Charles Baumann

Charles "CJ" Baumann

Photo of combat artist CJ Baumann sketching in the field.

C.J. Baumann commissioned into the United States Marine Corps in 2012 and joined the Marine Corps Combat Art Program as a designated artist and company grade representative in June 2015. He deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in 2016, where he began employing his secondary military occupational specialty (MOS) as an artist. His inspiration comes from both his personal experiences as a Marine Officer and his desire to highlight the tactical level operators of the Marine Corps. Baumann believes the best illustrations come from direct observation and drawing on location, though several of his works are refined in his home studio. He uses his art to convey his patriotism and pride of the force while striving to tell the personal stories of the Marines he illustrates. In the spirit of the Combat Art Program, “I try to create artwork and capture the essence of where I am within the Corps”.

Since his designation, Baumann has strategically managed his time and responsibilities to embed with other deployed units in order to broaden his documentation of units across the force. His combat art deployments include embedding with the 26th MEU in Africa, the 24th MEU in NATO’s 2018 Trident Juncture Exercise, and 1st Battalion 7th Marines deployed under SPMAGTF-CC-CR in Operation Inherent Resolve. Baumann continues to seek opportunities to employ his skillset, whether as a Warfighting Instructor at The Basic School or a Commander in the fleet.

In this video, Baumann shares highlights of his time spent illustrating Marines deployed.