#5--Joshua Jonesia (Part One)

In this episode, we discuss the following topics.

*Josh’s experiences with squad leaders up to this point in his career

*How these leaders influenced him

 

*His experiences going through the reconnaissance training pipeline and serving with 3rd Recon Battalion

*His decision to leave the recon community and the shame he felt as a result

 

*Josh's deployments with the 31st MEU

 

*The “golden nuggets” of leadership he took from his first squad leader

 

*How Josh approaches corrective actions

 

*The benefits of having a strong NCO and squad leader core within a unit

 

*Creating such a core and the challenges to doing so

 

*Josh's thoughts on what makes a “real” deployment

 

*Why many Marines don’t see MEUs as "real" deployments

 

*Josh's advice for squad leaders on making the most of MEUs

 

*His experiences supporting operations on the US-Mexico border

 

*His advice for fighting complacency during monotonous missions