Lt. Col. Marcus J. Mainz canned
Mick sends us a link to the story of Lt. Col. Marcus J. Mainz, commander of Battalion Landing Team, 2d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit who lost his job;
Lt. Col. Marcus J. Mainz, commander of Battalion Landing Team, 2d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was relieved of his command May 19, 2018, by the commander of Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue to lead the battalion, according to a media advisory released by Lt. Col. Mike Armistead, USMC director, II MEF CommStrat & Ops.
According to the release, Mainz assumed command on June 28, 2016. His replacement is Lt. Col. Christopher Bopp, formerly assigned as commander, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division.
From Military.com;
While 2/6 typically falls under the purview of II MEF, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the unit has been deployed since February as the ground element of the 26th MEU. A spokesman for II MEF, Lt. Col. Michael Armistead, confirmed to Military.com that Mainz had been deployed with his unit in the 5th Fleet, a region that encompasses the Middle East, when he was relieved.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Mainz would be sent home to the states or remain with the unit on deployment.
Category: Marine Corps
Bopp was my last BC at Recon. Damn good man.
I’d hate to be in a leadership post in this era. Folks have been relived since JC was a Corporal but it didn’t get posted on social media and the webz. Between that and Jose digging in your shit on Army WTF, wow. But WTF does expose some real dumb leadership. And no, I never got relived.
WTF, what have we come to. PC is out of control. On P.I. in 1961 we were called: Christ Killers, Heathens, Mics, Spics, Pollacks, Niggers, Gooks, Turds Pussies, Faggots, and Spear Chuckers, and no one battered an eye. The Marine Corps is not a touchy feely debating society – it is and should be – a War Fighting/ War Winning/ Enemy Crushing Force if the PC Police ever let us. HJA
Relieved “due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue to lead the battalion.” I can’t break the code. I have asked Bletchley Park for help.
Confidence is a fragile and elusive thing in the DoD; it’s continually being lost and is rarely found again.
Have they tried looking under the sofa cushions in the barracks television room?
I haven’t seen a day room in years…everyone has a tablet and wifi now….
They need to keep the day rooms open for those hard charging PFC’s who gave their entire paycheck to that dancer on Court Street because her son needs an appendix transplant, and now have no money for liberty.
In the Army that is Touchy-Feely with his privates, DUI or he stole some shit.
well, you can get relieved for holding soldiers to standards now…
A lot of times isn’t this due to not kissing enough ass at the top? The military seemed very political to me. I saw some bad soldiers moving through the ranks and some good ones being held back during my service.
Word on the street is it was inappropriate usage of gov’t funds and he called someone a fag in a meeting.
But…I ain’t one to gossip so you didn’t hear that from me.
I’ve got contacts from my teaching at TMIC and they either love this guy or absolutely hate him. Both camps are suprised he lasted as long as he did.
And none of them are talking about why he was relieved.
But you didn’t hear that from me.
Karma is real folks! It took some time, but it finally caught up with him! I actually was stationed with him and he was a tool then and I see he’s still a tool now. His Marines called him “Maniac Mainz” and we all knew back then if he stayed in he would eventually fall on his own sword. I believe in the officer corps because the majority of the officers I worked with were and still are solid leaders. All I can say is one down many more to go! The karma train is slow, but it’s comingfor the rest of the worthless leaders I have encountered in the Corps who are very much alive and still causing grief! You know who you are!
Karma is a fictitious concept. There was no karma for Stalin or Mao.
I concur! Served with this Turd as well. The Corps is a better place!
BS
This is 100% BS.I’ve known him for 15 years.
Well, I want to know more, myself, because the phrase ‘lost confidence in his/her ability to lead’ is something that can be interpreted in a million different manners.
Oh many and varied are the ways a commander can step on his (or her) junk.
Anything from failing readiness inspections to breaking shit to just being a general all-around asshole, and those are just the more obvious ones.
One of zingers in the old maxim that the CO is responsible for everything his troops, or fail to do.
I hear that “lost confidence in her ability to lead” is why Elaine Ricci is no longer the president of a proud but humble woman owned business.
AND many of those different manners are sometimes ordinary BULLSHYT!
BS on funds
Per the lineal list….he hits 20 years in Jan 2019. Me thinks he will be walking out the door shortly after that….
He’ll most likely be walking out the door on terminal leave in November. If they let him out of his deployment so he can TAP out.
His next assignment will be driving you to the airport working for UBER.
Relieved is bad enough, but a Marine relieved of command while on deployment – might as well report to the in-country KBR manager and ask for a job now, since he’ll be a civilian REAL soon.
Ditto in the Army, I saw some LT’s who got relieved overseas a few years after STILL not promoted, it’s death to an Officer or NCO’s career.
