06 Jun 2012 ... Jake has finished 12 weeks of TBS; he has 14 weeks
to go. This is the last weekly installment ... An article by 2ndLt Santoli
in the Charlie Company monthly newsletter ... "Marine Corps Martial Arts
Program" ...
MCMAP week began with classroom time. Lieutenants received classes on the
origins of the program and how to responsibly employ the techniques that they
would be learning. The company then transitioned to Cannon Field where hands-on
training was conducted. Day one training consisted of punches, falls, throws,
and upper- and lower-body strikes. Each technique was first demonstrated by the
Martial Arts Instructors (MAIs) and then practiced by the lieutenants until
everyone had a firm grasp of the concepts. Each Marine received one-on-one
instruction to ensure that the techniques were executed properly and safely.
Following the practice of each technique, a short discussion was held to tie in
important issues facing Marine officers, such as suicide awareness and equal
opportunity. The day concluded with a Warrior Study. Day two was conducted in a
similar fashion to the first, but with the addition of a bayonet assault course
through the woods. Lieutenants traversed obstacles and waded through thigh-deep
mud while performing bayonet techniques on stationary targets in order to
demonstrate proficiency with the bayonet.
Day three of MCMAP training consisted of three major training stations: pugil
sticks, body sparring and LZ drill. Pugil sticks and body sparring were both
competitive events between lieutenants that allowed students to apply
techniques learned to an actual fight. In pugil sticks, lieutenants were
dressed in protective gear (head protection, mouth guard, groin protection, and
flak jackets) and given padded sticks. The object was to land a "killing blow"
(usually a thrust or butt-stroke to the head) on your opponent, using the
padded stick as you would a rifle with attached bayonet. Body sparring was
basically a series of minute long boxing matches between lieutenants, utilizing
protective gear to prevent injury. In the interest of safety, punches to the
head were not allowed. LZ drill was a physical training event performed in
platoons, where lieutenants rotated to several exercise stations, each geared
toward combat fitness and MCMAP techniques. Exercises included buddy squats,
punching practice, squad pushups, and buddy drags.
The final day of MCMAP week was the culmination of the entire week's training,
test day. Lieutenants were given the opportunity to show their instructors what
they had learned that week and how well they had mastered the techniques
presented. In order to pass the test and earn their tan belts, the Marines of
Charlie Company had to demonstrate proficiency in 80% of the techniques in the
tan belt curriculum. Once lieutenants passed the test, they were authorized to
wear the tan martial arts belt with their Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform.
30 May 2012 ... An article by 2ndLt Acevedo in the Charlie Company
monthly newsletter ... "Combat Conditioning" ...
As you can probably tell by now, being in shape for combat is much different
than being in shape as a civilian. A runner wears the lightest clothes
possible. A weight lifter wears clothes that do not impair their range of
motion. Marines in combat do not have that luxury. Without a weapon, there is
nothing to fight back with. Without food or water, dehydration and starvation
will settle in. Without the proper uniform or protective layer, bodily harm is
sure to occur. In most sports, it is usually pretty easy to pinpoint what
muscles deserve more attention during training. In combat, every muscle is
essential. Combat conditioning consists of exercises that employ strength,
stamina, balance, agility, explosive power, and most importantly the power of
will.
So how do Marines train for combat? They train how they fight. At minimum, the
uniform for combat conditioning is boots and utes. At the extreme level, it
includes a full combat load. Exercises include 6-25 mile hikes, buddy drags,
rope climbs, endurance/obstacle courses, and many more that are geared to
imitate the physical rigors encountered in combat. Every exercise performed
during combat conditioning works multiple muscle groups. It is not good enough
to be only fast or only strong. It is also not good enough to only have a fit
upper body or only a fit lower body. Combat conditioning trains your muscles to
work together more effectively.
The Marine Corps has a variety of physical tests that are used to gauge a
Marines ability to perform physically. The newest one that has been added to
the list is called the Combat Fitness Test. It consists of three sections:
movement to contact, 30 lb ammo can press in two minutes, and movement under
fire. Movement to contact is an 880 yd. sprint. Movement under fire consists of
traveling 200 yards with exercises throughout that include short sprints,
low/high crawl, zigzag run, buddy drag, fireman's carry, ammo can run with two
30 lb ammo cans, and a grenade toss.
