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Tag: Marine Corps

Retired Marine Shares Message of Post-Traumatic Winning

Virginia Military Institute welcomed retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Michael “Mac” McNamara Jan. 12-14 to address the Corps of Cadets. McNamara is a broadcaster and author of “From Trauma to Joy,” and “Colleen Can’t Forget.” Both books address living successfully after experiencing trauma.

Each of the four cadet classes attended separately McNamara’s three-hour seminar, “Post-Traumatic Winning,” which has been presented to more than 150,000 civilian and military audiences across the United States since 2019. It highlights lessons learned by McNamara from years of interviews and discussions about living a great life after traumatic events. He also shared his message with faculty and staff.

VMI Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87, who personally invited McNamara to post, served with him in the Marine Corps and has known him for over 35 years. Furness introduced McNamara to the audiences by sharing his own heartbreaking experiences in 2018.

“I took over the command of Second Marine Division in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and in my first three months of command, I had five suicides. I reached out to the mental health professionals and asked, ‘Why is this happening? What can we do about it?’ I wasn’t going to accept continuing what had always been done, because it wasn’t working. I knew Mac was doing a radio show called ‘All Marine Radio,’ and was interviewing lots of combat veterans, hearing common themes, and finding trends in trauma and healing. I asked him to develop a program that would help my Marines with stress and emotional health, and he agreed. In 2019, right after the Christmas holidays, he came to Camp Lejeune with his presentation and gave it to a total of 14,000 over a one-week period.”

The impact the seminar had on the Marines was successful and immediate. Furness was pleased. “I couldn’t go anywhere without Marines coming up to me thanking me and telling me it had changed their lives.”

McNamara himself has seen and experienced significant trauma and loss. He is a combat veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a close-up witness to a helicopter crash during a training exercise at Twentynine Palms, California, in which the pilot was decapitated in his seat. His family shared deep hurt and pain when his sister Peggy’s husband shot and killed their two sons, then after beating her, turned the gun on himself. Another sister died horrifically. Instead of dwelling in a dark place, he chose a better way.

His methods of helping others overcome suffering are based on building relationships and sharing testimonials of personal traumatic ordeals. He told his audiences not to be afraid to sit down and talk to people who are struggling. “I don’t want you to hit the ejector seat as soon as they start getting serious, saying, ‘It is not a place where I belong.’ You do belong there because you’re in their life.”

McNamara equipped his listeners with helpful ideas they can implement immediately, and provided them with a wealth of additional resources including reels, online seminars, and podcasts accessible on his website fromtraumatojoy.com.

Midshipmen Moments: Sebastain Ramirez ’24

Sebastian Ramirez ’24 became fond of the challenging lifestyle that came with attending Virginia Military Institute after attending an open house. He said the high standards that cadets endured on a daily basis was something he wanted. 

“I wanted to go through the system myself and experience a transformation from such an intense and demanding environment,” he said. 

The applied mathematics major was originally enrolled in the Air Force ROTC for the first two years of his cadetship. Towards the end of his 3rd Class year, he had a change in heart and decided that he wanted to try to become a Marine.  

“I admired the leadership philosophies of the Marine Corps and the unrelentingly high standard that is expected of all Marines,” he said.  

He said the standard of the Naval services, especially the Marine Corps, is one of the highest of all the branches, which made it something he was drawn to. He also saw similarities in VMI’s culture and that of the Marine Corps — intimate and sacred. 

“The mission of the Marine Corps is unique; we are called upon at a moment’s notice with the expectation of fighting and winning in any clime or place,” he said. “The thing that makes me most proud to be a Marine is the legacy. To have the privilege of carrying on the legacy of the Marine Corps is indescribable. I look forward to serving and supporting Marines and feel privileged to be given the opportunity to lead.” 

He’s currently contracted as a student naval aviator with hopes of flying the F/A-18 or F-35. 

The Naval ROTC program provides two programs in which cadets can enroll in — U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. 

The mission is to develop midshipmen mentally, morally, and physically, and to instill the highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty to commission them as Navy or Marine officers. The NROTC program fosters high-level responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government. 

This past summer, Ramirez attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Marine Corps Base in Quantico. OCS is to educate and train officer candidates in Marine Corps knowledge and skills within a controlled and challenging environment. The school evaluates and screens individuals for the leadership, moral, mental, and physical qualities required for commissioning as a Marine Corps officer. 

Some trainings and activities included: combat conditioning, obstacle courses, close order drill, academic classes and discussions, fire team assault course, leadership reaction course, stamina and endurance course, small unit leadership evaluation, and daily platoon staff evaluation. 

The 10-week training was focused on small unit leadership in a stressful and fatigue-inducing environment, Ramirez said.  

Sebastian Ramirez addresses the Corps of Cadets atop a mountain.

“There’s also a significant amount of physical training events varying from long-distance runs to courses designed to simulate the physical rigors of a combat environment,” he said. 

He is currently in the Marine Company as the midshipman company gunnery sergeant and physical training instructor.  

“My responsibilities include planning, overseeing all physical training events, and managing gear distribution and maintenance,” he said.

He’s had the privilege of leading the company in physical training and ensuring their success in physical fitness tests and combat fitness tests, but all aspects of life where one’s physical fitness is put to the test. 

“We’re trying to build someone who is balanced in strength, endurance, and adaptability,” he said. 

Ramirez said that a benefit of VMI is the open doors it provides.  

“My decision to join NROTC came very late in my cadetship, relatively speaking. Fortunately, I was willing to put in the work and as a result, I’ve been given amazing opportunities despite having joined the program so late,” he said. “Finally, nothing makes the journey more meaningful than being able to take on every challenge with your best friends. Make friends wherever you go, and you will enjoy the work.”