thedrifter
05-11-07, 07:57 AM
May 11, 2007 - 12:00AM
Train the young, refresh the old
CHRISSY VICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Camp Lejeune's Battle Skills Training School is swarming with Marines, sailors and Iraqi role-players on any given day.
Add to that a few simulated improvised explosive devices, bunkers, convoys and the Muslim call for prayer over a loudspeaker and the training gets pretty realistic.
"We try to keep it hands-on," said Master Sgt. Joel Morgan, director of the BSTS. "We try to incorporate everything they could encounter in-theater."
Marines are taught convoy operations, detainee handling, vehicle checkpoints, urban patrolling, communication assets, basic urban skills and machine gun familiarization, he said. Anywhere from 40 to 130 students can go through the school at one time.
The school is required for all deploying units and incorporates classroom and field training. The weeks of education culminates with a final 36-hour field exercise.
"We hit them with scenario-based training from a suspected IED to something as complex as riot control," Morgan said.
It's a process that is vital to the success of the units in Iraq, Marines said.
"Most of these people haven't seen this training since their (military occupational specialty) school and they only get it about once a year," said Sgt. Christopher Kellner, chief instructor.
The fight in Iraq is ever-changing and to keep up, Morgan and his Marines read numerous after-action reports that come straight from the battlefield. They also engage Marines and sailors who have recently returned from Iraq to talk about what lessons they learned during a deployment.
"We're always trying to improve it," said Sgt. John Padula, assistant operations chief at the school. "That's important because things are changing so quickly (in Iraq)."
That's why every deploying Marine and sailor is required to go through Battle Skills Training School - even if they've been to Iraq numerous times, he said.
So for Marines like Cpl. Benjamin Tso, 23, who will be returning to Iraq for the fourth time later this year, it is still a benefit.
"It helps young Marines who haven't been out, but for those of us who have, it's a good refresher course," said Tso, of Charlie Company, 8th Engineers Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. "You forget some things over time if you haven't been using them. The war is ever-changing, and things like this you fall back on."
Lance Cpl. Matthew Balady of Military Police Company K-9, Combat Logistics Regiment-27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, said the training will be important for his first deployment to Iraq. He leaves next week and said he's looking forward to his first time in action with K-9 Sara, who he's been training since August.
Sara, a german shepherd, will help locate IEDs, other explosives and even weapons.
"This training is really good because it showed all Marines, no matter what their job is, how to do other jobs," Balady said. "We showed a lot of the corpsmen what we do, and they showed us what they do."
Padula said instructors also incorporate their own experience in the curriculum.
"We're just trying to get them in the mindset of being out there," he said. "Your role changes when you get to Iraq. Most of us have been there, so we use real-life scenarios and give them everything we've learned from past experiences."
Morgan said he knows the BSTS team is having an impact.
"I love what I see out here," Morgan said. "It's a great environment where I feel like I can make a difference."
Contact staff writer Chrissy Vick at cvick@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 8466.
Train the young, refresh the old
CHRISSY VICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Camp Lejeune's Battle Skills Training School is swarming with Marines, sailors and Iraqi role-players on any given day.
Add to that a few simulated improvised explosive devices, bunkers, convoys and the Muslim call for prayer over a loudspeaker and the training gets pretty realistic.
"We try to keep it hands-on," said Master Sgt. Joel Morgan, director of the BSTS. "We try to incorporate everything they could encounter in-theater."
Marines are taught convoy operations, detainee handling, vehicle checkpoints, urban patrolling, communication assets, basic urban skills and machine gun familiarization, he said. Anywhere from 40 to 130 students can go through the school at one time.
The school is required for all deploying units and incorporates classroom and field training. The weeks of education culminates with a final 36-hour field exercise.
"We hit them with scenario-based training from a suspected IED to something as complex as riot control," Morgan said.
It's a process that is vital to the success of the units in Iraq, Marines said.
"Most of these people haven't seen this training since their (military occupational specialty) school and they only get it about once a year," said Sgt. Christopher Kellner, chief instructor.
The fight in Iraq is ever-changing and to keep up, Morgan and his Marines read numerous after-action reports that come straight from the battlefield. They also engage Marines and sailors who have recently returned from Iraq to talk about what lessons they learned during a deployment.
"We're always trying to improve it," said Sgt. John Padula, assistant operations chief at the school. "That's important because things are changing so quickly (in Iraq)."
That's why every deploying Marine and sailor is required to go through Battle Skills Training School - even if they've been to Iraq numerous times, he said.
So for Marines like Cpl. Benjamin Tso, 23, who will be returning to Iraq for the fourth time later this year, it is still a benefit.
"It helps young Marines who haven't been out, but for those of us who have, it's a good refresher course," said Tso, of Charlie Company, 8th Engineers Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. "You forget some things over time if you haven't been using them. The war is ever-changing, and things like this you fall back on."
Lance Cpl. Matthew Balady of Military Police Company K-9, Combat Logistics Regiment-27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, said the training will be important for his first deployment to Iraq. He leaves next week and said he's looking forward to his first time in action with K-9 Sara, who he's been training since August.
Sara, a german shepherd, will help locate IEDs, other explosives and even weapons.
"This training is really good because it showed all Marines, no matter what their job is, how to do other jobs," Balady said. "We showed a lot of the corpsmen what we do, and they showed us what they do."
Padula said instructors also incorporate their own experience in the curriculum.
"We're just trying to get them in the mindset of being out there," he said. "Your role changes when you get to Iraq. Most of us have been there, so we use real-life scenarios and give them everything we've learned from past experiences."
Morgan said he knows the BSTS team is having an impact.
"I love what I see out here," Morgan said. "It's a great environment where I feel like I can make a difference."
Contact staff writer Chrissy Vick at cvick@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 8466.