Marines are taught from the beginning of their careers to follow standards, understand their authorities and know when to elevate a problem.

But as they grow into senior leaders, another expectation emerges: Know when to act.

That idea was at the center of Marine Corps Logistics Command’s “Run with Scissors” staff noncommissioned officer Professional Military Education (PME) event Oct. 2 at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany.

The day brought together more than 80 SNCOs from across the LOGCOM enterprise and MCLB Albany for professional education, candid discussion and opportunities to strengthen relationships across organizations. The PME’s unusual name was intentional.

As children, people are told not to run with scissors because they may hurt themselves or someone else. They lack the experience, maturity and judgment to manage the risk.

Sgt. Maj. Marshall H. Gregg, senior enlisted leader of LOGCOM, turned that familiar warning around as he opened the PME.

“I’m telling you to run with scissors,” Gregg told the SNCOs. “I do think you have the maturity. I do think you have the experience.”

The message was one of trust and empowerment. Gregg challenged the SNCOs to use the experience gained throughout their careers to make decisions, take informed risks and lead with confidence rather than wait for someone else to provide every answer.

He also challenged the SNCOs to identify processes within their formations that need to be changed, fixed or improved and to use their experience and judgment to take action.

“Think about the things within our processes and organizations that need to be improved or fixed. I need you to be intentional and to relentlessly enforce standards,” Gregg said.

The message established the premise for the day: Empowerment comes with responsibility. Leaders need the confidence to make decisions, but they also need the knowledge to recognize the limits of their authority, understand available resources and know when an issue requires elevation.

Building informed leaders

The PME was designed around that balance.

Rather than focusing on a single leadership topic, the program brought resources and senior leaders directly to the SNCOs to address issues they encounter while leading Marines.

Discussions covered retention and special duty assignments; reporting procedures involving equal opportunity, criminal investigations and sexual assault response; LOGCOM operations and plans; developments across MCLB Albany; and expectations for the future enlisted force.

Updates from LOGCOM G-3/5 provided an enterprise-level view of operations and plans, while Sgt. Maj. Donald M. Swanner, sergeant major of MCLB Albany, offered an installation perspective on current and upcoming initiatives and the state of the base.

Sgt. Maj. Shonor D. Burton, senior enlisted leader for Blount Island Command and Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, also addressed the group, highlighting the support facility’s unique role and the capabilities it provides to the Marine Corps.

Swanner emphasized that supporting the Marine Corps community also requires actively using the facilities, services and initiatives Marines and leaders have asked the installation to provide.

“If you say you want to have the ‘Marine Corps’ here, then be the Marine Corps here,” Swanner said, underscoring the need for Marines to engage with and use the programs and resources available to them.

Breaking down organizational silos

The PME also provided something less formal but equally intentional: time for SNCOs from different organizations to get to know one another.

Attendees represented Headquarters Battalion, Blount Island Command, Marine Force Storage Command, 2d Force Storage Battalion, Marine Depot Maintenance Command, MCLB Albany and the Albany Inspector-Instructor staff.

Many work on the same installation or contribute to interconnected missions without regularly working alongside one another.

Gregg challenged the group to move beyond those organizational silos and understand how their individual formations connect to the larger mission.

“You’ll have opportunities throughout the day to discuss expectations, compare perspectives and talk through some of the challenges you’re seeing in your formations — take advantage of it,” Gregg said.

What does the SNCO of 2037 look like?

The PME also asked leaders to look beyond today’s challenges.

During “The Marine SNCO of 2037,” Gunnery Sgts. Dustin Roan, George Caraballo and Raheem Boyd led a discussion on what the Marine Corps will require from its senior enlisted leaders approximately a decade from now.

Participants considered an operating environment in which smaller teams, emerging technology and dispersed operations may require Marines to make decisions with limited guidance while understanding how their role contributes to the larger mission.

Preparing those leaders, the group emphasized, starts now.

That means bringing NCOs and junior Marines into briefs and planning discussions, giving them meaningful responsibility and allowing them to solve problems and learn from mistakes with coaching and candid feedback. Understanding commander’s intent and the “why” behind a mission provides the context Marines need to adapt when conditions change without diminishing standards or the expectation for decisive action.

The discussion also examined how professional military education must evolve, including greater exposure to artificial intelligence, distributed operations, denied communications and decision-making under uncertainty. Participants identified outdated processes, administrative demands and a “we’ve always done it this way” mindset as potential barriers to developing future leaders.

While the tools and operating environment may change, the group repeatedly returned to what must remain constant: Marine Corps values, standards, accountability, warfighting ethos and leaders’ responsibility to develop the Marines who follow them.

The session closed with an emphasis on starting now. The SNCO of 2037 is already in development, shaped by the opportunities, trust and responsibility leaders provide today.

Leadership perspectives

The day culminated with a senior enlisted leadership panel featuring E-9s from across the commands and installation.

Drawing on more than 140 years of combined military service, panelists reflected on lessons shaped throughout their careers, from leading peers and advising officers to developing teams and balancing the competing demands of leadership.

They emphasized that increased rank brings greater responsibility but not an expectation to carry every responsibility alone. Taking on too much can limit opportunities for others to grow while also affecting a leader’s ability to remain effective over time.

“Balance. Whatever balance looks like to you, balance,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Nicole Light said. “Make sure you’re balancing you, your health, what type of Marine you’re bringing to work every day, what you’re bringing to the table.”

The conversation also explored what is expected of Marines as they become senior enlisted leaders. Panelists stressed that leadership at that level extends beyond individual expertise or accomplishment. It requires sound judgment, accountability, candid counsel and a commitment to developing others.

As responsibility grows, success becomes less about what a leader accomplishes personally and more about the Marines and teams they enable to succeed.

That influence can extend well beyond a leader’s time in a position. By sharing experience, creating opportunities and investing in others, senior enlisted leaders shape how Marines lead, how teams operate and the standards carried forward by the next generation.

Run with scissors

The day ultimately returned to a common expectation: SNCOs are trusted to lead with judgment, initiative and accountability.

That means knowing the mission and standards, understanding available resources and recognizing the difference between an issue they can resolve and one that must be elevated.

It also means challenging unnecessary friction, building relationships across the command and preparing Marines for a force that continues to evolve.

That is the premise behind “Run with Scissors.” Experience and responsibility have earned these leaders’ trust, and with that trust comes an expectation to act.

Know the mission. Know your Marines. Understand your authorities. Recognize when to ask for help and when the decision is yours to make.

Then make it.