In the Fall of 2015 I found myself sitting in the office of then Colonel Jason Bohm with a small handful of Marine Corps majors and lieutenant colonels who were the top members of the faculty and administrative staff. I was the only civilian faculty member in the room. Col Bohm (now Major General Bohm) had just taken over as the Director of the Expeditionary Warfare School on Marine Corps Base Quantico. He took command four days before the school year was to start. At that point the curriculum had already been set, faculty had been prepped, classes planned out, and things were well underway. Our biggest concern was that the new boss was going to want to strip everything down to zero and start over in the next four days. But that was not the case. Col Bohm had thoroughly reviewed our curriculum plans and talked to several alumni, recent graduates, and the outbound director (who was a close personal friend of his for years) and reassured us that he had heard nothing but good things and saw no reason to change anything in the curriculum. But he did have a couple of things he wanted to add to the school as extracurricular activities.

One of those things was an enrichment program where students could learn a variety of skills in classes offered by our faculty and students. That seemingly small addition has significantly changed my work at the school and my life.

How It All Started

The call went out for enrichment program ideas and, probably in an attempt to impress the new director, the response was almost overwhelming. We had over 50 different groups that ranged from things you might expect like military history and a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, to Bible studies groups and a robotics and programing group, to things that just sounded like fun like the "Cigar and Philosophy Society" and a Home Brewed beer group. Because I have been a woodworker for most of my life I offered a woodworking class, teaching them how to turn wooden bowls and platters on a lathes. The response was fantastic. Dozens of students signed up.


It was clear my one Jet Midi lathe wasn't going to cut it. So I scoured Craigslist and found a Delta Midi lathe that was reasonably priced and a 12” Craftsman lathe circa 1980. I also picked up some used chisels along the way. We had a blast! The students turned through most of the bowl blanks I had stockpiled over the last few years, and they were amazed at how quickly they could produce something that looked pretty cool on the lathe.

The next year I was more than happy to volunteer to teach a woodworking class again but I knew I did not have enough bowl blanks on hand to provide material for everyone who was likely to sign up. So I offered a class in turning wooden pens. I was pretty sure that would reduce the number of interested students, but it didn't I had at least 30 students sign up to make pens and boy did they make pens. You can imagine how excited they were when they discovered Civil War Twist pen kits and Bolt Action pen kits.


One Marine and her husband really got into making pens and not only mastered the process but went out and bought exotic wood blanks, dyed blanks, and even some acrylics. They made some beautiful pens. By the end of the year the group had easily made 100 pens.


How It Expanded

About half way through the year as we were cranking out pens, then Captain Dan Robnett came to me and said, "I know it's not a pen, but could I make a table?” I said, "You're right, that's not a pen...but sure, why not.” The shop was set up to make larger things like furniture, but I had been keeping projects small for a quick turnaround time so we could get everyone through the classes. That was when the program really started to take off because I stopped limiting my thinking. I changed the program so we would have a default thing to make but we would also be able to accommodate a few larger projects for those who already had some skills and wanted to try something bigger. Dan's was the first of a string of all different kinds of tables that have come through the shop. The picture of him standing on his table is still my favorite woodworking picture (he was sure it would collapse).




That was the first of several tables to come out of the shop. But I felt bad about how much money the Marines had to shell out to make these tables. While you can make table legs out of pine from a big box store, a fir or pine table top just wasn't going to cut it. So I made the next big jump.

The following year, in addition to some smaller shop projects, we rounded up a bunch of logs from trees that had fallen on base and found Wayne Ayers who was willing to donate his time and the use of his Woodmizer LT40 Hydraulic to mill lumber for us. In addition to air drying the lumber we also built a solar kiln.

Not Bored with Boards

COVID has put a bit of a cramp in our style, but we adapted. I decided to go with a base project of cutting boards and charcuterie boards. Those projects teach the basics of beginner's woodworking. They get to join wood, use a bandsaw, planer, and sanders. They learn about food safe finishes and board maintenance. For more elaborate boards they might try their hand at an inlay, do an epoxy pour, or cut up a "chaotic” cutting board. Most of the students have never done any kind of woodworking, so it is important to start them at the very beginning. They leave happy and proud with their own creation.

