thedrifter
12-14-08, 06:22 AM
Training readies Marines for deployment
Comments 0 | Recommend 2
Division Training Center provides stepping stone between basic and advanced training
December 13, 2008 - 7:04 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Lance Cpl. McKay Edouard is a SAW gunner - trained to use the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, a light machine gun.
But when his unit, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, deploys this spring, Edouard and his fellow SAW gunners may be called on to man other types of machine guns.
"There are so many machine gunners. We can't go on every patrol and be in every turret," said Lance Cpl. Zack Bryan, a machine gunner with 1/8.
So this week, Edouard and the other SAW gunners in his unit climbed up into the turret of a Humvee to get some hands-on experience with the M-240B - a medium machine gun - as well as the M2 Browning 50-caliber and MK-19, heavy machine guns.
The machine gun training is one of about 20 courses offered by the 2nd Marine Division Training Center. Though the Marines are trained at boot camp and at the School of Infantry or Marine Combat Training, as well as training within their individual units, the Division Training Center courses help refresh or enhance those basic skills.
The DTC also offers structured, consistent training standards, so everyone can get the same training, said Gunnery Sgt. Scott Parry, staff non-commissioned officer and operations chief for the center.
Generally, units go through the courses as a whole, Parry said. But sometimes, smaller groups of Marines go through to catch up to the training level of the rest of the unit.
Since Oct. 1, the training center has trained about 4,000 Marines, Parry said.
The machine gun course is one of the most popular courses, Parry said. In infantry units, the men who serve as turret gunners generally change for each deployment, and in support units, many Marines may have not used machine guns since the training they go through shortly after boot camp.
"This gets them back to square one," he said.
Cpl. James Holtry is an instructor and section head for the machine gun course. The standard course teaches all four types of machine guns, but the courses can be tailored to the unit's needs, Holtry said.
Each unit has its own way of doing things and accomplishing a mission, Holtry said, and "we're not here to tell them how to do that. We are here for the basic knowledge of machine guns."
Lance Cpl. Daniel Mandriota of 1/8 said the training featured a lot of hands-on experience, which helped build the Marines' confidence.
Edouard agreed.
"You can picture it in your mind, but until you do it," there is no real way to know, he said. "It's been a good learning experience."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 2
Division Training Center provides stepping stone between basic and advanced training
December 13, 2008 - 7:04 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Lance Cpl. McKay Edouard is a SAW gunner - trained to use the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, a light machine gun.
But when his unit, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, deploys this spring, Edouard and his fellow SAW gunners may be called on to man other types of machine guns.
"There are so many machine gunners. We can't go on every patrol and be in every turret," said Lance Cpl. Zack Bryan, a machine gunner with 1/8.
So this week, Edouard and the other SAW gunners in his unit climbed up into the turret of a Humvee to get some hands-on experience with the M-240B - a medium machine gun - as well as the M2 Browning 50-caliber and MK-19, heavy machine guns.
The machine gun training is one of about 20 courses offered by the 2nd Marine Division Training Center. Though the Marines are trained at boot camp and at the School of Infantry or Marine Combat Training, as well as training within their individual units, the Division Training Center courses help refresh or enhance those basic skills.
The DTC also offers structured, consistent training standards, so everyone can get the same training, said Gunnery Sgt. Scott Parry, staff non-commissioned officer and operations chief for the center.
Generally, units go through the courses as a whole, Parry said. But sometimes, smaller groups of Marines go through to catch up to the training level of the rest of the unit.
Since Oct. 1, the training center has trained about 4,000 Marines, Parry said.
The machine gun course is one of the most popular courses, Parry said. In infantry units, the men who serve as turret gunners generally change for each deployment, and in support units, many Marines may have not used machine guns since the training they go through shortly after boot camp.
"This gets them back to square one," he said.
Cpl. James Holtry is an instructor and section head for the machine gun course. The standard course teaches all four types of machine guns, but the courses can be tailored to the unit's needs, Holtry said.
Each unit has its own way of doing things and accomplishing a mission, Holtry said, and "we're not here to tell them how to do that. We are here for the basic knowledge of machine guns."
Lance Cpl. Daniel Mandriota of 1/8 said the training featured a lot of hands-on experience, which helped build the Marines' confidence.
Edouard agreed.
"You can picture it in your mind, but until you do it," there is no real way to know, he said. "It's been a good learning experience."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie