I always found myself frustrated that such effort and detail was needed to pass an inspection, because after all, it was just a uniform, right? But as I gained in experience as a Marine, I saw the honor, courage, commitment it takes to uphold the ideal the uniform stands for and the pride Marines take in that. This pride is mirrored by the respect they show for their uniform.

The day I became a Marine by receiving my eagle, globe and anchor, I saw the lengths my platoon buddy had to go to gain his title. With a badly sprained ankle, he made the 10-mile hike, part of it up the Reaper Mountain. At times he needed to be helped along but he refused to give upbecause he wanted nothing more than to get a little chunk of metal representing everything he’d been working for and had to conquer in boot camp. When he finally made it down the mountain and the parade field, he was in tears as the drill instructor dropped it in his hand.

I once spoke to a Marine Edson Raider who had led the charge in taking over many islands in the Pacific. He told me the Japanese ran when they saw them because they recognized the uniform. He told me they knew what it meant and they knew what the Marines could do. He said he was proud of that and he wanted me to carry on the tradition.

This is a charge I take seriously. No matter how annoying I find Irish pennants that grow overnight, wearing dress uniforms on Friday or being corrected for my ribbons being an eighth of an inch off, I accept it. I know we should help each other maintain the tradition of standards that have been set. I know these traditions should be met with perfection,because, in the pursuit of perfection, we uphold the honor, courage and commitment that previously serving Marines upheld for us.

— Correspondent: jahn.kuiper@usmc.mil