Special Trust and Confidence

One of the privileges of being an officer is promoting Marines and recognizing Marines for their accomplishments. This morning, one of the Gunnery Sergeants that's an advisor for one of the enlisted classes asked if anyone in the class would volunteer to do a promotion ceremony today. I eagerly volunteered, and was looking forward to it, but it fell through. So I'll just have to tell you about the other promotion ceremonies I've done.

Only an officer of senior rank can promote a Marine. Authorization for the promotion comes from higher up; for the promotion ceremonies I've done, promoting Privates to Privates First Class, our Company Commander, a Major, is the promotion authority. My function is to represent him in the ceremony. If circumstances prevent a commissioned officer from performing the ceremony, I've been told that Staff NCOs can substitute. But since they have plenty of commissioned officers here at the schoolhouse, we get to do it.

The first promotion ceremony I did, I was quite nervous, because I didn't want to mess up the Marines' promotion. Fortunately, the Staff NCOs here are accustomed to new Lts doing the ceremonies, and the Gunny coached me through it. The Gunny formed the platoon and called them to attention. I marched to the front of the formation, and the Gunny saluted and reported the platoon to me: "Good afternoon, ma'am. BCE-X is formed and ready for promotion."

I saluted back and said something appropriate that I don't remember, probably something like "Very Well."

The Gunny took his post and read the promotion warrant. "To all who shall see these presents, greetings. Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of ..." [Here, the Gunny read the names of all the Marines to be promoted; there were seven in my first ceremony.] "...I do appoint this Marine a Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps, to rank as such from the first day of November, two thousand and nine.

"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 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.

"Given under my hand at Marine Corps Engineer School, this first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine. [CO's name], Major, USMC Commanding."

The seven Privates were standing at attention in a line in front of the rest of the platoon. The Gunny and I stepped over to the one on the far left. He was holding his chevrons in his hand (chevrons are the pins that indicate what rank an enlisted Marine holds). We each pinned one on, then the Gunny handed me the new Private First Class' certificate. I gave it to him, shook his hand, and congratulated him. We went down the line, pinning on each new PFC and giving him his certificate.

Once all seven had been pinned on, I stepped back in front of the platoon, and called the Gunny up:
"Gunnery Sergeant, front and center!"

The Gunny marched up in front of me.

"Gunnery Sergeant, take charge of the platoon, and carry out the plan of the day."

The Gunny saluted. "Aye, aye, ma'am."

I saluted back, then left-faced and marched off.

In a promotion ceremony for an NCO or an officer, the oath of office will be re-administered, and the CO and/or the Marine will address the Marines assembled. It's also common for someone important to pin the Marine's new rank on.

Rank is important to Marines. It awards both responsibility and privilege, is not given lightly, and can be revoked for poor performance or behavior. (This is not a joke. In my single year in the Marine Corps, I have met more than one Marine that has been reduced in rank.) It was my privilege to award these Marines their first promotion, and I look forward to the promotions I will get to do for my Marines in the years ahead.