Marine Corps University Foundation Trustees


Chairman Gen James T. Conway, USMC (Ret)


Vice Chairman Mr. Guy P. Wyser-Pratte


President and Chief Executive Officer BGen Thomas V. Draude, USMC (Ret)


Secretary and Chief Operating Officer LtCol John R. Hales, USMC (Ret)


Treasurer Mr. Daniel H. Mudd


General Counsel Mr. Christopher G. Oprison


The Honorable Kim T. Adamson Mr. Daniel B. Burton, II Mr. Paul F. Caliendo Dr. James J. Carafano Ms. Shawn Cooper Mr. Derrick T. Dortch LtGen Wallace C. Gregson, Jr., USMC (Ret) MajGen William C. Groeniger III, USMCR (Ret)


Mr. Donald R. Knauss Mr. Nicholas B. Lane Mr. Robert A. Lutz LtGen Carol Mutter, USMC (Ret) Mr. Steven J. Piccirilli Mr. Paul M. “Mickey” Pohl Mr. Thomas A. Saunders III Mrs. Jordan Horner Saunders Mr. William J. Scott Ms. Alexis F. Thomas Mr. Michael J. Wheeler


EX Officio Trustees


LtGen Robert R. Blackman, Jr., USMC (Ret) MajGen Edward G. Usher III, USMC (Ret)


MCUF Staff


Director of Development Ms. Valerie A. Brown


Director of Program Support Mrs. Kimberly A. Niero


Director of Special Events Mrs. Angela H. Blackiston


Administrative Assistant Ms. Melissa M. Lorditch-Wyer


Accountant Mr. R. Scott Mann


P. O. Box 122 • Quantico, VA 22134-0122 Phone: (703) 640-6835 • Fax: (703) 640-6177 www.mcuf.org


Fall 2014 Dear Marines and Friends of the Foundation,


This is our “Graduation Newsletter” as you can see. It marks the end of another successful Academic Year at the Marine Corps University for which we are all grateful. Congratulations to our Graduates, their Families for supporting them, and the Staff and Faculty of MCU. Well done to all!


Of particular interest is the history made at Command and Staff College. It graduated two Marine Corps Sergeants Major! As you know, most students are Majors or equivalent in other Services, Countries, and Agencies. Sergeant Major Jonathan S. Henry received a Master of Military Studies, and Sergeant Major Scott D. Hamm received a Master of Military Studies—and was a Distinguished Graduate (top 10%)! We are delighted with their significant achievements.


Development travel has slowed, but will pick up again soon. All of us appreciate the support of our efforts by your attendance at our various “friend-raising” events. It means so much to Val, John and me to see your smiling, friendly faces in the crowd when we visit your area. Our website, www.mcuf.org, will keep you current on these events.


In addition to our regularly scheduled events (see page 3), we held a special Strategic Planning Session on 12 July at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City. Our Trustee and Treasurer, Dan Mudd, took the lead on this. Our facilitator was Joli Cooper, sister of Trustee Shawn Cooper and daughter of General Gary Cooper, USMCR (Ret), a former Trustee. The purpose was to review our Strategic Plan and its associated Mission, Vision, Goals, and to clarify the steps ahead for its execution. (I have devoted lots of time and effort to the “tactical” aspects of this job—fundraising, friend-raising, public speaking, etc., but not much at the “strategic” level. I’m reminded of the statement, “Tactics without Strategy is the noise you hear just before defeat!” That’s not the noise I want to hear, so Dan and Joli worked with us to avoid it.)


At the end of the Academic Year, MCU permitted me to speak to the various graduating groups at each School/College. I congratulate them, naturally, but also reinforce the fact that their association with MCUF doesn’t end with graduation. Since most will be joining the Operating Forces/Supporting Establishment, they should stay in contact with us for support like Visiting Scholars and Battlefield Studies for their future units and commands. A great example of our support is related on page 4.


I began with information about MCU’s graduation. Let me close by informing you of the superb address given by General Jay Paxton, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. He has been a valued friend of MCUF and his remarks about the value of PME were some of the best I’ve heard “take-aways” for the graduates, staff, and faculty of the University.


Semper Fidelis, Thomas V. Draude Brigadier General, USMC (Ret) President and Chief Executive Officer 2


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