LAV Crewman Course

[cucinae5]

Any one recently attend the LAV Crewman Course? If so can you give an overview. Squad Bay Setting, length of training days, liberty, etc...

[osborned]

I went last year as part of MEWSS training. It's basically a grunt school and they'll treat the students as such. It's a little over a month long, with a heavy "emphasis" on study, which really boils down to incredibly boring memorization. Expect to be tested by being shown a picture of an obscure piece of equipment and expected to name it, or recite facts about the LAV such as weight, maximum speed, weapon characteristics, etc. PT was also kind of insane while I was there.

[cucinae5]

I went last year as part of MEWSS training. It's basically a grunt school and they'll treat the students as such. It's a little over a month long, with a heavy "emphasis" on study, which really boils down to incredibly boring memorization. Expect to be tested by being shown a picture of an obscure piece of equipment and expected to name it, or recite facts about the LAV such as weight, maximum speed, weapon characteristics, etc. PT was also kind of insane while I was there.

My understanding is you have 4 man barracks rooms. Is that accurate? What about the end of the day, are you freed up by a certain time or do they keep you locked up so to speak? Were you an NCO when you went through?

[osborned]

If you're coming from a parent unit and not as a lat-mover, they usually allow you to stay at your parent unit's barracks if they're close enough. That's what they did with me. I was at Pendleton SOI, and the barracks were 4-man, yes. I wasn't an NCO at the time, but it didn't really matter because fleet Marines pretty much run things anyway. As a fleet returnee, expect much much less BS from the instructors. You'll probably end up as the ATL on one of the crew teams anyway. Same goes for liberty, as a fleet don't worry about it.

Usually our work day ended around 1800, due to end-of-day maintenance tasking. Cleanup, vehicle checkups, etc.

[cucinae5]

If you're coming from a parent unit and not as a lat-mover, they usually allow you to stay at your parent unit's barracks if they're close enough. That's what they did with me. I was at Pendleton SOI, and the barracks were 4-man, yes. I wasn't an NCO at the time, but it didn't really matter because fleet Marines pretty much run things anyway. As a fleet returnee, expect much much less BS from the instructors. You'll probably end up as the ATL on one of the crew teams anyway. Same goes for liberty, as a fleet don't worry about it.

Usually our work day ended around 1800, due to end-of-day maintenance tasking. Cleanup, vehicle checkups, etc.

My parent is in MD, so that won't work for me. I was with the fleet, got out, and now am back with a Reserve Unit. 5 day a week training correct? going in Oct., what is the whether there like from Oct. to end of Nov?

[osborned]

Pretty mild, really. Don't worry about it. As an E5 it'll be a cakewalk for you. You'll be more bored than anything else. Tell Gunny Certa that RadBn says hi.

[cucinae5]

Cool thanks for the scoop osborned. It is appreciated. and will do with Gunny Certa...

[Drill for life]

I went as a boot pfc and it kind of sucked, i learned what i need to be a competent but my nco's and senior lances taught me everything else, i loved the two weeks we spent on the 242, i think going to the range and shoting it was the funnest time i had when i was there. The corporal pretty much summed it up, can you tell Gunny cerda, staff sergeant luzzader and sergeant lopez that i say hi from the sand box, have a fun time sergeant.