Finally, I would like to touch on the power of will. The mind and heart are the
greatest muscles worked during combat conditioning. By the end of a workout the
entire body has been worked past its limit. Once the body is done, the power of
will picks up the slack. The stronger the will power, the stronger the Marine.
The less quit in a Marine, the more effective that Marine is in combat.
In short, combat conditioning is how Marines train their bodies for combat. I
encourage anyone who reads this to look up citations for past Navy Cross and
Medal of Honor recipients and think about how combat conditioning during
training helped save lives and accomplish missions.
"Pizza Box!" The words all lieutenants wanted to avoid saying or hearing after
the exciting two-week period called Range Week. Range week is about learning
the fundamentals of shooting the M9 pistol and M16 rifle for score and combat
situations, culminating with an expert, sharpshooter or marksman badge and a
"casual" 6-mile night march back from the range. Range week was full of early
morning power walks and late afternoon jogs, in the words of Second Lieutenant
Rory Kelly, "The week was long with a lot to learn." He went on to say,
"Shooting live rounds was a surreal moment; things just got real."
Whether your Marine officer is going for infantry or adjutant, shooting well on
the range shows their Marines that they are dedicated to both leading and
proficiency with weapons. Prior Staff Sergeant, 2ndLt Chris Johnson said, "As
an enlisted Marine, when I saw two marksman badges [the lowest level
qualification] it made me think less of the Marine." But later added, with a
smile, "At least they can still out shoot an Army officer."
The range week was full of comeback stories. After shooting expert all week 2ndLt
Jessica Lucas found herself struggling to a qualifying score during
prequalification. "I went to the indoor shooting simulator for additional
assistance, which really helped" she commented. Though she shot sharpshooter on
rifle and marksman on pistol it was an improvement from the day before.
As a prior Sergeant, I had a great time during range week. I had never shot
expert before but with guidance from range personal I was finally able to
achieve expert in rifle. I am still looking for my first expert at pistol but
October will give my fellow lieutenants and me a chance at requalification. So
if your son or daughter says I shot x-box (expert and marksman) or sharp-x
(sharpshooter and expert) or the infamous double pizza box (marksman on both
pistol and rifle) just know that they can always get better.
16 May 2012 ... One final excerpt from "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
When I started OCS in 1998, I considered making the Marines my career.
After Afghanistan, the possibility remained, only slightly diminished.
After Iraq, I knew I had to leave.
... I drifted after leaving the Corps. At age twenty-six, I feared I
had already lived the best years of my life. Never again would I
enjoy the sense of purpose and belonging that I had felt in the Marines.
Also, I realized that combat had nearly unhinged me.
... After channeling all my energy into applying to graduate school, I got a phone
call from an admissions officer: "Mr. Fick, we read your application and liked
it very much. But a member of our committee read [imbedded correspondent] Evan
Wright's story about your platoon in Rolling Stone. You're quoted as saying,
"The bad news is, we won't get much sleep tonight; the good news is, we get to
kill people."
"No, I cannot."
"Well, do you really feel that way?" Her tone was earnest, almost pleading.
"You mean, will I climb your clock tower and pick people off with a hunting rifle?"
It was her turn to be silent.
"No, I will not. Do I feel compelled to explain myself to you? No, I don't."
... I took sixty-five men to war and brought sixty-five home. I gave them
everything I had. Together, we passed the test. Fear didn't beat us. I hope
life improves for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, but that's not why we did
it. We fought for each other.
I am proud.
09 May 2012 ... The excerpts from Nathaniel Fick's experience at TBS
have been exhausted. His first choice for MOS was granted: infantry. He
completed the follow-on Infantry Officer Course, and was transferred to his
first assignment: Bravo Company, First Battalion, First Marine Regiment at Camp
Pendleton, Ca. The battalion deployed on the USS Dubuque (LPD-8) as part of an
amphibious task group to the Pacific in September of 2001.
This is a remarkable anecdote: 1300 sailors and Marines were on liberty
in Darwin, Australia when they heard on the news that we were now a nation
at war. All these warriors individually returned from liberty early —
ready to sail in harm's way.
