MCA Scuttlebutt

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring you a very special episode in remembrance of the attacks on 9/11. This is an episode that, frankly, I never thought we would get. To be even more frank, it seemed so unimaginable to me that I didn’t even think to try and track this guest down. Only through Nancy’s hard work and diligence (she’s a journalist, folks) were we able to track Jason Thomas down. For those who don’t know the name, Jason is one of the Marines who actually went into Manhattan after the attacks on 9/11. Having just recently left active duty, Jason still had uniforms and deuce gear in his car. Living in New York, after hearing we were under attack, he dropped his baby at his mom’s house, put on his uniform, and drove into the city. It was truly inspiring to hear Jason’s story and I am so proud to be bringing you this episode and so thankful to Jason for his willingness to come on.  This is us remembering 9/11.   <p>The post #259: Remembering 9/11 with Jason Thomas first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema with our review of the Marine Corps classic, The Wind and the Lion. I reference it as a Marine Corps classic because, as every Gen X Marine can attest, clips from the movie have been used as an attention-grabber in just about every class, period of instruction, and formal school. The Wind and the Lion stars Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, and Brian Keith. It was released in 1975 and is loosely based on the Perdicaris Affair of 1904. To help us break down the film is returning guest, author, podcaster, history nerd, and movie aficionado, LtCol Josh Bates (Ret.). We talk about the conflict between the film’s narrative arc and the historical accuracy of the event it attempts to portray, the cast performances, the film’s relevance to modern-day audiences, and what Marines can take away from it. Josh has great insights, and it was a lot of fun to dive into this movie with him.   Enjoy!  <p>The post #256: Semper Cinema – The Wind and the Lion with Josh Bates first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Timothy Gick to the scuttlebutt. Tim is the founder of the company Not A Very Good Teacher and the creator of the memory adaptation game, Mission Match. Tim is also a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Reserve, so the concept of developing military-friendly educational games for kids is something that hits close to home. Also, back in Episode 247, our gaming experts did a review of Mission Match, so please go back and give that a listen. Today, Tim talks to us about his path to the yellow footprints, some of the projects he worked on in his civilian life and how they influenced  the foundation of Not a Very Good Teacher, what Mission Match is and what he’s trying to do with the game, and what he has planned for the future. We just fed off his passion, and as a father, it was great to spend time with someone who is so immersed in the development of children and our future generations. Enjoy! www.notaverygoodteacher.com <p>The post #251: Timothy Gick is Not A Very Good Teacher first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema with our review of the 1970 made-for-TV movie, Tribes. Full disclosure, we chose this The post #241: Semper Cinema – Tribes first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we’re super excited to be welcoming retired MajGen James Lukeman to the scuttlebutt. MajGen Lukeman is President and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The post  #240: Marine Corps Heritage Foundation with MajGen James Lukeman (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we’re talking Modern Day Marine 2026, so we brought the MCA’s Director of National Military Association Engagement and The post #239: Modern Day Marine 2026 first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome August Cole back to the scuttlebutt. August joined us last year at Modern Day Marine in Episode 193 and was The post #238: The Power of Narrative with August Cole first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we The post #237: Literary Lethality with Ian Brown first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us at the scuttlebutt. This week, the team comes together to form Voltron to recognize this month as the 110th anniversary of the Marine Corps Gazette being in continuous publication. It’s no small The post #236: Celebrating the Gazette’s 110th Anniversary first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Josh Cannon to the scuttlebutt. Josh is a veteran Marine of OIF and the Director of Research for the Frederick Honors The post #235: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad with Josh Cannon first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this The post #234: Literary Lethality – Matterhorn with Michael Jerome Plunkett first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Editor-in-Chief of Leatherneck and Gazette magazines, Col Chris Woodbridge, to the scuttlebutt to talk about the US’s military operation The post #233: Observation Post – Iran Conflict first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This is an episode that we wanted to do when we first thought up the idea of hosting a The post #232: A Conversation with the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Mike LeBlanc to the scuttlebutt. Mike is a veteran Marine ground intelligence officer who is now the The post #231: What If Anger is the Answer with Mike LeBlanc first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us at the scuttlebutt. This week, we welcome retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Adam Walker back to the show. Adam is on deck to talk with us about The post #230: Thoughts on the E-8 Redesignation Board Pilot Program with MGySgt Adam Walker (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema in reviewing the documentary, The Last 600 Meters, detailing the battles of Fallujah The post #229: Semper Cinema – The Last 600 Meters first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. In Dec of 2025, the Commandant’s office released Gen Smith’s update to the Commandant’s Professional Reading List. In our pursuit The post #228: Introduction to our Commandant’s Professional Reading List Series first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week we welcome Peter Cook to the scuttlebutt. Peter is a former Marine turned high school economics teacher and author of The post #227: Bootleg Heroes and the Power of Literacy with Peter Cook first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. If you’re like me, the news cycle churns at a dizzying pace, and events come and go off the radar like submarines in The Hunt for The