Rocky C
06-13-10, 09:20 AM
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jun 12, 2010 9:05:02 EDT
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A review of the entire Corps Combat Conditioning Program has delayed revisions to the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
Proposed MCMAP changes include requiring all Marines to earn a green belt, but the changes are now being reviewed as part of a larger evaluation of the CCP, a top Marine general said.
“What Training and Education Command is doing is looking at the whole program, not just MCMAP but the whole Combat Conditioning Program, in one package,” said Lt. Gen. George Flynn, deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration.
The proposed changes to MCMAP, were due to be finalized at that time, but Flynn said the proposal is still being reviewed at TECOM and has not yet reached his desk.
He did not offer a time frame for completion of the review.
If approved as proposed, the changes would require every Marine to earn the third-stage green belt instead of the current requirement to attain the lowest level, or tan belt.
Under the plan, training hours would be reduced and MCMAP’s academic aspects would be more closely addressed.
But some Marines have raised concerns about adding another mandatory task to Marines’ already busy lives, as well as the requirement to gin up more instructors to get everyone up to speed.
Flynn said the review is intended, in part, to assess time and resource requirements. A review is also important to ensure that there is agreement that the plan is on course with what’s feasible.
500 commanders in survey
The Corps surveyed more than 500 commanders in 2008 with a wide range of questions related to operational tempo.
Marines, they agreed, love doing MCMAP, but can’t always find the time to fit it into their predeployment training.
“That’s why we’ve asked them, why they’re taking a look at this,” Flynn said. “Do you have the time to train, and do you have the instructors to do it? It’s easy to create requirements. The other part is, do you have the time to do it?”
The CCP directs commanders to ensure that Marines perform at least five weekly CCP sessions in 30-minute durations.
The sessions can be done in combined or individual form with martial arts, swimming or other mission- or operational-specific training. Additional MCMAP requirements could push Marines to their time limits.
The CCP also includes the Water Survival Swim Test, which is expected to soon have tougher requirements for all Marines. It’s unclear what other aspects of the CCP may be under review.
The Combat Fitness Test — the biggest change to the Corps’ physical fitness program since 1972 — also falls under CCP.
The CFT was meant to complement the 27-year-old Physical Fitness Test, which measures upper-body strength and endurance with pull-ups, crunches and a three-mile run.
The new test was designed to ensure that Marines are ready to handle the intense physical demands of a combat zone.
Posted : Saturday Jun 12, 2010 9:05:02 EDT
<FORM id=hidden></FORM>
A review of the entire Corps Combat Conditioning Program has delayed revisions to the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
Proposed MCMAP changes include requiring all Marines to earn a green belt, but the changes are now being reviewed as part of a larger evaluation of the CCP, a top Marine general said.
“What Training and Education Command is doing is looking at the whole program, not just MCMAP but the whole Combat Conditioning Program, in one package,” said Lt. Gen. George Flynn, deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration.
The proposed changes to MCMAP, were due to be finalized at that time, but Flynn said the proposal is still being reviewed at TECOM and has not yet reached his desk.
He did not offer a time frame for completion of the review.
If approved as proposed, the changes would require every Marine to earn the third-stage green belt instead of the current requirement to attain the lowest level, or tan belt.
Under the plan, training hours would be reduced and MCMAP’s academic aspects would be more closely addressed.
But some Marines have raised concerns about adding another mandatory task to Marines’ already busy lives, as well as the requirement to gin up more instructors to get everyone up to speed.
Flynn said the review is intended, in part, to assess time and resource requirements. A review is also important to ensure that there is agreement that the plan is on course with what’s feasible.
500 commanders in survey
The Corps surveyed more than 500 commanders in 2008 with a wide range of questions related to operational tempo.
Marines, they agreed, love doing MCMAP, but can’t always find the time to fit it into their predeployment training.
“That’s why we’ve asked them, why they’re taking a look at this,” Flynn said. “Do you have the time to train, and do you have the instructors to do it? It’s easy to create requirements. The other part is, do you have the time to do it?”
The CCP directs commanders to ensure that Marines perform at least five weekly CCP sessions in 30-minute durations.
The sessions can be done in combined or individual form with martial arts, swimming or other mission- or operational-specific training. Additional MCMAP requirements could push Marines to their time limits.
The CCP also includes the Water Survival Swim Test, which is expected to soon have tougher requirements for all Marines. It’s unclear what other aspects of the CCP may be under review.
The Combat Fitness Test — the biggest change to the Corps’ physical fitness program since 1972 — also falls under CCP.
The CFT was meant to complement the 27-year-old Physical Fitness Test, which measures upper-body strength and endurance with pull-ups, crunches and a three-mile run.
The new test was designed to ensure that Marines are ready to handle the intense physical demands of a combat zone.