are given what is know as proficiency/conduct marks. These rang from 0.0/0.0 to 5.0/5.0 with the average marine being 4.1/4.1. Anything below a 4.0 is reserved for Marines with leadership and/or disciplinary issues. Marines with high pro/con marks are directly benefited because pro/con marks are part of the promotion point system. The higher the marks the more points go toward promotion to the next rank. The Marines are evaluated on leadership, moral character, and conduct. Sergeants and all ranks above including commissioned officers receive what is known as a "Fitness Report". This report enumerates the basic information about the Marine's billet, rank, biographical information, accomplishments and strengths. It also rates them on a scale in comparison to other Marines of the same grade and responsibility. This tool is used to evaluate which Marines the Regimental Commander wants to have promoted or retained for further responsibilities.

Leadership and Management

"Why is leadership so important? The answer to this question is simple. Without leadership, nothing requiring teamwork can be accomplished. Before you can talk effectively about leadership, you must know what leadership means. The definition that combines all these ideas is simply that leadership is the sum of such qualities as intellect, human understanding, and

moral character that enables a person to inspire and guide a group of people successfully (MCI, 2001)." This statement is very succinct. It expounds the reason Marines are bred for leadership. Without it, Marines die. That is a simple yet profound truth. Every rank is endowed with its own authority and power, which regardless of any other situation, is unquestionably expected to be respected. However, it is the condition of having true leadership abilities that set the rank apart from the individual.

The Regiment has set up programs to reward leaders much in the same way that they motivate employees. Outstanding leadership is rewarded with promotions, medals and more responsibility. This ensures that the strong traits this individual enjoys are maintained and retained within the Regiment. Often the vast majority of the leaders in the Regiment display the autocratic style of management, whereby what they "say goes" and "do it because I said so" type of reasoning. While the military may encourage the autocratic style of leadership, the Regimental Commander has usually displayed a tendency to be more Democratic with his staff. Indeed, the current commander, Colonel Patrick J. Malay regularly confers with his staff regarding major decisions and does not act solely on his own opinion. The same was true for the former commander, Colonel Nicholson. These leaders have inspired the Regiment to start taking on a more democratic style leadership in which Marines of all ranks are given a voice to their opinions. These leaders encouraged the senior enlisted and the junior enlisted leadership alike to have more consideration for their junior Marines with respect to assignment of duties and the methods of discipline. Marines of all ranks are also encouraged to take leadership roles whenever possible and to learn how to manage others effectively and efficiently. At some point during their enlistment, every junior Marine is given a chance to lead someone or a group project. The most frequently taught class in any setting is leadership training. It is absolutely essential for promotion, as any Marine who is found deficient in leadership is either encouraged to develop it or to leave. The Regimental leadership has encouraged all ranks to use task-motivating leadership to rather than relationship motivated leadership to help with seamless turnover of personnel within the Regiment.

Another hallmark of Marine leadership is the ability to "adapt and overcome". Marines are encouraged to be creative and bold with problem solving. Taking the lead is also about solving complex problems and finding a path through difficult situations. The Regiment has historically been plagued by funding shortages, which has led to many Marines innovating solutions to everyday problems. The Regiment was one of the first units in OIF to create up armor for Humvees that were getting destroyed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). They used whatever scrap metal could be found and fitted them onto the vehicles. This is just one of many examples of Marine ingenuity.

Managing Conflict and Stress

In the Fighting Fifth, conflict and stress become second nature to many Marines. In recent years, the Regiment has deployed its battalions on a one to one ratio, six months in OIF and six months in the U.S. With such a fast operational tempo, many Marines become battle weary and stressed. This gives rise to conflict within the unit amongst Marines. Marines are constantly subjected to their work, and are engulfed by it everyday. This is especially true of the single Marines that live on base and in government quarters. Although not very common, Marines do become tired of being around one another and can end up fighting either verbally or physically. The Regiment has set up many programs for Marines to take their minds off of stress and work issues. For those Marines that live on-base in the government quarters, the Regiment has set up a Single Marine Program which is a recreation center with television, pool tables, video games, and free internet access. The Regiment has also provided a state-of-the-art weight room and gym, and a swimming pool. These facilities aid Marines in "unwinding" and letting their stresses vent in a harmless, wholesome way. Marines may also turn to their leadership for counseling and mediation if they happen to have a problem with another Marine, or even just a problem of a personal nature. All Marine leadership is required to take classes on how to counsel their subordinates. This helps develop loyalty and a bond between Marine leadership and its subordinates.

Sometimes these accommodations are not enough to alleviate the mental stress that Marines face as a result of combat trauma. The Regiment and the Marine Corps have instituted programs to help just such Marines. The Regiment has a medical staff including a psychiatrist on duty to aid Marines suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Marines can receive free, confidential treatment, or even just advice regarding the symptoms they are suffering. Married Marines too can receive aid in different forms. The Marine Corps has also provided civilian counselors via a program called OneSource which will refer a Marine or a spouse of a Marine to counseling for free sessions, including marriage counseling and personal counseling related or not to combat trauma. This kind of counseling can also help with the next topic for discussion: managing change.