From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
We pulled into Darwin, Australia for two days of training in the outback.
After two days of live fire exercises, we returned to Darwin for a day off
before our departure at 0900 the next morning. That evening a friend and I
found a bar for dinner and drinks. After dinner, Patrick burst through the
door.
"Fucking terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon!"
"Relax, bro. Have a beer." Jim and I laughed. Then we saw that Patrick was
serious. Abandoning our drinks, we filed out the door and across the street to
join a growing crowd around the lobby's big-screen TV.
Slowly, we realized the impact this would have on us. Jim summed it up best:
"Fellas, history just bent us over." We had to get back to the ship.
Marines and sailors mobbed Darwin's streets, all streaming down the hill to the
docks. As we joined the crowd, a car pulled up, and a young Australian couple
asked if we needed a lift. We gratefully accepted and piled in the back seat.
Minutes later, the car skidded onto the pier, where floodlights lit the three
ships and armed sentries already stood along the rails. The driver shook our
hands and said, "Guess you blokes are headed for war."
I climbed up to Captain Whitmer's cabin, to let him know his officers
were all aboard. I found him sitting at his desk, wearing sweatpants
and looking relaxed. His incense burner smoldered, and acoutic guitar
played softly in the background. This was Captain Whitmer at his best,
embodying the line from Rudyard Kipling's poem about keeping your head
when all around you are losing theirs. Yes, he knew about the attacks.
Yes, he expected we'd be sailing earlier than planned. No, he saw no
need for concern. We would hold a company formation at 0100 on the
flight deck. Standing there in flip-flops and a T-shirt, I wanted to
salute him but only nodded and closed the door.
At 0100, the flight deck looked like a party that had been halted in
midstream. Marines, mostly drunk but acting sober, bobbed and weaved
in a rough formation. The ship was at THREATCON DELTA, wartime footing.
I counted my men and found them all present. In fact, every sailor
and Marine on the Dubuque returned to the ship within two hours of
hearing the news from the States. Just as people at home were
gathering together to absorb the blow, we did the same.
Even on the flight deck in the middle of the night, I recognized
the pivotal moment. It was like a weight settling on my shoulders.
I scanned the platoon's three ranks of faces. They looked worried,
disoriented, uncertain - the same way I'd felt before I saw Captain
Whitmer. They would take their cue from me just as I had taken mine
from him. A dumb-ass lieutenant banging on his war drum would be of
no help.
"Fellas, get some rest," I said evenly. "I'm sure the ship's e-mail
will be shut down pretty soon, so try to get a message off to let your
families know you're OK. I don't know how this affects our plans,
but I'm sure we'll have more information tomorrow."
Captain Whitmer's calming effect was contagious. I could see that my
reaction surprised them. Already, the worry lines began to disappear.
Before dismissing the platoon, I turned it up just a little bit.
"When the shock wears off, we're gonna be pissed. Maybe, if we're
lucky, we'll be the ones to get revenge for this."
It resonated with them, and I saw a flicker of resolve. My emotion
surprised me. Looking at the Marines, I saw football stars and thugs
and baby-faced eighteen-year-olds. Black and white and Hispanic.
They were my platoon, my men, my responsibility.
"Semper fi. Dismissed."
I stood on the dark deck and looked out over the lights of Darwin for
a minute before slowly climbing the superstructure to my stateroom.
There was an e-mail message from my dad. "Stand tall," it read, "but
come home physically and psychologically intact." When I woke at
six, we were already out of sight of land, three hours before our
scheduled departure.
02 May 2012 ... From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
Our evaluation at TBS was in three columns: leadership, academics, and military
skills. The last was the most significant, and first among those skills was
tactical command. We spent much of the winter in the woods and fields
surrounding Camp Barrett, practicing tactics as squads and platoons. We
attacked and defended, ambushed, raided, patrolled, and did reconnaissance.
Lieutenants rotated as leaders of the missions. Before every operation, the
leader wrote and delivered a formal order. Sometimes the orders stretched into
dozens of pages, accounting for every detail of navigation, communication,
resupply, and actions upon running into the enemy.
