CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Petty Officer 2nd Class James Post is a well-rounded sailor. Not only is he the lead petty officer of the 1st Marine Logistics Group religious ministry team, but he is also a fleet Marine force corpsman and a player and administrator for the Camp Pendleton varsity softball team.
In his many endeavors, Post, a corpsman with Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st MLG, strives to take care of those around him, accepting leadership responsibilities and emphasizing an open-door policy for interacting with the Marines and sailors under his command.
“He took over the billet of a chief as a petty officer 2nd class,” said Seaman Apprentice Jacob Brown, a religious program specialist who works with Post. “He took on a lot of challenges and taught us a lot about how to be better sailors.”
Post, an outspoken sailor with a sharp sense of humor, believes that the key to a successful team is open communication between the leaders and their subordinates. Thus, he is never afraid to voice his opinions and encourages those around him to speak freely.
Post said that Command Master Chief Herbert Mack Ellis, then command master chief at Post’s former duty station in USS Lake Erie, Hawaii, inspired him to always strive for more. Ellis is his personal role model.
“It started back at my first duty station,” said Post. “I voiced my concerns to the command master chief who sat down and talked to me, keeping it at my level. The way he led his sailors inspired me and is [the leadership style] I strive to uphold.”
This free flow of information allowed Post to have a firm grasp of what his command expected of its best sailors.
“I don’t think open-door policies are only necessary in religious ministries,” said Post, a native of Higgins Lake, Mich. “Open communication policies need to extend to more areas. It provides an avenue for the flow of information and allows units to improve.”
Post leads from the front, but he remains proficient in his many duties, including the administrative ones.
As LPO of the 1st MLG religious ministry team, he functioned as the eyes and ears of the chaplain and guaranteed that all training requirements and certifications were met by the Marines and sailors under his command.
Likewise, he is a player in the Camp Pendleton softball varsity team and the team’s administrator, ensuring the team is ready for competitions across California by managing their transportation, accommodations and other logistical requirements.
Post’s capacity to go beyond what is expected of him for his subordinates has earned him the respect of his superiors, who showed their appreciation a few days before he transferred to his new duty station in Detroit, Mich.
“The other day, we presented [Post] with a plaque for his time here, and in that plaque was the quote ‘exceeding the expected,’” said Commander George Mendes, deputy group chaplain, 1st MLG. “That quote is the motto of the religious program specialists, and in many ways it was certainly applicable to him.”
In the office and across the board, the quote captures Post’s dedication to his Marines and sailors. He is not afraid to speak his mind or accept more responsibilities. Post is a sailor who will always go beyond what is expected from him.