Success Story

Over the last weekend of February 2024, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion Command Leadership met in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for the annual Commander’s Conference. The group consisted of Marines and Sailors holding key leadership billets from the Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) and their Inspector-Instructor (I-I) Active-Duty counterparts. The weekend focused on building unit cohesion through discussions of various topics to include leadership, career progression, staff processes, operations, and military history.

Thanks to support from the Marine Corps University Foundation, the staff had the wonderful opportunity to be guided through a tour of the battlefield expertly led by retired Colonel Rob Abbott, USMC. Aside from some inclement weather, the tour was highly engaging, educational, and a fantastic experience for all.

Col Abbott tailored a portion of the tour to highlight key roles of the volunteer engineer units that aided in the Battle of Gettysburg. The on-site education provided the entire Command Team with a deep appreciation of the battle leading to numerous follow-on discussions. The guided tour was a tremendous opportunity to reflect on this Nation’s history and see firsthand the tactics employed. The Command directed training coupled with the tour allowed the staff to bond and achieve the original goal of unit cohesion.

The Marine Corps University Foundation cannot be thanked enough for providing our Marines and Sailors with such an outstanding experience. Their generous support is greatly appreciated.

Thank you also to all the donors and sponsors who generously support Marines through MCUF.