Mattis for Marine commandant (and one captain's account of Amos being booed)

Given the problems facing the Marine Corps, it seems
to me that a smart move would be for President Obama to make James Mattis the
Marine commandant. He has only been retired for a short while, and he has an
impeccable reputation for integrity. The move would be both popular with Marines
and the right thing. That's a solid combination. And it would be the right
thing to do by Mattis, too.

Meanwhile, a recently resigned Marine captain writes
something that I find stunning about a service that prides itself on its discipline
and cohesion:

I've
been watching my former Commandant's troubles with a combination of shame and
grotesque humor. I have nothing groundbreaking to share, just an anecdote. At
my last Marine Corps ball, this past November, after returning from one of the
last full-battalion deployments to Helmand, I watched (again with half frown,
half stupid grin) 900 Marines and some of their dates actually boo Gen. Amos
when he appeared in his annual video.... this is just one story, but I'd have
to guess he's the first commandant to be mocked and hated by his own Marines to
such a degree. I resigned my commission because of my complete lack of faith in
the Corps' administrative processes, and I definitely will not be disappointed
when Gen. Amos departs, but at this point it's all just gotten embarrassing.