It wasn't long before my fellow woodworking enthusiast Kevin Glathar and I bought our own Woodland Mills sawmill and milling logs and drying lumber became an annual event. The students really love everything about it. Many envision an off grid post-Marine Corps life and are very interested in making their own lumber for that dream. Milling lumber from trees that fall on base also gives them the opportunity to use materials that came from Marine Corps Base Quantico to make things like tables, charcuterie boards, and even awards to give to other Marines. The wood is meaningful to them, it has a history and a story.

Our Service Component

We also added a service component to the program. In addition to making things for themselves they made things for others. The first year we did a service project I learned that if you die a homeless veteran in the United States and family doesn't claim your body the State will cremate your body and bury you in a cardboard box. So we made 100 wooden cremation urns and donated them to the Virginia Funeral Home Directors Association. We designed our own logo for the urn and laser engraved the fronts of each one. It includes the Latin Phrase "Patriam Meam Militavi” which translates to "I served my country.” This was a meaningful project for everyone involved, including our international students.


When COVID hit and we had to mask up and maintain six feet of separation we had to turn odd spaces into makeshift "classroom” spaces. So we milled a bunch of thick slabs and flattened two sides of some logs and made about 40 benches so classes could be taught outside. Next year we are planning a timber framing project. But that means generating enough money to buy a chainsaw mortiser this summer.



How It Has Changed Things for Me


The enrichment program has made me a better woodworker. I have gone out of my way to learn more of the craft so I can help people with their projects. I have become a little braver in projects I take on and I am more willing to chance making a mistake now. The program has also allowed me to connect with students in a way I couldn't before. I am a civilian teaching Marines on a Marine Corps base in a schoolhouse where there are five military faculty members for every one civilian faculty member. The students are much more interested in what the military faculty can teach them. After all, the military faculty teach classes with titles like "Theories of War Seminar,” "Recon and Security Seminar,” and "Offensive Tactical Decision Gaming.” I, on the other hand, teach classes with titles like "Subject-Verb Agreement,” "Active-Passive Voice in Writing,” and "Thesis Statements & Outlining.” Yes, I am a glorified English teacher. That's not really true, I don't really think it's glorified. But the enrichment program gave me the opportunity to really connect with students, make friends with them, and help them start lifelong hobbies. It also gave me the perfect opportunity to wear my ironic "Education is important but woodworking is importanter” shirt.


Before long I was getting calls from students before they even arrived at the school. They wanted to know if I was going to be offering the course again and if they could make particular projects. The word was clearly spreading. This year I offered my first woodworking Zoom class to two Marines who had recently purchased CNC machines and were just getting started. We walked through how to use the software and what kinds of bits they really needed to get started. They both came over for a little one-on-one tutorial time too. The enrichment program also sent business my way. Former students would reach back to see if I could make plaques for their units or shadow boxes for someone who was retiring. When they ordered unit plaques they didn't just order one or two, they would order 20-30 at a time. One retiring Marine ordered six shadow boxes, one for himself, one for his mother, and one for each of his children. The money from those projects helped me make some shop upgrades. I bumped up to a nice I2R CNC8 last year and that, combined with the connections I had made through the enrichment program, gave me the opportunity to make cutting boards for the two most recent men to hold the position of Secretary of the Navy. I inlaid the SECNAV flag in hard maple into a walnut end-grain cutting board (from a walnut tree that fell across one of the running trails on base). Those projects are awesome because it gives you bragging rights. You would be surprised how often I can find a way to drop that little story into conversations. I even found a way to include it in this article. I also get pictures of projects former students are making today, they reach out when they are in town and, because Quantico is known as "the crossroads of the Marine Corps” they are sometimes sent back to Quantico for a new billet. They stop by and use the shop and sometimes just stop by to talk.

The enrichment program that allowed me to teach woodworking to Marines was designed to enrich their lives and give them the opportunity to follow a passion. Fortunately, it did the same thing for me.

Todd T. Holm, PhD teaches professional communication skills at the Expeditionary Warfare School for Marine Corps University. You can find out more information and how to contact him by clicking here.