We bitched and complained about the onerous process of writing orders. Would
we have time for this in combat? Of course not, and that was the point. We
wrote so many orders in SMEAC format that its components became ingrained. In
December, when I was given a tactical problem and one minute to identify key
considerations, I may have come up with five. By March, I saw thirty. In May,
fifty. Our assessment process sped up, and with it our actions. We learned to
use speed as a weapon, to create opportunities and exploit them.
But the learning process was painful, sometimes humiliating. One snowy
afternoon, I was chosen to lead the squad in an attach against a defended
hilltop. I got disoriented in the white ravines, lost track of our position on
the map, and led my twelve Marines up the wrong hill. Sheepishly, I followed
an exasperated captain to the correct hill, and we resumed the attack.
A few weeks later, after resolving never to screw up my navigation again, I was
chosen by Captain McHugh to lead the platoon in a daylight ambush patrol. I
picked a trail where we guessed our enemy was operating and split the platoon
in half to ambush any traffic from two directions instead of one. We hid in
the snow for hours, watching the path. Near sunset, a four-man fire team
walked slowly toward us. I sprang the ambush, and the woods erupted with the
pops and roars of blanks fired from 35 rifles and machine guns. Just as I
began to fell smug, Captain McHugh called me over. "Your geometry's all fucked
up. That half of the platoon," he pointed at the group across the trail,
"would have killed this half if you guys had real bullets. I sat here for two
hours waiting for you to notice."
25 Apr 2012 ... From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
At Basic School we learned about warfare's dynamism. We wouldn't be
fighting wax men in castles. In our instructors' words, "The enemy has
a vote, too." When confronting an opposing will, we fight people who
are also fighting us. They will learn. Their tactics will evolve as
ours do. The key consideration in any tactical move is "to turn the
map around." Look at your own situation from the enemy's perspective.
What are your vulnerabilities? Where will he hit you, and what can you
do to defeat him?
Speed, we were taught, is a weapon. Be aggressive. Keep the tempo
high. The Marines Corps' hallmark is maneuver warfare, slipping around
the enemy's hard surfaces and into his open gaps. Never attack into
the teeth of the guns. We learned that indecision is a decision, that
inaction has a cost all its own. Good commanders act and create
opportunities and throw the enemy into disarray.
War is a human enterprise – it is fought by people, not machines.
Commanders must lead from the front. Leaders thrive on chaos. Tell
your people what to do, not how to do it. Decentralize command and
allow subordinates to operate freely within the framework of the
commander's communicated intent. Train as a team. Develop trust,
loyalty, initiative.
This is the art of war. Some of the terms are new, but the principles
have been known since Thucydides, Sun Tzu, and Clausewitz.
18 Apr 2012 ... From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
Instruction at TBS goes far beyond rote memorization, growing into some
amalgamation of chess, history, boxing, and game theory. At Basic School we
studied the fog and friction of war, how the simplest things become difficult.
During our written test on the subject, the instructors cranked Metallica at
full volume, hurled tennis balls at our heads, and sprayed our faces with water
pistols. The lesson was focus: ignore the distractions and do your job.
11 Apr 2012 ... A thoughtful welcome aboard letter from Charlie Company's
commanding officer to the families ...
Your Marines of Charlie Company are beginning a challenging but rewarding phase
in their lives - learning how to lead as Marine Officers. Throughout the 26
weeks of training, they will be challenged physically, mentally, and morally.
They are preparing to face the challenges that will enable them to lead Marines
in the Operating Forces - so we will maximize every day towards this end.
Although individual events are important to me, they are not my primary focus.
Our focus is on the overall development of Marine Corps officership. That they
are critical thinkers and problem solvers imbued with the 5 Horizontal Themes:
1. A man or woman of exemplary character
In order to accomplish this task, our work will typically require us to put in
long hours. Additionally, we will conduct week-long field training exercises
during six different weeks. I share this with you to help everyone understand
the demands that will be placed upon your Marines and to help prepare you for
those days when your Marine is away from home.
A critical element in your Marine's success is the family. Families are an
extremely important element of our team - in part, they are why we serve.
