Former White House Chief of Staff, Treasury Secretary, and Secretary of State
Onetime Marine Corps First Lieutenant James A. Baker III insists that his two years on active duty were routine—he spent a year as a naval gunfire spotter on the USS Monrovia (APA-31) and a year at Camp LeJeune before returning to civilian life—but it shaped the rest of his career, and that was no small accomplishment. He served as White House Chief of Staff to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Secretary of the Treasury under Reagan, and Secretary of State under Bush. Here's his take on the impact his military service has had on him.
General Al Gray, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, was right.
Being an officer in the Corps was a pivotal moment of my life, an experience that greatly shaped the man I later became.
That's not exactly how the general phrased it. But looking back at the first time the two of us met, I think that was what he meant.
In 1989, not long after I became Secretary of State for President George H. W. Bush, General Gray made a courtesy call on me in my new office at Foggy Bottom.
Although I was then at the very top of the Washington power curve, and would make decisions that involved American servicemen and servicewomen, I had to remind myself that I was no longer a Marine second lieutenant. I didn't need to stand at attention and salute when the imposing commandant of the Marine Corps strode in with four stars on each shoulder.
After a brief and very cordial visit, General Gray gave me a stack of business cards with a Marine Corps camouflage background and my name in large letters in the center. Right below that, in capital letters, it said: MARINE WARRIOR. And under that, in conspicuously smaller lettering, was added: and Secretary of State.
There was, of course, intended humor in Gray's gift, and the two of us laughed about his ironic suggestion that a Marine held more status than a Secretary of State. Still, the card implied the truth of the maxim: "There is no such thing as a former Marine."
Today, more than 50 years after I last wore the Corps uniform, I remain a Marine. And I always will be a Marine.
I look back on my time in the Corps with great pride, even if it was, in a word, uneventful. From the lessons I learned in Basic School at Quantico to the tasks I performed as a naval gunfire officer on maneuvers with NATO forces in the Mediterranean, the discipline and sense of purpose that are the products of military training prepared me for the challenges I later faced.
I now realize that a half-dozen important characteristics honed during my time in the Marines played critical roles in any successes I later had.
The first is the work ethic that the Corps instills in Marines. It is legendary.
To be fair, even before I became a Marine, my father had taught me the merits of what he called the 5 Ps—prior preparation prevents poor performance. Although it's a simple aphorism that parents often tell their children, people are frequently surprised to learn that I still recite it.
The point of the 5 Ps is that if you get up a little earlier in the morning, work a little later at night, then you will be more successful than your adversaries.
In the Marine Corps, the lesson of the 5 Ps was taught with vigor (although an additional, more earthy P was occasionally added). Marines prepare over and over to get it right. I still do.
Second, nothing concentrates the mind like military experience. When lives are on the line, all decisions are important.
After I returned to Texas and entered law school following my stint in the Marine Corps, I maintained a much sharper focus on my studies than I had previously done as an undergraduate. Although I was married and had my first child during my initial year at the University of Texas School of Law, I graduated with honors and made the law review. Looking back, I am not sure that the B student from Princeton would have done as well in law school without that focus.
Third, the Marines drilled into me habits of discipline in both my personal behavior as well as my professional work. My appearance and deportment—polished shoes, neat suits, and moderation in drinking, eating, and spending—received a makeover in the Marines that lasted a lifetime. So, too, did my professional habits as I learned how to better prioritize my thoughts and organize my actions.
Fourth, perhaps nothing defines Marines as much as their ability to work together as a cohesive unit. If excellence is the goal of every Marine—and it is—then teamwork is the way it is attained. Such training helped me in virtually every job I have held since, from private law practice to serving as President Ronald Reagan's White House Chief of Staff to running political campaigns.
Fifth, a leatherneck's never-accept-defeat perseverance remains with me today. When faced with an obstacle, the Marine is taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome. A Marine doesn't give up.
I may have been a little hard-headed before I joined the Marines, but I damn sure was more so afterwards. Time and time again that trait has served me well.
When I was Secretary of State, I met with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in an attempt to convince him to join a Middle East peace process. Even though Assad rejected my initial plea, I knew his support was critical. So I returned, and often.
Some may have thought I was too stubborn. I could have stopped going to Damascus after the first trip, or the sixth, or the twelfth. But the Marine in me said to keep going, to improvise, adapt, and overcome. On the 15th trip, Assad consented and the effort helped pave the way for the 1991 Madrid Conference, the first time Israel and all of its Arab neighbors sat down face-to-face to negotiate peace.
Sixth, and last, is the importance of public service.
As a Marine, I learned that duty, honor, and commitment are more than clichés. I was proud, and remain proud, to be a Marine who served his country. I understand the response of that wounded World War I veteran in a French hospital who was asked if he was an American. "No, ma'am," he replied. "I'm a Marine."
My call to public service came years after I served in the Marines. It followed the death of my first wife. To help me deal with my grief, my tennis partner and close friend, George H. W. Bush (a Navy pilot), invited me to help with his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Although we lost the race, the experience led me to a long and second career in politics, and its corollary, public service.
I have no doubt that my military service helped prepare me for that career. The pride for country that I gained as a Marine led me to appreciate our great nation more than ever.
Today, I encourage young people to get involved in some form of public service. The military is a great place to do that. But not everyone can serve in the armed forces, and there are many other places where public service is needed.
What is important is that all of us recognize that we have the capacity to make the world a better place. All it takes is to dedicate a small part of our time and talent to public service.
This is a small price to pay for being a citizen of the greatest nation on earth.