MCA Scuttlebutt

#241: Semper Cinema – Tribes

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 movie because we wanted to break the Semper Cinema paradigm and veer a bit off our normal course to go with a movie we knew was less than stellar. And Tribes does not disappoint. Aired as the ABC Movie of the Week, it is basically a boot camp movie, starring Jan Michael Vincent of Airwolf fame and Darren McGavin, probably most famously known for playing the dad in A Christmas Story. And although we have our criticisms, it did well, earning three Emmy Awards and ranking as the #8 boot camp movie by Screen Junkies. Tribes clearly influenced some of the more significant Marine Corps movies of the 80s and 90s, but for us, it mostly influenced us to not recommend portraying Marine Corps boot camp in a made-for-TV format. But as always, we have fun with it.   Enjoy!  The post #241: Semper Cinema – Tribes [https://www.mca-marines.org/podcast/scuttlebutt/241-semper-cinema-tribes/] first appeared on Marine Corps Association [https://www.mca-marines.org].

#240: Marine Corps Heritage Foundation with MajGen James Lukeman (Ret)

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. To go through his entire career would require a multi-episode documentary series, but needless to say, it is a huge honor to have MajGen Lukeman on the show. In this episode, we talk about his upbringing as a Marine son and how, as a chemical engineer, he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps to the yellow footprints. We also discuss how the Heritage Foundation supports the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the importance of maintaining pride in the Marine Corps’ role in American history. Not only among the ranks, but also to raise the awareness of the public. From sponsoring Major League Baseball Spring Training to the Heritage Foundation Annual Awards Dinner, which will take place this Saturday, April 25th, at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. His authentic passion and love for the Marine Corps are infectious, and we hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did.   Enjoy!  The post  #240: Marine Corps Heritage Foundation with MajGen James Lukeman (Ret) [https://www.mca-marines.org/podcast/scuttlebutt/240-marine-corps-heritage-foundation-with-majgen-james-lukeman-ret/] first appeared on Marine Corps Association [https://www.mca-marines.org].

#239: Modern Day Marine 2026

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 Expositions, Marta Sullivan, and the Director of Strategy, Plans & Assessment at Headquarters Marine Corps Comms Directorate, LtCol Nick Mannweiler, to the scuttlebutt to talk to us about what’s in store for the premier military exposition. From the key leadership engagements and TedTalk-style presentations to the Commandant’s Cup wargaming tourney at Objective 1, there’s something for everyone. And of course, there’sall the cool stuff. Vendors, large and small, will be presenting their innovations to support Force Design and the Marine Corps’ modernization efforts. If that weren’tenough to get you hyped, we’ll be there recording live from the showroom floor. Come check us out and say hi!    Enjoy!  marinemilitaryexpos.com  The post #239: Modern Day Marine 2026 [https://www.mca-marines.org/podcast/scuttlebutt/239-modern-day-marine-2026/] first appeared on Marine Corps Association [https://www.mca-marines.org].

#238: The Power of Narrative with August Cole

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 kind enough to come on again. Please go back and check that out. For those who missed it, August is the co-author of the books Ghost Fleetand Burn-In, managing partner of Useful Fiction, and a nonresident senior fellow in the Forward Defense practice of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. He was also a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and he talks to us about being a journalist and how his experience informs his fiction writing. We also dive into narrative and the power of storytelling, and how telling stories about what could be helps tell the story of what is. Also, with this being the ten-year anniversary of Ghost Fleet, he shares some insights into how “right” his books are.      Enjoy!  augustcole.com  instagram.com/augustcole  useful-fiction.com  The post #238: The Power of Narrative with August Cole [https://www.mca-marines.org/podcast/scuttlebutt/238-the-power-of-narrative-with-august-cole/] first appeared on Marine Corps Association [https://www.mca-marines.org].

#237: Literary Lethality with Ian Brown

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 will be doing a deep dive into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking with authors about some of the books on the list. Today, we welcome Ian Brown back to the show. Ian has been on a few times, participating in our World of Wargaming series and is one of the most prolific advocates for the benefits of wargaming and robust military education. He is also the author of A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare and Snowmobiles and Grand Ideas: John Boyd’s Vision for Thriving in Chaos. Ian talks to us about A New Conception of War, the genesis of the project, and what it means to him to have his book on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List three years running. And more than anything, why A New Conception of War deserves to be on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List.  Enjoy!  linkedin.com/in/ian-brown-41b2bb94  x.com/ian_tb03  The post #237: Literary Lethality with Ian Brown [https://www.mca-marines.org/podcast/scuttlebutt/237-literary-lethality-with-ian-brown/] first appeared on Marine Corps Association [https://www.mca-marines.org].