Families enrich our lives and at times serve as our enablers that allow us to
focus on the mission. We must do everything possible to strengthen this
element of our team. I encourage everyone to embrace our established and
ongoing TBS Family Readiness Program. Social events will be held to develop
and strengthen our relationships. Through unity and caring we can build
camaraderie and teamwork to strengthen our families. But, I also know that
each family is looking forward to time among themselves, so I encourage you to
look at our calendar to plan ahead for family events and vacation.
My commitment also extends to ensuring that spouses, children, and parents are
informed and have access to the resources they require. I have directed that
our website provide the most up-to-date information and access to Marine Corps
family readiness program resources. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Becky
Stockwell as our TBS Family Readiness Officer who is very experienced and is
also a Marine wife. She will be my number one resource when seeking advice on
improving and managing our family readiness program. If you want to be
involved in our program, all you have to do is raise your hand and volunteer.
We can use your energy and assistance. My wife, Nancy - along with our
Executive Officer's wife, Meg - are both excited to be a part of the team and
have already planned the first few activities for the spouses and families. I
encourage each of you to take advantage of these opportunities to meet each
other, build friendships, and enjoy our short time together.
Again, welcome to the Charlie Company family, I look forward to meeting all of
you, but most importantly shaking the hand of your Marine on graduation day,
and congratulating them on a job well done!
Semper Fidelis,
04 Apr 2012 ... From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
Learning institutional lessons is the overarching theme of the classes at TBS.
Our instructors were fond of pointing at the pile of tactics manuals on each of
our desks and saying, "These books are written in the blood of lieutenants and
captains who went before you. Learn from their mistakes; don't repeat them."
The Marine Corps adheres to a crawl-walk-run philosophy, so we spent much of
our time in the classroom before going out to the woods to practice what we'd
learned. In the beginning, that learning was formulaic, just like OCS.
We learned the six troop-leading procedures by the acronym BAMCIS:
21 Mar 2012 ... From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
I loved TBS as much as I had hated OCS. The pace was high, the material was
clearly relevant, and we were finally being trained instead of screened.
We spent the first month on the rifle range, learning to shoot the M-16 and the
Beretta 9 mm pistol. Some of my classmates had been hunters since they'd
learned to walk, but I had fired a gun only two or three times in my life. The
Marine Corps is a gun club, the infantry most of all, and I realized I was
starting with a deficit. I had three weeks to pay attention and learn how to
shoot. On the last morning, Qualication Day, we would shoot for score, and the
score would determine what shooting badge we wore on our uniforms. Those who
barely qualified would be Marksmen, above them were Sharpshooters, and the best
riflemen would be Experts. In my mind no self-respecting infantry officer
could stand in front of his platoon with anything less than an Expert shooting
badge.
Rifle qualification is at 200, 300, and 500 yards. We aimed through "iron
sights" not scopes, and learned that good shooting is a matter of discipline.
There is no Zen involved, and hardly any luck. Do what you are taught, and
you will hit the target. Consistency is key.
For two weeks we ran through the fundamentals, arriving at the range in the
predawn darkness and staying until midafternoon. The weather was gorgeous,
cool mornings giving way to warm sun with almost no wind. It was perfect
shooting weather.
We began firing for score in the third week, but only Thursday would count.
There were 300 possible points on the course, and I needed 220 to qualify
as an Expert. On Monday, I shot 180. Tuesday, 210. Wednesday, 220.
Hovering at the cusp, I went to bed Wednesday night thinking about
consistency. I had to replicate everything perfectly. The only element
out of my control was the weather.
I woke at 0400 on Thursday and pulled open the blinds: rain streaked the
glass, and naked trees danced in the wind. Damn. It was still dark when
we completed the three mile hike to the range. I could barely make out the
red wind flags through 200 yards of blowing mist. They snapped parallel
to the ground.
Chills shook my body. I had a sweater and jacket in my pack but fought
the urge to put them on. Consistency. I hadn't worn a jacket on the
warm days earlier in the week. That extra millimeter of fabric on my
arm now would have an outsize effect on the little black disk five
football fields away. I willed myself warm.
"Shooters, you may fire when your targets appear."
I settled my breathing, letting the muzzle rise and fall naturally.
I centered the rifle's front sight post in the aperture of the rear sight
and put it on the black target. I pulled my elbows in tight to my body,
squirming in the mud to make one connection between rifle, bone, and
dirt. Breathing naturally, I made little adjustments until every
exhalation put the target in the center of my sights. Then I squeezed
the trigger.
