The Scuttlebutt Newsletter P.O. Box 4561 Glen Allen, VA 23058-4561 April 2014

JAMES M. SLAY DETACHMENT MARINE CORPS LEAGUE MEETING Virginia Society of CPA’s 4309 Cox Rd, Glen Allen VA I-64 Exit 178B The Fourth Saturday Of Each Month Next Meeting 26 April 2014 0830 Breakfast - 0900 Meeting www.richmondmarines.org (804) 417-4569 JAMES M. SLAY DETACHMENT MARINE CORPS LEAGUE 2

AUXILIARY NEWS

The Auxiliary’s April meeting will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2014.

Time: 8:30 a.m. Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Business Meeting Location: Virginia Society of CPA’s 4309 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Our election of officers for 2014-2015 will take place at this meeting. In addition, plans will be finalized for the May Installation of our new officers.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY SHEETS

Now is the time to prepare our Volunteer Activity Sheets to be turned in to President Debbie Boudreau in early May. The dates to be covered are May 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014. These activities are compiled and sent to the National MCLA. Debbie e-mailed the forms and instructions to each member on March 26, 2014, and for those who do not have e-mail, information will also be available at the April meeting.

See you on the 26th!!!

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James M. Slay Detachment Marine Corps League The Scuttlebutt Richmond, Virginia NEWSLETTER www.richmondmarines.org A P R I L 2 0 1 4

 Jim Barrett Marines This month the Detachment celebrates its 50th anniversary serving the Richmond Commandant area. We are the oldest continuously active Detachment in Virginia and perhaps  Kimo Caprara the most active. We will be blessed to have James M. Slay’s children attending our business meeting on 26 April. We will hold elections, have new officers Sr Vice sworn in, and celebrate the life of Col. Slay and his legacy. I hope to see as Commandant many of you as are able attending our breakfast meeting on the 26th.  Joe Washington That same morning the Hermitage High School Junior ROTC cadets will be Jr Vice hosting a field meet for the Junior ROTC cadets in the Richmond area. Several of you will be helping out with the meet. Commandant You’ve also seen the challenge coin we are having made in recognition of our th  Mike 50 anniversary. I hope you will all order one. They should be available in 4 – Satterwhite 6 weeks from the foundry. Everyone needs a challenge coin so you won’t get caught without it. Adjutant Dress for the 26th April meeting will be red blazers (if you have one) and red  Mike Kelley MCL cover. Judge Advocate Semper Fi, Jim Barrett

 Bill Wagner From Bruce Steeley… (April 17, 2014) Chaplain Today is the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the James M. Slay Detachment. Our detachment was originally chartered on 17 April, 1964 with 23 members, three who remain  Randy on our membership roles today. Our three Charter Members are Marines Jerold Evans, Abernathy Joe Pippen and Fred “Buddy” Smith. They are to be congratulated for their fifty plus years of service to our Detachment, our Country, and our Corps. I hope they will continue Sergeant at to serve with us for many years to come. Arms Our regular monthly meeting will be held on Saturday April 26, beginning at 0830. We will celebrate our anniversary with a visit from several members of the Slay  Russell Wyatt family and a traditional cake cutting. In addition, we will hold our annual election and Paymaster installation of our detachment officers. Department of Virginia Commandant Roy Smith will be traveling down from Shenandoah Virginia to conduct the swearing in ceremony.  Lee Smith Our 50th Anniversary Challenge Coins have been ordered and are expected to be ready for distribution at our May meeting. You should have received an order form via Quartermaster email from Jim Barrett last week. If not I will have some at the meeting. If you wish to or- der a coin the price is $7.00 per coin if you pick them up at the meeting and $8.00 per coin if  Russell Wyatt they have to be shipped. Checks for payment are preferred. Please make checks payable to Web Sergeant James M. Slay Det. 329. Many thanks to Marines Chip Houston, Bruce Strong, Lee Smith, Wes Pruitt and  Kevin Tom Milhausen for their assistance in the designing of these coins. O’Connor Scuttlebutt I hope all of you will be able to join us for this grand celebration on Newsletter the 26th. Semper Fidelis, Editor

