CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- On Monday, June 15, U.S. Marine Corps infantry operations chiefs from across the Western Region Fleet Force gathered to attend the Western Regional Infantry Operations Chiefs Symposium, hosted by 1st Marine Division. The Western Regional Infantry Operations Chiefs Symposium is a four-day event that brings infantry operations chiefs together, giving them the opportunity to discuss and share issues they have seen within their own units. This symposium prepares the operations chiefs for the annual Operations Chief Symposium held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
“We don’t know or don’t have all the answers,” stated Gunnery Sgt. Brandon Lehmer, the operations chief for 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment,1st Marine Division. “But this is our opportunity to share our experiences and continue to gain additional education.”
The symposium gives staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) from infantry battalions across the West Coast the opportunity to come together and share their unique experiences and perspectives on issues throughout the community. Being able to share different perspectives creates the opportunity for solutions to be found through collaboration in a constantly changing Marine Corps.
Most issues that are faced by one unit will also be faced by other units. By sharing successful solutions and lessons learned, battalions help their peers benefit from proven approaches and improve their own operations.
“We have a variety of different units and echelons in attendance here,” Lehmer said. "An individual can help in finding an answer to a problem you may face in the future.”
Attending the symposium also gives infantry operations chiefs and monitors the ability to be well-informed for their Marines and to advise their commanders. The ability to collaborate gives each unit insight into successes across the Marine Corps in training and operations. By learning from their peers about successful initiatives and emerging opportunities, senior leaders can better develop their Marines, foster professional growth, and contribute to a more lethal and effective force through communication.
“A symposium like this allows us to kind of put our fingers on the pulse of the actual infantry community,” said Gunnery Sgt. Kyle Brodsky, an infantry unit leader with Expeditionary Operation Training Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. “We can advocate, influence, and advise commanders on the real issues that our junior marines are having time now.”
Infantry operations chiefs serve as a conduit between the lower enlisted and commissioned officers. By coming together and sharing diverse experiences, they can better advise their junior and senior Marines on problem-solving and situational awareness.
“I think that we, as the more senior infantry staff noncommissioned officers, owe it to the younger infantry community to create opportunities and create an environment where they can collaborate,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Paul O’Donnel, the operations chief of Headquarters Company, 1st Marine Division.
“As the infantry master gunnery sergeants, it's prudent that we have symposiums, operational planning teams, and conferences like this to ensure that they [lower enlisted infantrymen] have an opportunity to be heard and know the work that they do actually makes its way to the highest levels. ”O’Donnel explained, noting how the event allows SNCO’s to voice concerns on behalf of their subordinates.
As operational tempo continues to accelerate, the strain on traditional communication channels make forums like this symposium more vital than ever. By bringing together an assembly of representatives, leaders are granted direct access to subject matter experts (SMEs)capable of addressing highly specific hurdles on the spot. Ultimately, this collective effort does more than just solve the immediate friction points of today, it builds a joint framework that equips leaders with the shared intelligence needed to resolve past, navigate current, and secure future challenges across the entire infantry community.