Marines have always been amphibious warriors, usually striking from the sea onto dry land. At the 2010 Marine West Expo aboard Camp Pendleton, CA, a powerful winter storm did just that to the hundreds of vendors displaying the latest in military gear under a large tent. The storm swept ashore Jan. 26, the night before the show opened, and driving rain seeped into the carpeting under the exhibits.

Christmastime is magical at Tryon Palace, the Georgian-style palace in historic New Bern, N.C., gracing the November/December issue of American Spirit, the magazine we publish for the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Once known as the finest public building in the Colonies, the palace, which was built around 1770 as the royal governor’s home and North Carolina’s first permanent capitol, hasn’t always been so radiant. It was reduced to ruins, until local preservationists launched a campaign to resurrect it. Thanks to their tenacity and the discovery of the original architect’s plans, the palace still enchants the public today, 50 years after its restoration.

While Hammock Inc. is known for providing a wide array of outsourced services related to media and community strategy, creation and management, we are also a “user” of a wide array of outsourced services to do our jobs and manage our business.
For example, in a typical year, we will work with around 150 freelance writers, photographers, illustrators, videographers and web developers. We also outsource a long list of administrative and technical support services ranging from managing payroll to keeping our color printers humming.
Being a customer of outsourced services has taught us a lot about being a provider of outsourced services. For the most part, these lessons have come from taking what works in one experience or relationship and applying it to the next similar challenge. I’ll admit, with much regret, that some of these lessons have come from our being “bad clients.”

Wedgwood’s storied history as an iconic creator of beautiful ceramics art is the focus of American Spirit‘s September/October issue.

In 1759, Josiah Wedgwood, an apprentice potter in England, left his job at an established potter’s workshop and opened his own pottery business. This year, to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Wedgwood will join the DAR Museum as it presents a new exhibition, “Wedgwood: 250 Years of Innovation and Artistry” from October 3 through February 27, 2010. Our story illustrates the legacy of a talented visionary and encourages visitors to check out the exhibit, which will feature 200 diverse pieces dating from the 1700s to today.

The cover of the Sept-Oct. issue of Semper Fi, the magazine of the Marine Corps League, is devoted to LtCol. Timothy Maxwell, founder of the Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment. Grievously wounded in an IED attack that sent shrapnel into his brain, LtCol. Maxwell battled ferocious odds to regain motor skills and mental capabilities. During his long recovery, he realized wounded Marines needed to be together to share their travails and triumphs. He organized the Wounded Warrior Barracks aboard Camp Lejeune, NC, which grew into a full-fledged regiment. LtCol. Maxwell retired in June, but has not given up fighting to help Wounded Warriors of all services. His story is an inspiration to all.

Bringing the Corps’ message to the Windy City, U.S. Marines swept into Chicago in mid-May for the first-ever Marine Week, a citywide series of events designed to better acquaint Chicagoans with the Corps. Our client, the Marine Corps League, partnered with the Corps to plan and carry out the demonstrations, speeches, concerts and receptions, and the story of Marine Week makes the cover of the July-August issue of Semper Fi, the League’s member magazine produced by Hammock Inc.

Chicago, The City of Broad Shoulders, saw a lot of broad shoulders from 11-17 May as the US Marine Corps blew into the Windy City to give residents a close-up look at today’s Corps during the service’s inaugural Marine Week.

Hundreds of Marines performed community services tasks such as cleaning up parks, assisting with Habitat for Humanity projects and rehabbing community centers; they also visited schools, participated in sporting events, exhibited the latest in Marine equipment such as the V-22 Osprey and demonstrated Marine skills such as martial arts. On Sunday 17 May, a group of Marines staged a mock raid in the city’s popular Arlington
Park racetrack complex, complete with Ospreys landing and troops fanning out.

The previous evening at Navy Pier, the Marine Corps League hosted a VIP reception keynoted by an address from General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret), who was the 32nd Commandant of the Corps and serves now as National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent, and LtGen. Ronald S. Coleman, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs were also among the guests who included local political figures and many members of Chicagoland and Illinois Marine Corps League Detachments.

Local Leaguers were deeply involved in the planning and implementation of events, assisting the active duty Marines wherever necessary. Their scarlet jackets and caps – known as “covers” in Marine parlance – stood out in the crowds. It was a chance for these veterans to spend time getting to know some of today’s Leathernecks who carry on the Corps’ proud legacy.

The week-long event was an opportunity for Chicagoans to meet the individuals who make the Marine Corps, said Chicago native Brig. Gen. Melvin G. Spiese, commanding general, Training and Education Command, in Quantico, VA. “The idea of Marine Week is to get the major cities in America exposed to the Marine Corps,” said General Spiese. “We couldn’t find a better place to kick this thing off. We are America’s Marine Corps.”

“This is a Marine Corps town, it’s a very popular part of the military here,” said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley in opening the week-long event on 11 May. “You’ll see it all week, there is a great history of Marine Corps families in Chicago.”

Plans are in the works for the next Marine Week scheduled for this fall in Boston.

