Not A Great Sign: The Marine Corps Central Command Canceled The Marine Corps Ball Which Is Absolutely Wild
Alright, before we get into why this shit is surprising to me, I wanna lay the groundwork for the responsibilities of the US Central Command. From the government website:
Mission: USCENTCOM directs and enables military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring U.S. interests.
Command Priorities:
1. Deter Iran
2. Counter Violent Extremist Organizations
3. Compete Strategically
- Regional Constructs
- Integrated Air and Missile Defense/ Counter Unmanned Aerial systems
All those things sound relevant given the disasters that are dominating the news and the globe.
The area that CENTCOM polices is one that is at high alert right now and well, kinda always. Check out some of the countries listed here.
In my opinion, that's a prreeeettttyyy important area of the globe. There's been some movement of operational support troops to the area and obviously, the quick hitters and getters are out there lurking in the shadows and waiting to do the things that they do in the shadows. Talkin killin.
The Marine Corps Ball is one of the largest differences between the Marine Corps and other branches. All military branches have a Ball. They usually call it a military ball or something generic. Since General Lejuene in a birthday message to the entire Marine Corps instructed all future Marines to have an annual ball, we have celebrated.
I have celebrated in Japan, Iraq, Guam, Virginia, and San Antonio. I've been to Marine Corps Balls all over the place since I started working here and there is nothing like it.
One fact always has remained the same. Marines have a Ball. It doesnt even have to be in a place that is fancy. Sometimes we wear cammies and sit out in the field together to talk about what makes Marines… Marines.
So when I saw that the Ball was canceled, that was a red flag to me.
I'm far from a foreign policy expert so maybe all this is a big nothing burger but maybe not. When I first saw the letter from the Commanding General, I was shocked. Units this large don't do something like this without talking to higher levels of Command so when CentCom does it, whew.