Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges

COVER STORY

when you plow, you sow seeds. You sow seeds of inspiration. So who followed? All those who went through Montford Point…Frederick C. Branch…Freder- ick C. Branch, excuse me, Lieutenant General Bailey, but Frederick C. Branch was the first African American officer in the Marine Corps in 1945, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. He tried to get into OCS four times before he was finally granted acceptance and subsequently commissioned as the first African Ameri- can officer in the Corps.”

characterization and the continuum of conflict has changed. From cooperation to conflict, it has changed. Our strategic landscape today is cooperation, compe- tition, and conflict.” General Langley further expounded upon the role and vision of the 38 th Commandant by highlighting how the Commandant informed the Corps of his intent. “In Force Design 2030, he saw diversity as a pinnacle piece. Diversity is more than race. Diversity is about background. A mindset. Attitudes. Col- lectively, that’s the only way we’re going to be able to maintain a decisive advan- tage over our strategic competitors. So, it signifies what I am wearing today as I embark on the next phase. As the Presi- dent of the United States and Secretary of Defense told me to execute with authorities and resources to maintain strategic access and partnership with our allies. Collectively, we will maintain global dominance.” Reflecting on AFRICOM & Marine Corps General Langley explicitly described the Marine Corps and discussed AFRICOM. “When people ask me what the next steps are, the next step is an assessment. When I spoke with the Commandant earlier, I said, “Sir, I will talk about AFRICOM, but in the piece today, while here, I got a few more hours. I am going to talk about the Marine Corps. I am going to talk about how the Marine Corps has evolved. As we embark upon Force Design 2030, I talked about the necessity of Force Design, beginning with diversity, equity and inclusion as we go forward. We know that the next step is that talent pool. I am happy that the Commandant invited our young captains and the Army here today. There is a word I would like to remark upon with strategic climate change as we see that information is ubiquitous. It has caused enormous activity for our strategic competitors.” Looking back to Lean Forward As the 6 th Commanding General of

AFRICOM, General Langley, declared, “We need the youth! So here’s my offer to you. Challenge yourself! Pick your mentors. There have been some defining pieces across my career in the form of mentors. Do not seek out mentors that look like you all the time. I will tell you that Lieutenant Langley, in 1988, came back from deployment. 10 th Marine Commander, Colonel E. A. Smith, passed the word down to the 3 rd Bat- talion, 10 th Marines, the XO, Michael Hicks. Major Hicks said, ‘Come on into the of- fice; let me tell you something. You have an opportunity. Did you know that the 10 th Marine is the largest Artillery regi- ment in the free world? We have many officers that command. But from your deployment and Lieutenant Colonel Newbold told us about your exploits in the Philippines and how you led the Battery in the Zimbali Mountains and fired every Artillery round safely in your platoon. Never got in trouble, and you successfully redeployed them. That’s what I need in leaders. We haven’t had a Lieutenant Commander. Congratula- tions! You are going to be the Command- er of Headquarters Battery, 3/10.’ When he told me that, it showed me during the time when I was thinking about leaving the Corps and going into the corporate world that the Marine Corps is offering opportunity. Sometimes challenges har- ness opportunity.” Brigade Commander in Retrospect General Langley recalled the time and preparation leading up to this milestone. “When I was a Post Commander Colo- nel in Okinawa, General Zilmer said, ‘Mike, I wanted you to come back from Afghanistan quicker, but you didn’t. I had to fill the G3 position. You’re going to take the SOTG (Special Operations Training Group). I know that’s not what you wanted because you want to stay competitive for General Officer. You’ll get your time. But then, General Brilakis told me, ‘You need to do something hard. You have a portfolio that excels in operations and tactics, but you don’t know anything about the institution,

Equity General Langley reminded us of

the power of fairness and justice, as evidenced in the promotion of the first African American promoted to General Officer in the United States Marine Corps. “Frank E. Petersen, in 1979, was the first African American General Of- ficer in the Marine Corps. At that time, remember my father was Air Force. He would sit pictures in front of me of Chappie James (Daniel “Chappie James, Jr. Nashville (TN) AL 1969, Chapter Invisible 1978). James was a front cover of Ebony and Jet Magazine, but there is nothing about Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen in 1979 when he got com- missioned as the Commandant spoke about. But I came to realize, my father told me, ‘Aim high!’ apart from the Air Force Academy…I follow orders! My daddy told me to aim high. I looked up and I saw ‘the few and proud’!” Laboring in the Vineyard General Langley went on to empha- size that “General Frank E. Petersen plowed the ground, laid a lot of seeds of inspiration and from that came General Stanley, General Bailey, General Gaskin, General Williams, General Wilson, I can’t talk about General Henry, General Coleman or numerous others…it’s too many to go on. Those seeds grew from the inspiration of Frank E. Petersen to push on, have the opportunity to show and be a piece of diversity of our ranks. As we look at our strategic landscape today, the Chairman said the char- acterization of war has changed. The

32 | SPRING 2022 ♦ THE JOURNAL

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