Put him in charge of finding the missing strawberries.
Or the grenades or the pig or the……
I guess I’m the only one wondering how in the simple fuck you get a MEU BLT commander without a CAR in the year 2018.
Maybe next time they could try promoting someone who’s been somewhere and done something, oh kinda like the guy who replaced him. Fuck me running.
I have known a few that had no ribbon that were still very good. Sometimes that sutuation never comes up. Having a ribbon is no totem that makes somebody a really good leader either. That is more the philosophy of the posers. This dude stepped on his crank. No one is immune to that.
Marcus Mainz was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps February 1999. Shortly thereafter he reported to Quantico, Virginia for The Basic School. Following graduation from The Basic School in September 1999, he reported to the Infantry Officer’s Course (IOC). In December of 1999 he graduated from IOC and reported to Second Battalion Seventh Marine Regiment, as a Platoon Commander, Company G. He made one six month Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa, Japan with the platoon from August 2000 to February 2001. After that deployment he attended Calvary Leaders Course and Scout Platoon Leader’s Course in Ft Knox, KY from August to September 2001. Following completion of these courses he assumed the duties of the Combined Anti-Armor Platoon Commander for Weapons Company 2/7 until April 2003. During that time he attended the Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor Trainer Course. He also embarked on what resulted in an extended UDP to Okinawa, August 2002 to June 2003, due to the stop loss, stop move during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). During this deployment he also filled the duties of Weapons Company XO until promoted to Captain July 1, 2003.
In early August 2003, he returned to The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia where he served as a Warfighting Instructor, a Staff Platoon Commander (Echo and India Companies, 2004 -2005), and an IOC Instructor. Immediately succeeding this tour, August 2006, he attended the Expeditionary Warfare School, but was removed prior to graduation to support the President’s troop surge in Iraq. In February 2007, he reported to Third Battalion, Seventh Marines and assumed command of Company L. In April 2007, 3/7 deployed to Ar Ramadi, Iraq for OIF 6-08. The Battalion returned to MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms late November 2007. February of 2008 he was reassigned as the Battalion Operations Officer. In August 2008 he was deployed to AO West in support of OIF 8.2.
His personal decorations include:Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Korean Defense Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.
https://www.usni.org/about/editorial-board-bios
Interesting a current workmate of mine was out there with 3/7 in that time frame, I might ask him if he had any contact with him.
By April 2008 attacks had dropped to almost nothing in the Ramadi area.
@Admins, I fat fingers the wrong button.
Here’s some scoop from that time:
Captain Mainz selected a non-standard advanced party — Mainz, Larson (the Executive Officer, who normally remained with the main body), Gunny Hatch (the company logistician), Sgt Mejia (the most proficient tactical Marine). Mainz himself went to a 5-day COIN School that was mandated by General Petraeus — a school that Mainz thought was excellent.
Back at the Stumps, Lt Mujica was the acting Lima Company Commander. He had been ordered to organize his 1st Platoon into a Mobile Assault Platoon or MAP. He was 3 days into the task of organizing the MAP. Corporal Humphrey had just come off of leave and expected to be boarding aircraft to Iraq in 8 more days.
Then, Marcus Mainz saw that the situation in Ramadi had changed — radically. He made a bold decision. In terms of the OODA loop — Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action — he cycled through the process of recognitional decision-making in a very fast time frame. Just 2 months earlier, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) had turned a corner and started to occupy Joint Security Stations with Iraqi Police. For the first 5 months of their 7-month tour, 1/6 had battled Al Qaeda in Iraq just as kinetically as 3/7 had in 2005 and 2006. But then the situation changed, and became more permissive. Under the command of LtCol Jurney, 1/6 had re-occupied important locations within Ramadi, such as the 17th Street station. Captain Mainz and Lt Larson agreed: it was time to implement the A-Team concept that Lt Mujica had wanted to do. Instead of the plan that Lima 3/7 had developed back in 29 Palms, Lima 3/7 would organize according to the major 5 — and eventually just 3 — lines of operation or “loos.”
http://lima37.com/blog/2009/02/01/chapter-18-training-and-deployment-for-ramadi-2/
If you have some time please read the whole article regarding him.
I served with him. Solid guy, very down to earth and approachable as a company Commander & BN Operations Officer. The first Ramadi tour was hell. The last Ramadi deployment had cooled down quite a bit due to local IP standing up their own police force. The locals had enough with AQIZ and turned a corner with 1/6’s and 3/7’s help.
Weren’t you a Corpsman? Your appeal to hardassedness and grumbling over a lack of flair awarded for shooting at a goat farmer from 300 meters away is getting pretty old.
