Marine Corps Association The Marine Corps Association ( often abbreviated MCA ) is an independent association which provides a professional organization for members of the United States Marine Corps . It is known for its publications " Leatherneck Magazine " and " Marine Corps Gazette " . The MCA occupies a similar role with respect to the Marine Corps that the United States Naval Institute does for the United States Navy , the Association of the United States Army does for the United States Army , and the Air Force Association does for the United States Air Force . Role . The MCA primarily is concerned with the welfare of ALL Marines and the advancement of professionalism within the U . S . Marine Corps . It provides professional education programs , publications ( the " Gazette " and " Leatherneck " ) , support services to Marines and Marine activities , and it is the largest provider of awards to Marines in the world with over 7 , 000 provided in 2007 . MCA provides events and services to the Marine Corps for events and other activities for which the Marine Corps cannot use appropriated funds . MCA produces 6 annual dinners , 5 of which are done in coordination with headquarters USMC including the C4 Awards Dinner co - hosted by C4 ( honoring Marine & civilian communicators of the year ) , Ground Awards Dinner - co - hosted by PP & O ( where the 1st - 4th MarDiv Marines of the Year are presented with awards and the Leftwich Trophy is presented ) , the Ground Report - co - hosted by PP & O , the Ground Logistics Awards Dinner - co - hosted by I & L ( where the logisticians of the year are presented with awards ) , and the newest - the MCCDC Dinner - co - hosted by MCCDC . MCA ' s own Annual Dinner features a high - level speaker . Vision . According to the MCA , its Vision statement is : Mission statement . According to the MCA , it defines its mission as : History . The Marine Corps Association was founded on April 25 , 1911 at Guantanamo Bay by the officers of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade , under command of Colonel Littleton W . T . Waller . The slow development of the Advanced Base Force , during 1908 — 1909 , caused the removal of traditional Marines ' s ship guard roles of the colonial days , creating controversy between the Marine Corps and the Navy . Angered by the Headquarters Marine Corps handling of the ship guard issue , plus the disappointment of President Taft ' s appointment of Biddle as Commandant , the officers of the provisional brigade decided to form their own lobby and self - education forum ; due to the concern of possible intervention in Cuba or Mexico . Although the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade disbanded shortly after , the MCA remained active . Two years later , again at Guantanamo Bay , officers of the 2d Provisional Marine Brigade , commanded by Colonel Lincoln Karmany , formally organized the Marine Corps Association . Colonel Karmany appointed then - Lt . Colonel John A . Lejeune ( later the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps ) as its first head of the executive board . U . S . Marine Corps program . For roughly 60 years , the Marine Corps Association was a semi - independent organization managed by active duty Marine officers . The organization was headed by its president ( the current USMC Commandant until 1976 , then the Assistant Commandant ) and an executive board . The organization started publishing the " Gazette " in March 1916 . In the 1930s , a membership decline was reversed by efforts of Brigadier General George Richards . Independent organization . In 1972 , policy changes in the U . S . Department of Defense required that U . S . Marine Corps active - duty officers no longer staff the Marine Corps Association . An organizational change was made to spin the Association out of the Marine Corps , as a nonprofit organization . Retiring Colonel Bevan G . Cass was hired as the first Executive Director , and led the association until the end of 1978 . During this time , the formerly separate " Leatherneck Association " ( U . S . Marine Corps enlisted personnel ) and " Leatherneck Magazine " , which were unprofitable , independently merged into the Marine Corps Association , which continued both publications and professional programs . In January 1979 , Brigadier General George L . Bartlett ( retired ) took over as the new Executive Director and led the organization until 1989 . A key advance during Gen . Bartlett ' s tenure as executive director was that the Marine Corps Association built ( at its own expense ) a headquarters building located on the property of Marine Corps Base Quantico . For legal reasons , the Association donated the building to the Marine Corps , which agreed to allow the MCA to occupy the building for 50 years ( with provisions for extension at that point ) . In January 1989 , Lieutenant General Anthony Lukeman ( retired ) replaced Gen . Bartlett . Further organizational growth and integration and support of related Marines organizations ( including Toys for Tots and the Marine Corps University Foundation among others ) followed . The current Executive Director is Major General Edward Usher ( retired ) , who assumed his position at the Association in 2010 on his retirement from the Marine Corps . Programs . Programs of the Marine Corps Association include : Awards . The Marine Corps Association gives out a number of professional and writing awards annually to serving Marines . Awards include :