General Mandates 'Daily Routine' After Seeing Sloppy, Unshaven Marines

The above is a picture of me as a young rifle platoon leader letting an NCO or SNCO know something was not up to snuff. (Yeah I need a shave.) Next thing I knew, the problem was being resolved. As an officer, I NEVER had to get directly involved in correcting "house keeping standards" and "personal appearance standards."

I'm not there.. so it is easy for me to offer an ill-informed opinion; but my first guess is that it is a result of a severe shortage of "example setting" and quiet confident "come to Jesus one-sided discussions" about standards. Someone swallowed the pill about what smart, volunteer Marines will put up with.

My SNCO's were all Korea and Vietnam veterans. They had zero tolerance for "Well these aren't like the Marines from the 40's, 50's, and 60's. They're smarter and they're volunteers." The Battalion Sgt Major, who was a private at the Chosin Reservoir, would get nose to nose with them and quietly but firmly let them know "If you are so much #^!$!&$ smarter, it should be easier to meet and exceed the same standard us poor inbred, ill mannered, uneducated draft maggots upheld. In case you ain't figgered it out genius... you volunteered to be a Marine, NOT to be a G-- D--- roadie for the #^!$!&$ Grateful Dead."

I think it's a great idea to get people back to the basics of discipline.

It depends. If PFC Schmuckatella is required to adhere to the routine on his own, it builds discipline. If LCpl Frandilino is required to wake PFC Schmuckatella up, watch him shave, follow him to formation, and march him to and from chow, PFC Schmuckatella will never learn discipline.