A man who needs little introduction to the Marines of Weapons Company, Sergeant Major Alphonso Mack joins us to give some of his history as a mortarman and recruit depot First Sergeant... then becomes the First Sergeant who holds Weapons Company 2/4 together before, during and after Ramadi 2004. We talk about trust, standards, grief, and the moments leaders carry for decades after the shooting stops.
• getting thrown into the first sergeant role at MCRD San Diego
• managing unique unit cultures outside of the infantry
• trading billets to leave MCRD and arriving at 2/4
• his origins becoming an 81mm mortarman and early leader
• the 110% rule and why being “average” is a choice
• treating Marines as people by learning their stories
• the family brief promise and how it changes his leadership on later deployments
• adapting the Weapons Company Mission and fighting for fair promotions during wartime
• carrying memories of loss, moments of second guessing, and the cost of decisions made under pressure
• hooch life stories with some humor and hijinks in the COC
• grief after losing his wife and rebuilding through training and routines
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If you are a member of Weapons Company or someone with a story about Weapons Company 2/4 in 2004, please come tell some stories with us - 20 mins or 20 hours! Help paint the canvas of an archival story for others to know what it was like. Contact us @ RamadiPodcast@gmail.com, or via the podcast website above.
All music used with permission by soundbay: https://www.youtube.com/@soundbay_RFM