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22 March, 2014 Care Packages (Herb Delbridge) (Due to “stuff happens”, the minutes of Virginia War Memorial Activities (Mike the March Meeting were lost. Here is the Agenda for that Meeting) Cross or Bruce Steeley)

0900 Call to Order Military Order of Devil Dogs (Bill Akers)

Opening Ceremony Holicky-Sitter Luncheon (Wes Pruitt) Secure Quarters Junior Vice Commandant (Joe Washing- ton) Post Colors Adjutant (minutes from previous meet- Pledge of Allegiance ing)(Mike Satterwhite) Opening Prayer Paymaster (Russell Wyatt) Declare Meeting Open for Business Chaplain (Bill Wagner)

Recognition of Guests

Roll Call of Officers 1964 – 50 Years of Service to the Richmond Commu- nity - 2014 Application for New Members (if applicable)

Raymond Walter Bongiorno Standing Committee Reports

Balloting on Applicants Old Business Swearing in New Members Report from the Nomination and Election Reports Committee

Senior Vice Commandant (Kimo Caprara) New Business Honor Guard (Lee Smith) Closing Ceremony USO – Richmond Airport (Bruce Patton) Retire Colors Ft. Lee (Ron Echols) Closing Prayer Range Days (Lou Seigel) Senior Vice Commandant McGuire Hospital Activities (Bill Wagner or Declare Meeting Closed Cecil McNair) Adjourn Jr. ROTC (Cecil McNair)

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Marines and their family members have unleashed a wave of anger directed to the Sgt. Maj. Of the Marine Corps.

“Lower pay and slimmed-down benefits will make Marines more disciplined and less wasteful”

In comments before a Senate Armed Services Committee panel on Wednesday. April 9th, Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Michael Barrett dismissed lawmaker concerns that proposed compensation trims in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2015 budget proposal would hurt troops’ morale or desire to serve. “Marines don’t run around asking about compensation, retirement modernization,” he said. “That’s not on their mind. As I talk to thousands of audiences, they want to know into whose neck do we put a boot next. “They want to know about what new equipment are we getting, are we continuing to modernize. Just because the budget sucks, does that mean we’re not going to get our new gear?” “I truly believe it will raise discipline,” he said. “You’ll have better spending habits. You won’t be so wasteful.” (Marine Corps Times)

Barrett’s comments came in contrast to his counterparts in the other services, who conceded to senators that lower pay raises, scaled-back commissary offerings and smaller housing stipends would be problematic for many service- members.

The sergeant of the Marine Corps issued a letter to all Marines on Friday trying to explain his recent congressional testimony in which he said Marines preferred better equipment over high pay and that lowering pay raises would improve discipline. Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal Barrett said his words were misreported, which caused Ma- rines to believe he doesn't care about their quality of life and level of pay.

"Recent reporting of my testimony may have left you with a mistaken impression that I don't care about your quality of life and that I support lower pay for service members. This is not true," Bar- rett wrote in the letter.

However, he maintained that the growth in pay and benefits must be slowed down in order to en- sure the Corps can pay for better equipment.

"Nobody wants less. ... But if we don't slow the growth of our hard-earned generous compensa- tion/benefit entitlements that we have enjoyed over the past decade, we don't have sufficient dol- lars for what we need -- investment in our warfighting capabilities and our wonderful Marine and family care programs," Barrett wrote.

The top enlisted Marine's letter comes following a backlash from Marines who responded harshly to Barrett's statement to Congress saying he supported the proposal for a 1 percent pay raise for ser- vice members. The 1 percent raise would be the lowest raise in years for troops and would fail to keep up with inflation.

