(Editor’s note: The landmark WWII Battle of Iwo Jima began 75 years ago this week.)
Each time Brian Coleman jogs along the Potomac River and past the Marine Corps War Memorial—better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial—on his fitness runs, he finds new inspiration and rededication to his work.
"When I go on runs to the Iwo Jima Memorial, it serves as a reminder that the work is never done, even once you have planted your flag at the highest piece of ground," he said. "There is still fighting to be done.”
Coleman, with 10 years in the Marine Corps, began his military service after completing his degree in criminal justice at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Throughout the decade, he has served in California, Afghanistan, and Japan as well as received the Leftwich Trophy, given annually for outstanding leadership in memory of Lieutenant Colonel William Groom Leftwich, who perished in a helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1970.
At the Schar School of Policy and Government, Coleman, a fellow in the USMC Congressional Fellows Program, is working toward a Master's in Public Policy, while taking additional classes in International Security.
It’s a packed schedule: Beyond the classroom, USMC Congressional Fellows provide national security policy analysis for Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill.
"I work for Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-Conn], providing objective analysis on a wide range of defense issues," he said. "We rotate between the Pentagon and the Hill and are given unique insights on how other countries are handling their defense strategies."
Coleman is among the 19 USMC Congressional Fellows that make up the second cohort of Marines at the Schar School. (A story about the program and the first cohort of Marines is here.)
"The Schar School has brought in some phenomenal professors like General Michael V. Hayden and Robert Deitz, and it is located conveniently right next door to Washington, D.C., and the Pentagon," said Coleman. "The public policy program has helped me to better understand economics and policy which has already supported my work on the Hill."
Coleman has contributed to the creation of policy in a variety of ways, one of which led to the Leftwich Trophy.
During a live-fire drill at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, Calif., two Marines suffered gunshot wounds. While both Marines survived, Coleman, who witnessed the accident, took action to ensure greater safety during high-intensity training exercises.
"We put a program in place that was above and beyond what was required for training courses," he said. "The new program really emphasized how serious running a range is, but they still allow for high-risk training."
The USMC Congressional Fellows will graduate with skills in analysis and decision-making critical for work in the world of policy. After receiving his degree, Coleman plans to take his new expertise back to the field developing cutting-edge policy changes within the Marine Corps.