Marine Corps Association Foundation

PROVIDE RESOURCES & SUPPORT TO SUSTAIN AND EXPAND PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES ESSENTIAL TO MCA'S MISSION.

THE MARINE EXCELLENCE AWARDS PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED TO RECOGNIZE THE PROFESSIONAL ACHEIVEMENTS OF MARINES AND SAILORS (SERVING IN MARINE CORPS UNITS) AND TO RECOGNIZE THE HONOR GRADUATES THROUGHOUT THE MARINE CORPS OFFICER AND ENLISTED FORMAL SCHOOLS. AWARDS ARE A VALUABLE INCENTIVE AND AN APPROPRIATE MEANS OF RECOGNIZING MARINES AND SAILORS WHO EXCEL IN THEIR COMMANDS AND FORMAL SCHOOLS AND LEADERSHIP COURSES. THE MCAF IS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR OF AWARDS GIVEN TO THE U.S. MARINE CORPS. EACH YEAR MCAF GIVES AWARDS TO MORE THAN 5,200 DESERVING MARINES AND SAILORS. ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE AWARDS GO TO ENLISTED MEN AND WOMEN. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE AWARDS GIVEN TO OUTSTANDING MARINES AND SAILORS: RECRUITER OF THE YEAR, DRILL INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR, RECRUIT TRAINING (HONOR RECRUIT, HIGH SHOOTER AND HIGH PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST), THE BASIC SCHOOL HONOR GRAD, OFFICER CANDIDATES SCHOOL HONOR GRAD, EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE SCHOOL HONOR GRAD, STAFF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER ACADEMY HONOR GRAD. IN TOTAL IN 2021, THE MARINE CORPS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION SPENT OVER $950,000 IN SUPPORT OF APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MARINES. THAT SUPPORT INCLUDED OVER 4,500 AWARDS RECOGNIZING THE EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF MARINES AND THEIR EFFECTIVE WRITTEN WORK.

COMMANDER'S FORUMS: THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES FUNDING TO ASSIST COMMANDERS IN DEVELOPING AND PROVIDING FORUM OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO ENHANCE THEIR MARINES AND SAILORS' KNOWLEDGE OF THE OPERATIONAL MATTERS FROM A HISTORICAL, CULTURAL OR OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE. THE FORUMS CAN RANGE FROM PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH NOTED AUTHORS AND SCHOLARS TO A CLASSICAL BATTLE STUDY. PARTICIPATION IN THE BATTLE STUDIES WILL HELP PREPARE A UNIT FOR CURRENT OPERATIONS THROUGH THE STUDY OF MILITARY HISTORY. PARTICIPANTS IN BATTLE STUDIES MAY WALK THE GROUND WITH EXPERTS IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THESE FAMOUS BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS. THE FUNDS PAY FOR SPEAKING FEES, HONORARIUMS, BATTLE GUIDE DIRECTORS AND OTHER COSTS THAT ARE NON-GOVERNMENTAL IN NATURE. IN ADDITION, THE MCAF ACTIVELY SEEKS TO PROVIDE RELEVANT, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION FOR ACTIVE-DUTY MARINES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO STAY ABREAST OF CURRENT ISSUES. THESE FORUMS FEATURE PROMINENT SPEAKERS, KEY DECISION MAKERS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND OFFER KEY INSIGHTS AND UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES ON CURRENT MILITARY TOPICS. EVENTS ARE HELD AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, ALLOWING ACTIVE-DUTY MARINES AND OUR MEMBERS NATIONWIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE APPRECIATION OF CURRENT ISSUES. IN 2021, OVER 9,000 MARINE LEADERS (NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS, STAFF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS, AND COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AT MULTIPLE GRADES) TOURED BATTLEFIELDS AND CONDUCTED STAFF RIDES TO LEARN THE VALUABLE LESSONS OF HISTORY THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO TODAY'S CHALLENGES.

THE COMMANDERS' UNIT LIBRARY PROGRAM PROVIDES COMMANDERS WITH FUNDS TO ESTABLISH AND SUSTAIN THEIR UNIT PROFESSIONAL LIBRARY WHEN THE UTILIZATION OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS IS NOT PRACTICABLE. LIBRARIES ARE THE BEDROCK OF OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORT. THE PROGRAM ALLOWS COMMANDERS TO SELECT BOOKS FROM THE MARINE CORPS ASSOCIATION'S EXTENSIVE BOOK LIST AND THE COMMANDANT'S READING LIST. THE MCA BOOK LIST CONTAINS TIMELESS MILITARY CLASSICS AS WELL AS RECENT BOOKS ON EMERGING AREAS OF INTEREST IN CURRENT MILITARY OPERATIONS AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING. MOST UNITS RECEIVE KINDLES AS PART OF THEIR LIBRARY, WITH EACH KINDLE LOADED WITH MORE THAN 330 TITLES. THIS PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE UNIT. CURRENT PRIORITY GENERALLY GOES TO DEPLOYING ORGANIZATIONS AND MARINE UNITS IN REMOTE LOCATIONS. IN 2021, 128 MARINE CORPS UNITS (BATTALIONS, SQUADRONS, REGIMENTS, GROUPS, ETC) RECEIVED BOOKS TO ENHANCE THEIR UNIT LIBRARIES.