Marine Corps Association

08/26/2026

Five years ago today, the attack at Abbey Gate took the lives of 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghan civilians during the evacuation of Kabul.

In this Leatherneck story, Marines who served at Hamid Karzai International Airport recount the evacuation, the attack, and the memories they carried home with them.

Today, we remember the 13 service members who were lost, honor those who were wounded, recognize all who served during the evacuation of Kabul, and acknowledge the lasting impact on the Marines, fellow service members, Afghan civilians, and families forever connected to that day.

Read “Holding the Line: Marines Confront Abbey Gate Memories Two Years Later” by Kyle Watts from the archives.
https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/holding-the-line-marines-confront-abbey-gate-memories-two-years-later/

08/25/2026

08/24/2026

Ep256: Semper Cinema – The Wind and the Lion with Josh Bates

https://buff.ly/XxEp8Vg

For this episode, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema with our review of the Marine Corps classic, The Wind and the Lion. It's a Marine Corps classic because, as every Gen X Marine can attest, clips from the movie have been used as an attention-grabber in just about every class, period of instruction, and formal school. The Wind and the Lion stars Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, and Brian Keith. It was released in 1975 and is loosely based on the Perdicaris Affair of 1904. To help us break down the film is returning guest, author, podcaster, history nerd, and movie aficionado, LtCol Josh Bates (Ret.).

We talk about the conflict between the film’s narrative arc and the historical accuracy of the event it attempts to portray, the cast performances, the film’s relevance to modern-day audiences, and what Marines can take away from it. Josh has great insights, and it was a lot of fun to dive into this movie with him.

08/20/2026

MCA Live-Full Audio Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoTeQzRVmNw

08/20/2026

Congratulations to the Marines selected for Academic Year 2027–2028 Top Level Schools!

The Marine Corps Association is proud to recognize these Marines as they continue their professional military education at our Nation’s senior service colleges, foreign institutions, and fellowship programs.

We congratulate the AY27–28 selectees on this significant achievement and look forward to seeing how they bring the knowledge, perspectives, and leadership gained through these programs back to the Corps.

View the full list of selectees and MARADMIN 370/26:
https://buff.ly/LChw9w7

08/18/2026

Mission Made Monday | Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle

Built for the future of reconnaissance.

At Modern Day Marine, we spoke with Josh Loranger, Electronic Architect Principal Engineer at General Dynamics Land Systems, about the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV), the Marine Corps’ next-generation platform for Light Armored Reconnaissance.

Designed to replace the LAV in LAR battalions, the ARV combines amphibious mobility, advanced sensors, a 30mm autocannon and a modular electronic architecture built to integrate evolving technology and capabilities.

See how the ARV is bringing mobility, situational awareness and next-generation technology together for the future fight.

08/17/2026

Please welcome Evita Mosqueda, Manager of Spouse Programs and Curriculum at the Marine Corps Association!

With more than 18 years of Marine Corps leadership, program management, education, and community engagement experience, Evita brings a wealth of experience to her new role. A Marine Corps veteran, current Marine Corps Reserve officer, and military spouse, she understands the Marine Corps community from multiple perspectives.

Throughout her career, Evita has led complex programs, supported senior military and government leaders, developed leadership initiatives, and facilitated workshops focused on teamwork and building confident leaders.

At MCA, Evita will focus on developing impactful programs, curriculum, partnerships, and learning opportunities that educate, empower, and strengthen Marine Corps spouses and families.

We are excited to have her on the MCA team!
https://www.mca-marines.org/mca-staff/

08/15/2026

The results are in.

The and Bayonet Warfighting Society are proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Competition.

🥇 First Place
LtCol Timothy Gick, DIU, USMCR

🥈 Second Place
HM2 (FMF) Patrick W. Kurdziel Jr., 1st Battalion, 10th Marines

🥉 Third Place
Maj Patrick D. Hudie, USMC, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who submitted an original and put their tactical thinking to the test.

Presented in partnership with the Bayonet Warfighting Society, the competition challenged participants to develop realistic scenarios designed to sharpen critical thinking, decision-making and the profession of arms. Stay tuned to the Marine Corps Gazette and MCA social media Pages for the winning TDGs.

08/14/2026

255: Semper Read with 2ndLt Steven Ramirez

Listen Now: https://podcast.show/1465696/semper-read-with-2ndlt-steven-ramirez/

Steven is a prior-enlisted officer currently a student at The Basic School. But more than anything, he’s a reader. Steven started the Semper Read Instagram page to share his love of books beyond just his fellow Marines at his unit. What started as just a small social media page ended up being followed by the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. His origin story begins with him watching the attacks of 9/11 from across the Hudson River as a kid, to then stepping on the yellow footprints of the PI, to now having coming over to the dark side to become an officer. Steven talks to us about Semper Read, the joy he gets from sharing his passion for reading, and what he hopes his efforts will have on his fellow Marines, both personally and professionally.

08/14/2026

Strategy is built on plans, platforms, capabilities, AND trust.

In “The Hidden Engine of Strategy,” Maj Hwamok Kong examines how relationships shaped success in the Pacific during World War II and why those lessons still matter for today’s alliances and partnerships.

Read more in the Marine Corps Gazette:
https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/the-hidden-engine-of-strategy/