Barrett is only the latest Pentagon leader to tell Congress that pay and benefits need to be either reduced or slowed down. Pentagon brass have made the case that personnel costs must come down to maintain readiness. The service secretaries and chiefs have repeatedly pointed out that pay and benefits represent the fastest-growing portion of their budgets.

The sergeant major of the Marine Corps' testimony especially stood out because he told Congress last Wednesday that “lower pay would improve discipline within the Corps”.

Barrett told lawmakers that Marines have "never had it so good" in his three decades of service when describing the benefits packages and level of pay. Continued on Page 6

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Sgt. Maj. Barrett Controversy Continued….

"If we don't get a hold of slowing the growth, we will become an entitlement-based, a health care provider-based Corps, and not a warfighting organization," Barrett said.

In Friday's letter, Barrett told Marines that “now is a time that requires sacrifice and selflessness”.

"The responsibilities put on your shoulders are great -- from stan- dards and discipline, to giving orders to kill, to risk being killed your- self. I know that you will continue to be selfless. I know you will con- tinue to sacrifice for one another. I know you will continue to succeed during these times and the tough times that lay ahead," Barrett wrote.

The top enlisted Marine had explained that Marines would prefer funding directed toward ensuring they had the latest equipment and highest level of training rather than worrying about pay and benefits. He said Marines don't ask him about pay or retirement packages, they ask him about the mission.

"I also don't recall anyone asking me or my fellow comrades if we wanted to take a pay cut," a Miltiary.com reader wrote in the com- ments section of an article about Barrett's comments to Congress.

Like other Pentagon officials who have lobbied for the reduced pay raise for service members, Barrett was unable to provide any data other than personal interactions to support their conclu- sion that service members are more worried about equipment and training versus pay.

The Marine Corps will form Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Central Command (SPMAGTF-CENT) during fiscal year 2015. About 1,900 Marines and Sailors comprise the unit, which will be land-based in the , but the exact location is still being determined. "The [Marine Corps] intends to source and deploy SPMAGTF- U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Chester Nez recieves an American flag CENT, which consists of a command element, from Pfc. Tiffany Boyd, at Code Talker Hall, Marine Corps Base ground combat element, aviation combat element Quantico, Va., April 4. The flag was flown over the Marine Corps War Memorial, on the first day of spring in honor of Cpl. and logistics combat element providing Central Nez's attendace at the Platoon 382 Hall rededication. Cpl. Nez Command with a flexible, self-deploying and self- is the last of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers of World War sustaining option for responding to these emergent II. (Photo by Cpl. Kathryn K. Bynum) threats," said Lt. Col. Joe Kloppel, a spokesman with Marine Corps Forces Central Command.

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Holicky-Sitter Luncheon—13 May 2014 Lt. General Frank Libutti, USMC (Ret.)

Frank Libutti is a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General who also served as the head of the Police Department's Counter Terrorism Bureau, Deputy Police Commis- sioner, and oversaw the Department of Homeland Security's intelligence operations as Undersecretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection. Libutti's military career included time spent in , , Korea, Kenya and Somalia among assignments within the United States during which he oversaw more than 80,000 Marines.

He entered the Marine Corps's Officer Candidates School at Marine Corps Base Quantico in August 1966, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in October of that year. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 9th Marines as a platoon commander in Vietnam.

In 1968, Libutti returned to Quantico for duty at the Officer Candidates School, serving consecutively as Chief Instructor, Tactics Section, as well as Commanding Officer and Branch Head, Academic Section. He was promoted to in No- vember 1969 attended the Amphibious Warfare School. In 1972, Libutti transferred to Amphibious Squadron Three in , for duty as Squadron Combat Cargo Officer. In 1974, he was assigned to 1st Battalion 2nd Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, , as an Infantry Company Commander for 14 months, followed by staff positions such as Logistics Officer and Operations Officer.

