MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Few things can rouse an old man from a wheelchair or prompt a cowboy to remove his hat and place it over his heart, but when four Marines march in-line to the national anthem, carrying Old Glory and the Marine Corps flag, and are flanked by two riflemen - a sense of patriotism can overwhelm any American who bears witness.
Reawakening this sense of pride rests on the shoulders of Sgt. Craig Rinehart, who now holds the billet of Color Sergeant for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. But this position of honor was, like everything in the Marine Corps, earned through a series of rigorous qualification standards and an impeccable moral conduct that exemplifies the word Marine.
For this honor, Sgt. Craig L. Rinehart, a military police area supervisor and a Pennsburg, PA native, was chosen to carry the colors that represent the base and the Corps.
“This is a tremendous honor,” Rinehart said. “When you stand in formation for a retirement ceremony or change of command, you can sometimes be lost in a sea of faces, but if you’re a part of the (color guard) all eyes are on you - everything you do has to be perfect.”
For Sgt. Maj. Ramona Cook, the MCB sergeant major, appointing a new Color Sergeant was not a decision that she took lightly.
“This is such an important billet, and it is a huge honor to be selected at any level,” Cook said. “The Color Sergeant is the Commanding Officer’s representative for all formal ceremonial commitments and is responsible for how people out in town view the Marine Corps based on just one performance in some cases.”
After he was chosen, Rinehart said during every performance he feels motivated to be out there with his team, and they train several times a week to make sure each performance continues to uphold the traditions the Marine Corps holds in the highest regard.
“The character, leadership, appearance and performance should be that of a (noncommissioned officer) that all Marines should emulate,” Cook added. “There is a reason when you see the command board photos in the hallway the Color Sergeant is in the top three – this billet, and the Marine that holds it, are that important.”
Within the heart of every American stirs a sense of patriotism and pride in their nation no matter how faint - it is there. The Color Sergeant’s job is to remind them of that pride, and Sgt. Rinehart will carry the past, tradition and motivation America expects of its Marines every step of the way.