In his controversial novel “Starship Troopers,” sci-fi legend Robert Heinlein wrote of a future military corps called the Mobile Infantry. Highly selective and totally volunteer like today’s US Marine Corps, the MI were usually the point of the spear, and were equipped with spacesuit like outfits that augmented their natural muscular abilities. The so-called powered suits – far more advanced than, say, Robocop’s – allowed them to run faster and farther, lift heavy objects, carry immense loads including all sorts of weapons and ordnance, and to survive attacks by many types of weapons.

The future is knocking at our door.

At the 2009 Marine South Expo at Camp Lejeune, NC, Lockheed Martin and Berkeley Bionics gave the Marine Corps its first look at what might be called the Mark 1 MI suit. Dubbed the HULC – Human Universal Load Carrier – the powered “exoskeleton” was shown off to the Army a few weeks earlier. L-M is tasked to deliver a working version within 18-24 months.

The titanium framework allows the warrior to easily carry an extremely heavy load of gear – the demo at Marine South had 145 pounds of gear not counting the device itself – with the goal of enabling a Marine or Soldier to maintain a 3 mph pace long enough to cover 26 miles before the lithium ion battery pack would require charging. The system could include arm assistance that would enable them to lift heavy object easily and without risk of back injury.

Sensors pick up the Marine’s movements so the suit “anticipates” what he or she is about to do – walk, run, jump, squat, etc. The exoskeleton can be programmed to the Marine’s weight and height, allowing it to be customized to each wearer.

There’s a video showing what HULC can do… today. The challenges now are to continue to refine the system to operate even more smoothly, to improve battery life, and to make the units even lighter and more powerful.

As you might imagine, the futuristic exoskeleton drew a lot of attention from 2nd Division Marines, many of whom are just returned from or about to deploy to the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Dismounted Marines – a fancy way of saying Leathernecks on foot – often carry loads of 100 pounds, including uniform, weapons, armor, water and electronics. It’s a tough thing to do, even for these phenomenally fit young men and women. So something like this powered suit could help immensely.

Marine South is sponsored by our client, the Marine Corps League. This was the 17th show held at Camp Lejeune (pronounced, Luh-jern, per the family), bringing Marines and military suppliers together to discuss current products and services to make them better for Marines in the field. More than 3,600 visitors checked out items and services from 200 vendors.

If a blank page terrifies and baffles most writers, imagine how an editor must feel when one issue of a magazine goes to bed and the next one awakes and demands that its 64, 72, 80 or more blank pages be fed – and soon. Small wonder that a lot of editors find cleaning up their offices after completing an issue much more important than welcoming that new number with open arms.

Of course, it’s not quite that bad (that is to say, it better not be). Editors assign stories several issues ahead; depending on the publication and story, it might be as much as a year ahead.

We at Hammock take a conservative approach to most assignments, preferring to work only a couple issues ahead so we can adapt to changing client needs and wants. So we’re constantly working the idea file – which may consist of a thicket of sticky notes as well as multiple file, bookmark and email folders.

Here in late April, I’m just finishing up some mid-course changes for the 2009 editorial calendar of Semper Fi, the Magazine of the Marine Corps League, and working on a draft of 2010’s calendar.

We at Hammock take a conservative approach to most assignments, preferring to work only a couple issues ahead so we can adapt to changing client needs and wants. So we’re constantly working the idea file – which may consist of a thicket of sticky notes as well as multiple file, bookmark and email folders.

Here in late April, I’m just finishing up some mid-course changes for the 2009 editorial calendar of Semper Fi, the Magazine of the Marine Corps League, and working on a draft of 2010’s calendar.

Next year has several important milestones for the Marine Corps, including the 65th anniversary of the Corps’ landmark battle on Iwo Jima, as well as the end of World War II. It’s the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, and also of the legendary battle of the Chosin Reservoir, with Marines and Soldiers desperately holding back a much larger North Korean force. It is also the 35th anniversary of the fall of Saigon; two US Marines were the last American Warriors killed in direct action there.

Decisions on these stories will be made well in advance, with the knowledge that opportunities may arise that we’ll have to jump to take advantage of.

Nevertheless, with all this looming in the near future, and the covers still settling around the chin of our May-June issue, the July-August issue is demanding full attention for now. So we start the process of checking with writers about their progress, sifting through what will add up to hundreds of photos, and reading constantly about the Corps and America’s military and history.

The July-August issue will get an “esprit de Corps” boost from my visiting the 2009 Marine South Expo at Camp Lejeune next week. It’s inspiring, and sobering, to get out behind the computer screen and talk to Marines who have been in harm’s way, and are likely going back fairly soon. It’s also uplifting to meet “Mature Marines,” who have served their hitch, or their career, and are on hand with the Marine Corps League to greet today’s Warriors.

Because Marines study deeply the Corps’ history, a few words can convey volumes – Peleliu, Tarawa, Chosin, Tet, Khe Sanh, Desert Storm, Fallujah. There’s a bond, a sense of continuum that permeates these events, and that we strive to convey every time we fill those blank pages.