COMBAT LOGISTICS BATTALION 5
COMMANDING OFFICER’S
POLICY FOR APPROPRIATE FAMILY BEHAVIOR
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
The health and welfare of our Marines, Sailors, and their families is of utmost importance. Good health and welfare directly relate to the operational readiness of our unit. These facets of our lives are challenged daily by the stresses of work and the stresses related to family and life outside of the military. Our individual coping methods and resilience enable us to navigate through life’s challenges. Furthermore, the positive actions of our leaders through engagement and personal commitment with the families of our Marines and Sailors will reinforce healthy coping methods to deal with stress and prevent abusive behavior and misconduct. One negative byproduct of compounding stress without a healthy outlet is domestic violence. Domestic violence will not be tolerated within CLB-5. Domestic violence has direct and indirect impacts on our individual families, and our unit as a whole. This is a form of abusive behavior which counters the values that we espouse as Marines and Sailors.
Our CLB-5 family will actively prevent and appropriately respond to domestic violence, with the intent to protect those involved and seek more healthy behaviors for positive long term benefit.
- We will EDUCATE our Marines, Sailors, and their families to recognize family related and work related stress and develop healthy techniques to cope with this stress. Education comes in the form of instruction for Marines and Sailors, as well as opportunities and resources for our families through Marine Corps Family Team Building. The intent is to prevent abusive behavior and misconduct in our homes.
- We will act together to PREVENT domestic violence. Prevention includes the admission of compounding stress by a Marine or Sailor, the request for counseling or education to develop healthy coping techniques, and engaged leadership to identify those in our family who may be suffering from stress. For those who admit they need help dealing with stress, we will foster an environment of support and work to provide assistance. Often, our human nature is to try and solve our own problems and not ask for help. This sometimes becomes an obstacle to asking for help, until it is too late. Prevention is a much more healthy response to an act of domestic violence.
- We will RESPOND to domestic violence promptly and with professionalism. When domestic violence occurs within our unit, we will ensure that Marines and Sailors, and their families, are protected from further physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Protection from further abuse comes first. Then we will work to provide appropriate counseling and legal or administrative response. Some acts may be so serious that they will require punitive action. Our response will point toward an end state of good health and welfare for our entire CLB-5 family – Marines, Sailors, and their families.
The Marine Corps does not tolerate abusive behavior, to include domestic violence. We, as the Marines and Sailors of CLB-5, must not accept this behavior. We must know ourselves, and we must know our Marines and Sailors. We must act to take a stand, preferably in the form of intervention with the intent for prevention. This requires confidence and integrity, both of which I know that you have. I expect Marines and Sailors to be professionals at all times. Take care of each other. Do the right thing.
"No Excuses"
J.F. Soto JR.