Marines Train to Lead Fellow Marines
(June 27, 2011) |
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| MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (MCN - 6/24/2011) —
Marines from 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine
Division, are attending a Tactical Small Unit Leadership
Course or Warrior Academy from June 20 to July 8 as a part
of their training to become new fire team leaders and squad
leaders for the unit aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune,
N.C. |
Marines with 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division use teamwork and leadership to complete some of the physical training during the Tactical Small Unit Leadership Course or Warrior Academy aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 23, 2011. The Marines attend the three-week long course to prepare them to be squad leaders and fire team leaders with their platoons.
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The Marines that were selected to become new squad leaders
and fire team leaders attend the course to learn about team
work and leadership to better teach the Marines they soon
will be in charge of.
"I think it's great to teach
the Marines these classes and get them back to the basics of
war fighting,” said Staff Sgt. Michael McCombs an instructor
for the course and a platoon sgt. for Company E, 2/9. “It
makes the Marines better rounded to learn the fundamentals
and basics instead of only doing the actions.”
The
first week of the course consists of academic classes that
get the Marines back to the basics such as war fighting
skills, decision making processes, basics of a Marine
rifleman, and offensive and defensive fundamentals.
“I think it's good that we get back to the basics with a lot
of our senior leadership leaving. Junior Marines stepping
up, learning what we can to lead Marines will benefit
everyone,” said Cpl. Joseph Dosker, a student in the course
and a squad leader for Company E, 2/9. “I also think it's
great that we can get some of the more senior leadership to
come teach us what they know, and everyone gets together to
better help us become leaders.”
Once the academic
classes are over, the Marines go to the field for their
second week to put what they learned into practice and
perform offensive and defensive fundamentals along with
routine patrolling.
“I'm excited to go to the field
and put what we know into practice,” said Dosker. “I mean,
everyone here is learning new stuff -- even some of the guys
that have been in awhile, so I look forward to using that
knowledge to lead my Marines.”
After the second week
of practicing in the field, the Marines are evaluated and
tested in their third and final week of the course. They
must show the instructors what they learned and if they can
handle commanding their own squads and fire teams.
“For the Marines to get these classes, put them into
practice, then get evaluated they will have a better
understanding of what to do and how to do it efficiently,”
said McCombs. “It's a great course and it's hard to get
everyone through a course like this, so we expect to teach
these upcoming squad leaders and fire team leaders and then
for them to turn around and teach the Marines they're in
charge of.”
Along with the classes, practical
application and tests, the Marines have a little fun in
their morning physical training as they run through obstacle
courses carrying telephone poles, stretchers, ammo cans, and
water jugs filled to the brim. They use teamwork and
leadership to accomplish the task of running the obstacle
course in a certain time limit while building camaraderie by
ending with a nice cool swim in the ocean.
“Everything these Marines do is mental just as much
physical, and it's great for the more senior Marines to
teach them what we can,” said Sgt. Donald C. Miller one of
the physical training instructors for the course and a
platoon sgt. for 3rd Platoon, G Company, 2/9. “I enjoy
getting with the Marines and training them and teaching them
what I know, all while watching them build camaraderie and
having a good time.” |
Article and photo by USMC Pfc. Phillip R. Clark
2nd Marine Division
Copyright 2011 | |
Reprinted from
Marine Corps News
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