Libutti was promoted to major in May 1977 and reassigned as the Executive Officer for Marine Barracks, Naples, Italy. In August 1980, he attended the Command and Staff College at Quantico, then transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., for duty as the Head of the Career Management Section, Manpower Department. In May 1982, he was promoted to lieutenant and reassigned as the Assistant Secretary of the General Staff for the Office of the Assistant Commandant and Chief of Staff, where he served through May 1983. He was reassigned in June 1983 as the Senior Marine Aide to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

From August 1985 until June 1986, Libutti attended the National War College, Washington, D.C. Following graduation, he was assigned as the Executive Officer, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. He was reassigned as the Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion until October 1987, when he was promoted to colo- nel and designated as the Commanding Officer, Contingency MAGTF 1-88 and deployed to the Middle East for the "Tanker War".

Returning to Camp Pendleton in May 1988, Libutti served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, . [2] He commanded the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in August 1988 until July 1990. The following month, he was reas- signed to the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for duty as the Marine Corps Member of The Chairman's Staff Group. In The Chairman's Staff Group, Libutti also served as the Military Assistant to the Presidential Emissary to Hanoi for POW/MIA issues and participated in high level trips to Hanoi for negotiations on the POW/MIA issue with Viet- nam. While serving in this capacity, he was selected in December for promotion to brigadier general and was promoted to that grade in March 1992.

Libutti was then assigned as the Commander, Forward Headquarters Element/Inspector General of the United States Cen- tral Command, MacDill Air Force Base, , in July 1992. The following month he was designated Commanding Gen- eral, Joint Task Force Provide Relief ( which provided emergency airlift of food to Somalia and Kenya),[3] until November 1992. From 1994 to 1996 he assumed the duties as Commanding General, 1st Marine Division. During his last assignment, he served as the Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force/Commander, Marine Corps Bases Japan until June 8, 1999. Libutti retired from the Corps in 2001.

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Holicky-Sitter Luncheon by LtColonel L.W. “Chip” Houston, Jr., USMC (Ret.)

The Holicky-Sitter Luncheon was started to help support the local Active Duty Marines serving in the Richmond Area and Fort Lee. Our goal is the support of the local Marine Reserve Unit, the Marine Detachment at Fort Lee, Marine Corps Recruiters and the Marines assigned to Defense General Supply Center. We are also now taking a very active roll in working with and supporting the families of the wounded from all the services at McGuire Veterans Hospital.

Uniform: Whatever you want to wear. Cost: The chow you get in the line. Date: 13 May 2014 (The second Tuesday of every month ) Speaker: Lt. Gen Frank Libutti, USMC (Ret.) Bio page 7 Chow: 1130 - Speaker - 1210 - Secure at 1245. Where: “IMPORTANT” Location — Martin’s at 2250 John Rolf Pkwy & Ridgefield Pkwy Richmond, VA 23233 Celebration Room, 2nd deck/far right end 2014 LEATHERNECK CLUB

Bill Akers Kevin O’Connor John Alexander Joseph Pippen Sr. Jim Barrett John Prendergast John Beall Wes Pruitt Mike Boudreau Lou Seigel Norman Carney Fred Smith Kimo Caprara Lee Smith Michael Cross Bruce Steeley Sean Davis Charles Tanner Herb Delbridge Richard Tarrant Bob Gilliam Bruce Terrill Tim Godbey Joe Wadle Bob Hartley Bill Wagner Chip Houston Jerry Wells Holicky-Sitter Luncheon Group Christopher Word Bill Jeffress Russell Wyatt Michael Kelley In Memoriam Pat O’Hare Tom Burton Stan Lewis

For a contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) you can join the Leatherneck Club. These contributions help support our standard monthly donations to: Families of the Wounded, Virginia Wounded Warriors Project, USMC Wounded Warriors Regiment, USO Gift Cards in Richmond, and the Slay Detachment Ladies Auxiliary.

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