post  #226: Impacts of Military Action in Venezuela with Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we continue our discussion of Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro, with the editor-in-chief of the The post #225: US military action in Venezuela with Col Chris Woodbridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Welcome to 2026 and thank you for listening and your continued support. We hope you all had fun holidays and a safe New Year’s Eve celebration. This week, we kick off 2026 with another Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker. Earlier The post #224: Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and pray that you will be safe as we enter into the new year. This week, we welcome the founder and executive The post #223: History Flight Founder and Honorary Marine, Mark Noah first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Michael Jerome Plunkett to the show. Michael is a former machinegunner, EMT, co-founder and executive director of the Literature of War Foundation (with friend of the The post #222: Zone Rouge with Michael Jerome Plunkett first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for hanging out with us. We’re excited to have Gunnar Spafford from Toys for Tots back on the show this week. Gunnar first came on the show with John Haehn this The post #221: Toys for Tots with Gunnar Spafford first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Douglas K. Daniel to the show. Douglas is a journalist who served for nearly The post #220: Marine Corps Censorship and Combat Correspondents with Douglas K. Daniel first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we welcome Ben Connable back to the show. Ben recently co-authored (with Colin P. Clarke) an The post #219: War Against the Cartels with Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we want to start of by saying, Happy 250th Birthday, Marines! As our final, concluding episode of our Road to 250 series, The post #218: Happy 250th Birthday, Marines! first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you joining us and your continued support. This week, we’re Catching Up with Old Friends and hanging out with Brian O’Hare again. Depending on your definition The post #217: CUWOF with Brian O’Hare first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continue support. This week, as we recognize the 42nd anniversary of the Beirut bombings, we welcome Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff to The post #216: Remembering Beirut bombings with Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we are joined by Col John Atkinson and SgtMaj Justin LeHew to give us updates on The post #215: Amphibious Tractor Memorial Updates first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we bring you the penultimate episode of our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th The post #214: Road to 250 – Operation Odyssey Dawn first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Adam Walker to the show. Adam is the creator of Leatherneck Magazine’s newest segment, The post #213: Lessons from the Smoke Pit with Adam Walker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome a saxophonist from the Marine Corps’ President’s Own Band, Gunnery Sergeant Connor Mikula. This The post #212: Jam Sesh with the President’s Own’ saxophonist, GySgt Connor Mikula first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Chaplain CDR David Duprey and Dr. Lelia Brady to the show. Chaplain Duprey The post #211: Recognizing Suicide Prevention Awareness Month with Chaplain CDR David Duprey and Dr. Lelia Brady first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the The post #210: Road to 250/Semper Cinema – Heartbreak Ridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. This week is the conclusion of our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were recording from The post #209: MDM 2025 – Toys for Tots first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, The post #208: MDM 2025 – Homecoming 250 with George Leone first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were The post #207: MDM 2025 – Matt Watkins and Operation Headshot first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout the The post #206: Road to 250 – Vietnam War with Leatherneck Legend Paul Thompson first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we The post #205: MDM 2025 – MCWL Sergeant Major, SgtMaj Christopher Singley first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we continue with our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, The post #204: MDM 2025- GySgt Kevin Harris, SOI-E first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we begin our audio-only Modern Day Marine 2025 series. As with the previous MDMs, we were The post #203: MDM 2025 – Marine Scout Sniper Heritage Foundation President, Tim Parkhurst first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Ryan Pavel to the show. Ryan is the CEO of the Warrior-Scholar Project The post #202: Warrior Scholarship and Transitioning into Higher Education with Ryan Pavel first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Throughout The post #201: Road to 250 – WWII Amphibiosity with SgtMaj Justin LeHew first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. Well, here we are, episode 200. We can say with all sincerity that this milestone is as much The post #200: Capturing the Narrative with 1stSgt Chase McGrorty-Hunter first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Jonathan “JT” Taylor to the show. JT is a retired sergeant, a former scout The post #199: Telling the Scout Sniper story with the President of the Scout Sniper Association, Jonathan “JT” Taylor first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Brian O’Hare to the show. Using the term “welcome to the show” is a The post #198: Shenanigans with the author of the book Surrender, Brian O’Hare first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we continue our Road to 250 segment, celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in 2025. Over The post #197: Road to 250 – The Interwar Period with Col Chris Woodbridge, USMC (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in an your continued support. This week, we welcome adjunct professor at Georgetown University, executive director for Battle Research Group, and author of The post #196: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War with Dr. Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in an your continued support. This week, we have another episode in our segment, Catching Up with Old Friends. In this episode, we The post #195: Catching Up with Old Friends – Will Schick first appeared on Marine Corps Association.