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thedrifter
11-27-07, 12:58 PM
A glance at Quantico

By JENNIFER BUSKE
jbuske@staffordcountysun.com
Monday, November 26, 2007

In order to give residents a better idea of what happens at the base that sits in their own back yard, here are a few highlights from Quantico Marine Corps base's past and a glimpse of what happens there today.


QUANTICO - Although it only spans across Stafford's northern region, the base that sits in the community is one that affects Marines nationwide.

Pegged as the "crossroads of the Marine Corps," Quantico Marine Corps base is a 60,000-acre facility that has helped Marines change and grow for 90 years.


"The scope of what is done at Quantico affects the entire Marine Corps," said Maj. Timothy Keefe, media relations officer for the base. "It's also a place where a lot of Marines come through at various points of their careers."


Established on May 14, 1917 by the commandant of the Marine Corps, Quantico has been the "frontline of innovation" and is the site where concepts are developed, people are trained and military personnel create equipment to meet the future needs of the Corps.


"This is perhaps the only command whose mission touches the farthest reaches of the Corps," according to the base's visitors' guide. "Decisions made here impact Marines abroad ship, fighting in the Global War on Terrorism, on guard duty at embassies across the globe and reserve duty throughout the United States."


Prior to World War II, new tactics and hardware were developed at Quantico, including the techniques of ambitious warfare.


But by 1941, Quantico's main task became the education of individual Marines, rather than unit training.


In the late 1940s, Quantico Marines formed Marine Helicopter Squadron One, or HMX-1, to test the idea of bringing Marines from "ship to shore" via helicopter. This technique took flight and proved to be "invaluable" during the Korean and Vietnam wars.


In January 1968, the base was re-designated the Marine Corps Development and Education Command to follow the command motto, "Semper Progredi" or "always forward."


Almost 20 years later, the Marine Corps Combat Development Command was created, which made Quantico a key player in the development of concepts, plans, training and equipment for the Corps.


According to reports, the 1990s were "a great time of growth" at the base. The warfighting lab was formed to address 21st-century warfare and the recruiting center was also moved from Northern Virginia to the base.


Beginning in the late nineties, and on through today, the Marines have also stepped up to the plate when it comes to peacekeeping and protecting Americans as the war on terrorism continues.

The Marine Corps is considered "America's 911," base spokeswoman Cpl. Sha'ahn Williams said because Marines are "in fast and out first." Marines help with national disasters and also guard the embassies around the world.


Today, there are roughly 14,000 military and civilian personnel on the base, according to Quantico's Web site. The base is accessed by two guarded gates, one off Interstate 95 and one off Onville Road in Stafford.


The base includes everything from a bowling alley and a $1-a-show movie theater to shops, churches and recreational activities. It also has three elementary schools and one combined middle and high school.


"The base is self sufficient and is the only base with a town," Williams said, adding that the Town of Quantico was actually there before the base and has a population of about 560, according to census data. "In my opinion, this base is as close to the civilian world as it gets."


As in the past, the base remains an important training stop for many in the Marines.

It is home to the Officer Candidate School, whose mission is to "educate, train, evaluate and screen" people wishing to become Marine Corps officers, Keefe said.


There is also the Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College and the Expeditionary Warfare School, which prepares Marine captains to act as commanders and staff officers within different operating forces.


The base also has The Basic School, which provides entry-level training.


Williams said basic training for Marines is longer than it is for other branches. She said Marines also train men and women separately until they reach combat training. Another aspect that sets the Marines apart during training is that every Marine gets basic infantry training.


"In the Marines, we're all riflemen," Williams said. "?But we are not soldiers. We go through a totally different process, so it's out of respect," that you don't use the term soldier with a Marine.

Quantico's impact on the Marine Corps spreads beyond just education. There are numerous other facilities at the base that focus on warfare techniques, tactics and procedures in order to keep civilian and military personnel safe both here and abroad.


The Marine Corps Combat Development Command is based at Quantico and oversees the "integrated development" of the Corps' warfighting capabilities, which includes doctrine, organization, training, education, personnel and equipment requirements, Keefe said.


Quantico houses a facility that tests and evaluates all new equipment for the Corps, as well as houses the Marine Corps Systems Command, which provides systems and equipment to operating forces.

There are also several projects currently in the works at the base. Under the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, the Combat Hunter project is in the works, Keefe said. Combat Hunter combines techniques that enhance a Marine's ability to observe, communicate and act in complex environments where it might be hard to see.


Another initiative is the establishment of the Center for Advanced Operational Cultural Learning, which will help Marines get the regional and cultural knowledge they need when entering different parts of the country or world, Keefe said.


There is also a new center for irregular warfare, which evaluates some of the unconventional combat taking place, Keefe said.


Quantico will continue to expand over the years and by 2011, roughly 3,000 more people are expected to come because of the Base Realignment and Closure proceedings.


The Marine Corps as a whole also expects to expand, Keefe said. Currently there are about 178,000 active Marines in the nation, but the Corps plans to grow to 202,000 within the next several years.


"As a Marine, I've been taught leadership skills and have overcome a lot of obstacles I never thought I could," Williams said. "?I also think Marines should take advantage of their time at Quantico. It is definitely a place to learn and there is a lot of history here."


Unless otherwise noted, information for the story came from Quantico's "2007 Distinguished Visitors Guide" and its 2007 base guide and

directory.

Ellie