Wide to the right. I dialed in a click of windage to correct for gusts
and fired again.
Wide to the right.
Relax. Easy breaths. Back to the basics. Ignore the distractions. No
cold, no rain, no wind. Do what they taught you. Line it up. Good
support. Easy trigger pull.
Bull's-eye.
My next twenty shots were all in the black. Shooting was mechanical,
rote. The key, as we'd heard so many times, was practicing the stroke
and making it instinct. The only skill involved was learning the
lessons of those who'd gone before. By the time I walked off the 500
yard line, I had shot 231.
14 Mar 2012 ... From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
President Harry Truman once said that the Marines had a propaganda machine
second only to Stalin's. He was right. My impression of the Corps, even as a
newly commissioned officer, was one of a lean, mean, fighting force, all teeth
and no tail. I was shocked when my platoon commander, Captain McHugh, told his
assembled lieutenants that only ten percent of us would be infantry officers.
The rest would go to the other combat arms - artillery, amphibious assault
vehicles, and tanks - or to support jobs such as supply, administration, and
even financial management.
McHugh asked us to keep an open mind and learn about each job before deciding
which to compete for. I nodded but knew that only one thing would satisfy me:
infantry officer. I wanted the purity of a man with a weapon traveling great
distances on foot, navigating, stalking, calculating, using personal skill. I
couldn't let a jet or a tank get in the way, and I certainly wasn't going to
sit behind a desk. I wanted to be tested, to see if I had what it takes. The
Marine Corps had recently unveiled a recruiting campaign using the motto
"Nobody likes to fight, but somebody has to know how." It was dropped because
Marines do like to fight and aspiring Marine officers want to fight.
The grunt life is untainted. I sensed a continuity with other infantrymen
stretching back to Thermopylae. Weapons and tactics may have changed, but they
were only accoutrements. The men stay the same. In a time of satellites and
missile strikes, the part of me that felt I'd been born too late was drawn to
the infantry, where courage still counts. Being a Marine was not about the
money for graduate school or learning a skill; it was a rite of passage in a
society becoming so soft and homogenized that the very concept was often
sneered at.
8 Mar 2012 ...
Jake Campbell has gone "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and
new civilizations, to boldly go where no [sane] man has gone before." For the
next 6 months he will be enjoying the "secret family recipe" known as The Basic School
(aka TBS). Putting the "The" in the title is not a function of hubris,
it's so that the acronym wouldn't be "BS". TBS is a tenant of Marine Corps
Base Quantico - located 34 miles SW of Washington D.C.
The book "One Bullet Away - the Making of a Marine Officer" has an excellent
chapter on the author's experience at TBS. I would like to offer a weekly
excerpt from the book so we can vicariously experience the Campbell
pilgrimage.
From "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick ...
The TBS campus, called Camp Barrett, looks more like a dilapidated community
college than the cradle of the Marine officer corps. On my first Monday
morning, I watched lieutenants hurrying back and forth between classes. They
carried brief bags and plastic coffee mugs, like graduate students. Camp
Barrett's dozen anonymous buildings include two barracks, several classrooms, a
pool, a theater, and an armory, all surrounded by flat expanses of grass that
double as playing fields when not being used as helicopter landing zones.
The compound's only distinctive feature is Iron Mike, a bronze statue of a
Marine holding a rifle in his right hand and waving on unseen men with his
left. It was next to Iron Mike that our class assembled that morning. I stood
by the statue, conscious that I was being intentionally steeped in the history
of the Corps and its heroes. Around me stretched the six platoons of Alpha
Company, 224 newly commissioned second lieutenants. [There are usually six
companies in TBS at one time; with start and graduation dates every two
months.]
We would spend the next six months at Camp Barrett, learning all the basic
skills we would need as Marine officers. The Corps' mantra is "Every Marine a
rifleman." Its corollary is "Every Marine officer a rifle platoon commander."
In the Marine Corps, jet pilots, clerks, and truck drivers are all infantrymen
first. TBS would teach us those basic infantry skills, plus all the rules,
regulations, and administrative requirements that are part of a peacetime
military. The greatest topic of conversation at TBS was MOS selection.