Managing Change

The Marine Corps and all subordinate units within it, including the Fifth Marines, is subject to constant change in many ways. The three types of change that affect an organization is technological, environmental, and internal. The Fifth Marine Regiment displays all three change types quite frequently and thus this can be a stress factor for many Marines and a challenge to leadership as far as how to help their Marines to cope. In the Regiment, technological change happens regularly with respect to updates in weapons, tactical gear, and computer systems. The Regiment is constantly acquiring new and different weapon systems and also trying out new computer systems as well. Environmentally, the prcies of different external factors directly affects Marines in Camp Pendleton, California, where the Regiment is based. The cost of living including gas many times outpaces the percentage of salary increase each year. The cost of housing is just enough in many cases to get a home that is not quite as safe as many married Marines would prefer, (if they choose to live out in town). On top of that, lastly there is internal change, with a high turnover rate amongst all ranks. A Marine is usually only assigned to the Regiment for a period of two to three years at a time. Thus, the leadership may be here one year and gone the next, causing a lapse for the junior Marines and a lack of continuity or stability. Marines themselves are constantly reassigned to different subunits within the Regiment to fulfill certain needs. With so much change occurring within the Regiment, how does the leadership approach this dilemma?

To reduce the resistance factors to change, the leadership establishes standards and procedures that ensure that continuity in leadership is maintained. Another method is that Marine leadership often tries to build a rapport or trust with the Marines and let them in on whatever changes may be about to happen so they have time to prepare. Again, the Regiment has many counseling avenues that could be pursued with regard to stress or emotional conflict as well. The Regimental leadership also establishes guidelines for actively involving Marines in the process of change such that they embrace it rather than reject it. Another technique is overall organizational development. Marines are encouraged to be team players and to welcome change as an improvement to a situation. Classes are given on a given time that will be changed and everyone is thoroughly prepared for it as well. The Commanding Officer, Colonel Malay, has also recently implemented a direct feedback system for the way the Regiment is responding to things or the activities and services it provides.

Controlling

Control is one area of management that the Regiment is closely monitoring. There are many systems in place that track the subordinate unit's statistics and figures for the Commanding Officer. The Commanding Officer is always probing his staff regarding the progress and maintenance of goals and objectives the Regiment has set in motion. The Commanding Officer also appoints the senior officers that he trusts the most to inspect his programs and the staff appointed below them. Using reports and evaluation systems, the Commander determines if all controls are correctly in place and whether or not they need modification. As stated earlier however, many senior staff members are quick not to become micromanagers. This can lead to distrust among the unit and can quickly become counterproductive to what the Commanding officer's intent is. The Regiment therefore maintains itself via behavioral and preliminary control. Preliminary control is established by implementing preventative programs to avoid future pitfalls including safety and training controls. The Regiment has a Safety Officer in charge of maintaining awareness regarding safety and Operational Risk Management (ORM). This officer disseminates information, has weekly meetings with all subunits before holidays and weekend off times, and tracks all violations of safety and accident reports as well. This information is used to track the historical progression or trend in any one ORM area.

Operations Control

Since the Regiment is a not a service or manufacturing based organization, evaluating operations control through standard such as quality are difficult, and even harder to define. The quality of the organization lies within its Marines. If measured by the fact that the Regiment is the most decorated regiment in all the Corps, the total quality management has been a success. The Regiment has produced many top quality Generals and Medal of Honor recipients. This does not mean that the current Commanding Officer does not seek continuous improvement. Rather, this compels the leadership to expect more of its organization. Every Marine must strive for excellence and is responsible to ensure that they achieve as much as they can. According to Rue and Byars this is known as "quality at the source (Rue & Byars, 2007)." Some principles, such as just in time inventory, can be loosely applied to stocks of inventory for such sections as the Armory and the Motor Pool. These inventories are only replenished as needed and are maintained vigorously and tracked as such.

CONCLUSION

In conjunction with the textbook, and based on my own personal experiences within the Fifth Marine Regiment, I must admit that my opinion on management and leadership has been profoundly and permanently altered forever. I have learned through hard experience what differing styles of leadership have affected me in developing my own styles. I have had leaders that were strong, and others that were weak. I have had management experience as well as being a subordinate. Being a Marine has innately developed my sense of pride and leadership. I have tried to learn as much as possible and become a sponge for the examples I have gotten. Seeing a mid size organization like the Regiment has given me a perspective from the top that is invaluable to my future goals of leading a business as a Chief Executive Officer. I have seen the "tricks of the trade" and learned how the politics of senior management coexist with its principles of leadership. The Regiment effectively applies all principles of management at every level. It has excelled in ways that many business entities may never achieve. Though the Regiment has not received the Baldrige Award for Excellence, I am certain that the only reason that has not occurred is because they have never been submitted for the honor. In conclusion, the Fighting Fifth Marine Regiment embodies not only the core values of honor, courage and commitment, but also exemplifies everything that should be done right within the principles of management.
REFERENCES

I. Textbook Reference

Rue Leslie W & Byars, Lloyd L. (2007). Management: Skills and Applications. (12^th. ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Publishing.

Marine Corps Institute (MCI) (2001). Leadership. Sergeant's Distance Education and Training Program, MCI 8016A. (p. 1-360).

II. Periodical Reference

Rogers, Rick. (2007). Marine's attorneys assert executed Iraqi was insurgent San Diego Union-Tribune, July 13^th,2007 p.1 Section A.
.

III. Internet References

(2008). Official US Marine Corps Website [Online]. Retrieved March 1 , 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/div/5Mar/default.asp

Whitman, Bryan (2006). Conversation with Colonel Nicholson, Commanding Officer, RCT-5 [Online]. Retrieved February 15, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3806

IV. Personal Communication

McChan, Corporal David . L. (2008, March 1) 5^th Marine Regiment, Headquarters Company RBE enlisted leader, personal communication.