Well Done C. Co. 4th AABn! You did good work and carried the Marine Corps banner nicely!....Photo by Pfc. Samantha Schwoch

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Robert Ross, section leader of Charlie Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, is welcomed back from his children at U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center, Galveston, Texas after several days of search and rescues operations in immediate response to Hurricane Harvey on Sept. 3, 2017. 4th AAV Bn spent the week assisting in disaster relief efforts with the Galveston Fire Department, rescuing over 300 people, executing multiple medical evacuations, and delivering supplies.

Ain't it funny how planning never works out the way you expect or want? The Marine Corps was trying to spool up its aviation centric philosophy to respond to the emergency but things didn't unfold the right way.

I can imagine there is a planner running around HQMC that had visions of MV-22's swooping in and capturing the imagination of the American people while at the same time putting critics of the concept like me in our place.

I can imagine they're all huddled in a corner right now saying....

What happened instead?

A group of reservists.  Marines in C. Co. 4th AABn, responded to the call in a timely manner.  They had their rigs in proper running order as they should be and they were ready to go at the drop of a hat.

We saw all sorts of emergency responders.  Law Enforcement/other first responders, Border Patrol, Customs, Wildlife & Game Enforcement, Coast Guard, US Army National Guard, US Army Reserve, USAF, USAF Reserve, US Navy...the list goes on.

At the presser that the NorthCom Commander gave with the Texas Governor she rattled off agency after agency and when she got to the Marines she stated that the 26th MEU would be enroute...if needed.

It was enough to make me want to punch walls.

When the American people needed our help we were nowhere to be found while every other swinging dick and lopsided ovary was scrambling all over the place.

But then John sent me a link to some pics and videos posted online of C. Co. 4th AABn doing work.  Doing good work and my heart sang.  Those bubbas were convoying thru the small towns to provide disaster relief and people were stopping and cheering them on.  Do you know how good it is to hear some say "Fuck yeah those are US Marines"!

Well fucking done C. Co. 4th AABn.  You have earned every bit of that humanitarian medal you should be about to receive in a couple of months. But even more than that you did the deed, when needed, NOT on a foreign shore but here in America.  Additionally you carried the banner for the Marine Corps. America's force in readiness was NOT ready for this disaster but an element of it was. Again.  Well done C. Co.!

Note.  Lessons learned?  Whoever we have working our NorthCom desk either needs to be retrained or fired.  To think that we weren't ramped up to the same extent as the other services is unthinkable.  It's totally unsat.  If we're gonna waste money having people assigned to that command HQ then we better be more into the loop so that we can meet the needs of the American people during times of crisis.  You can't get ready.  You have to BE READY.