Marine Officer - Col Craig Crenshaw

<span> <p> <img style="float: none;" src="http://assets2.marines.com/assetmgr/image/disp/inline/size/460x259/id/4347" alt="Col Craig Crenshaw <br /> Logistics Officer" /><h2>Becoming a Marine Corps Officer</h2>Col Craig Crenshaw:<br /> As a young guy I knew that I wanted to be a Marine. I´m not sure what it was that kinda captured it. As I grew older and kinda realized maybe it was, probably was the uniform initially, but really at the end, kind of had appreciation for what the Marine Corps stood for. I came in as an officer. I went through the NROTC program at Southern University, which allowed me to get commission as a second lieutenant. Following that, you would go to your Basic School six-month course. <br /> <br /> For me, I think TBS was an experience. It´s one where, certainly you go back and do some schooling and then you do a lot of practical applications. But really, it´s an experience that you kinda embody once you leave there. And so, because when you start creating those relationships, that, those folks that you´re probably gonna see throughout your military career.<br /> <hr /><h2>Logistics Training</h2>Crenshaw2Being :59<br /> <br /> Col Craig Crenshaw:<br /> My schooling was another three-months, school of logistics and in varied facets of logistics we´d go through. From embarkation training to being able to manage maintenance of a unit and the likes. Once you complete that school, then you´re kind of, you know, the logistics guy now. And you get sent off to another, to an actual unit. <br /> <br /> As I established my new command, I was waiting for my Staff Noncommissioned Officer. I´ve gone through the training and I know that for those things I didn´t pick up on at MOS school; somebody will be there to kind of cover for me. So I´m waiting for my Staff Noncommissioned Officer to show up. He never shows up. But then walks in a young Noncommissioned Officer, corporal, a female corporal. And she says, "Sir, I´m your maintenance management chief. I´m gonna train you to be a maintenance management officer." I think, to this day, she was the person really kind of put me on the right, right track on being a good officer and certainly as a Maintenance Management Officer. <br /> <hr /><h2>Commanding a Regiment</h2>Crenshaw3Leadership 1:16<br /> <br /> Col Craig Crenshaw:<br /> I have a large regimen: 3,600 Marines and sailors. I´m enjoying what I´m doing as a commanding officer of a logistics regimen. It´s one where you have, each day you make a difference in supporting a MEF. We have maintenance supply, health service-type missions that we do every day in garrison or in theatre.<br /> <br /> Maintenance battalion is a[n] organization that provides maintenance for/to the MEF. And so we want to make sure that we´re addressing some of the key issues that the MEF commanders see as important. Secondary repairables such as alternators, transmissions-also, I should mention the track vehicles, which is very important to us. You know our [inaudible] will allow us to do some of the recovery pieces that we need to do in terms of maintenance recovery operations. And so that´s an important piece of equipment and fortunately we have it and it works and Marines are doing well down here.<br /> <br /> As a regimental commander, I´m very fortunate. I have quality Marines and sailors who understand their job, who are engaged, who are passionate about what they do. Because they know the end result of us doing it right, and that´s being able to support the Marines.<br /> <hr /><h2>Shaping Future Marines</h2>Crenshaw4Family 1:31<br /> <br /> Col Craig Crenshaw:<br /> When you´re out deploying, you´re doing great things. You wanna make sure that your family is being well taken care of. And so the Marine Corps, through various types of programs, have integrated the family into the activities of their Marines. <br /> <br /> My family loves to see me in uniform and this is 25 years, you know. And I know our young Marines today, when they go back to their hometowns, their families want them to wear the uniform because being a Marine really says a lot. <br /> <br /> These are examples of where you´ve been and some things you´ve done. But it doesn´t tell the whole story. I mean, I look at these as I had the opportunity to be a part of different operations. Deployments and training and personal awards, which, when you have personal awards you realize that it´s not really about you. It´s the folks around you that allow you to be successful. And so I don´t pay a lot of attention to the medals and ribbons. If I had to choose one, it would probably be the one that I received as being a series commander on the drill field. `Cause that´s the one where you really shape Marines, the new Marine Corps. You really shape these young, young kids who want to be Marines and you see them develop and you see them quickly grow and taking responsibility acting as young leaders. And at the end of that training period, I say, "Man, we´re gonna be ok. Our Corps is doing the right thing by making quality, quality leaders."<br /> <hr /> </p> </span>

I have quality Marines and sailors who understand their job, who are engaged, who are passionate about what they do because they know the end result of us doing it right and that’s being able to support the Marines.
—Col Craig Crenshaw

Commissioned: 1984
Commissioning Program: NROTC
Education: Southern University, Webster University, National Defense University
Years of Service: 24

Family has always been important to Colonel Craig Crenshaw and it was brotherhood that attracted him to the Marine Corps. During his training at The Basic School, he began creating relationships that would last a lifetime.

Now Col Crenshaw commands more than 3,600 Marines as the head of a logistical regiment that ensures Marines all over the world have the materials they need. In addition to this mission, he believes the most important part of his role as an officer is shaping the next generation of Marines.

Marines. The Few. The Proud.

Col Craig Crenshaw
Logistics Officer

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Marines. The Few. The Proud.

Col Craig Crenshaw Logistics Officer

Related Pages

Col Craig Crenshaw
Logistics Officer