Before everyone crucifies the man, you should look him up. There is a lot of background information out there. He was one of the best Bn COs to come around in a long time.
Gunny,
You say that LtCol Mainz “was one of the best Bn COs to come around in a long time”. Maybe so, at least while in garrison back at Camp Lejeune or perhaps while training out at CAX.
However, please let me call your attention to the two articles linked above, and while reading them, please pay particularly close attention to where 26th MEU is deployed and to who specifically relieved LtCol Mainz.
From the Military.com article:
‘[…]
The commander of a Marine Corps battalion currently deployed with a Marine expeditionary unit in the U.S. 5th Fleet was abruptly released from his duties due to “loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue to lead the battalion,” Marine officials announced today.
Lt. Col. Marcus Mainz, commander of battalion landing team 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, was removed from his post Saturday, according to a release from II Marine Expeditionary Force. He was relieved of command by Brig. Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, a Bahrain-based command.
[…].’
Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade operates in 5th Fleet waters, which is in the CENTCOM AOR.
That means that whatever LtCol Mainz did, or failed to do, in this case was egregious enough for him to be relieved of command as the CO of BLT 2/6 while deployed with 26th MEU in the CENTCOM AOR.
Relieving a BLT CO who is forward deployed with a MEU in CENTCOM is no small matter, and it isn’t a decision which would be taken lightly under any circumstances.
Your loyalty to LtCol Mainz is admirable, but the bottom line here is that if LtCol Mainz was truly “one of the best Bn COs to come around in a long time”, then he certainly wouldn’t have done/failed to do anything that would have led to him being relieved for cause during a MEU deployment to CENTCOM.
You may wish to consider all of this before you continue with your defensive commentary.
Here’s the thing. You both could be 100% correct. The opinion of GySgt Ret is based on what he knew of Mainz in the past. Sometimes, for myriad reasons, none of which are good, people change for the worse. What Mainz once was and what he is now can be two very different personalties.
What AirCav said is the reason I want to know more about this dismissal. Too few facts, too little information to say anything.
Mick, you are correct about the loyalty, but in today’s PC environment it is easy to get in trouble. I first got to know him in 2004 at TBS. The article that I posted above regarding his time in Ramadi…..he was still the same way when he picked up the battalion. He gets down to the lower leadership level and engages them.
https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2017/02/decision-time
This seems as some political feud. Mainz was my platoon commander 2/7 Weapons Co. CAAT Plt. the stumps, he was hardcore and led by example. I never came across another like him. Stand up guy, a Marines officer for sure. Total warrior ethos. He designed much of the MCMAP program and many tactics and strategies for the seals. He always stood his ground for what he believe was right for his guys. Can’t imagine anyone losing trust or confidence in him unless in their politics or agendas didn’t align. Mainz is extreme in training for combat but only to prepare the troops.
When we were in Oki for jungle warfare training he was bit by a hemi haboo (most poisonous snake in Asia) in his sleep. They had to MedEvac him and he refused the anti-venom for good training. He’s a tough hardcore Sob I’d follow to the last breath.
Maybe someone should research and see how many Marines BGen D relieved from Bahrain. In my opinion, it was an easy way to get rid of Marines who didn’t circumvent policies in favor of Cmdrs intent.
That office billet is political as fuck. I was under a complete fucking failure of a battalion commander and he was never relieved.
Easy to take shots from the peanut gallery. LtCol Mainz has done as much to advance the interests of evolutionary warfighting in the Marine Corps as any of his next 10 peers and as one of those peers I’ll humbly admit it. He’s always pushed the limits as great Marines have. We often hear of the ones that make it unscathed but rarely about the bold who stumble in some way whether real or perceived. My guess is if he failed in some way he’d be the first to tell you without excuses. One of my best friend’s sons is a Marine (LCpl) in 2/6 and he loved the passion, compassion and war fighting spirit instilled by LtCol Mainz from the day he joined. LtCol Mainz has gone above and beyond for so many peers, juniors and seniors in his career, it’s unreal. His Commander had his reasons for the relief but as all of us have made mistakes let us not forget that those mistakes don’t undo the good or great we have done in service to our Nation and our Corps. The only difference is that as a Commander, your past deeds are history and don’t absolve you of accountability and responsibilitiy (as was pointed out in a prior post) for everything that happens or fails to happen on your watch. Acknowledge the good in the man, his dedication to Marines, the Corps, his family and friends and let him and the 2/6 team move forward. The reality is that few of you, of us, could have walked as successfully or boldly in his shoes.
Sir, you are spot on.
Maybe someone should research and see how many Marines BGen D relieved from Bahrain. In my opinion, it was an easy way to get rid of Marines who didn’t circumvent policies in favor of Cmdrs intent.