Commanding Officer's Statement on
Equal Opportunity

The concept of equal opportunity is pretty straightforward. Every man has an equal opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in his MOS and assigned Billet. Every man has an equal opportunity to conduct himself in accordance with the high standards expected of United States Marines. The only thing the men of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines will be judged on is their performance. Discrimination based on any other factor, such as race, color, national origin, religion, or age has no place in this Battalion nor the Marine Corps.

Every man in this Battalion will be treated professionally, with dignity and respect at all times. Every man in this Battalion, regardless of age or experience, has already earned the title of Marine or Sailor and does not have to prove himself worthy again. We need every man we have to meet the difficult challenges that lie ahead. We cannot afford to degrade our own cohesion and combat effectiveness through mistreatment of our fellow Marines. Participation in any form of discrimination or mistreatment of fellow Marines and Sailors, or failure to stop those who do, is an obstacle to mission accomplishment and will not be tolerated.

Each Marine in this Battalion has the same opportunity to advance and succeed and will do so based upon performance alone. Any act of discrimination against a Marine or Sailor should be reported through the chain of command or, if necessary, through the request mast process. We need every Marine and Sailor focused on the enemy and on the difficult tasks ahead of us, confident that their flanks and their back are secure. I expect leaders to be vigilant and ensure that all act in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of this document.

Semper Fidelis.