Military Occupational Specialties are the specific jobs in the Corps - aviator,
artillery, logistics, tanks, infantry, and others - and they're competitive.
We would be assigned to the various specialties according to class rank. The
most coveted of them was infantry.
Following the successful completion of Rifle Week, the lieutenants of Charlie
Company began their training in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).
Drawing inspiration from a number of different martial arts styles, MCMAP seeks
to equip Marines not only to prevail in hand-to-hand and close quarters combat,
but also to be better and more confident leaders. Instruction in MCMAP is
predicated upon growth in three core disciplines: Mental, Physical, and
Character. The development of the mental aspect of MCMAP stresses situational
awareness, decision making, and threat assessment. It also includes "Warrior
Studies," in which Marines discuss the achievements of warriors who showed
exemplary service on the battlefield. The physical aspect of MCMAP includes the
development of strength and muscular endurance, as well as familiarizing
Marines with MCMAP techniques. Character development involves the discussion of
ethics, morality, and the Marine Corps core values of honor, courage, and
commitment.
Proficiency in MCMAP is measured by belt levels, much like other martial arts
such as karate or taekwondo. The belt progression begins with tan belt, moving
up through gray, green, brown, and six degrees of black belt. During MCMAP
week, Charlie Company received entry level tan belt training. The tan belt
curriculum includes basic strikes (punches, kicks, and elbow and knee strikes),
bayonet and knife techniques, chokes, joint manipulations, and throws. In
total, over 50 different techniques were learned and mastered.
The purpose of combat conditioning is defined in the name itself. It is meant
to prepare your body for the physical rigors experienced in combat. The average
combat load per Marine is about 80 lbs. A combat load includes radios, weapons,
ammo, chow, water and any necessary gear needed for that mission. In any
mission, a Marine is expected to move quickly and efficiently with the extra
weight. That can include but is not limited to running, jumping, climbing, and
crawling. The list also includes being able to evacuate a fellow Marine with a
full combat load.
23 May 2012 ... An article by 2ndLt Davis in the Charlie Company monthly
newsletter ...
... I left the Corps because I had become a reluctant warrior. Many
Marines reminded me of gladiators. They had that mysterious quality
that allows some men to strap on greaves and a breastplate and wade
into the gore. I respected, admired, and emulated them, but I
could never be like them. I could kill when killing was called for,
and I got hooked on the rush of combat as much as any man did. But
I couldn't make the conscious choice to put myself in that position
again and again throughout my professional life.
Great Marine commanders, like all great warriors, are able to kill that
which they love most - their men. It's a fundamental law of warfare.
Twice I had cheated it. I couldn't tempt fate again.
She paused, as if waiting for me to disavow the quote. I was
silent, and she went on. "We have a retired Army officer on our staff, and he
warned me that there are people who enjoy killing, and they aren't nice to be
around. Could you please explain your quote for me?"
Marines crowded the flight deck. Only an hour after the attacks half
a world away, most the the Dubuque's sailors and Marines were already
back aboard and far more restrained than usual this late on a night
in port. My platoon milled around, clad in sandals and Hawaiian shirts.
No one spoke. On the stern, two sailors manned a machine gun. They
trained it on the cars depositing passengers at the gangplank. The
ship rumbled and smoked from its funnel. The Dubuque was making steam,
getting ready to sail.
2. Devoted to leading Marines 24/7
3. Able to decide, communicate, and act in the fog of war
4. A warfighter who embraces the Corps' warrior ethos
5. Mentally strong and physically tough
Major L. V. Pion III
Begin planning
Arrange for reconnaissance
Make reconnaissance
Complete the plan
Issue the order
Supervise
We used METT-T to estimate a tactical situation in order to complete the plan:
Mission
Enemy
Terrain
Troops and fire support available
Time
Most of all, we began to issue orders. Not yelled commands in mid-assault, but
multipage written orders built around the five-paragraph format called SMEAC:
Situation
Mission
Execution
Administration and logistics
Command and signal
We wrote dozens of them. We bitched and complained about the onerous process
of writing them. Would we have time for this in combat? Of course not, and
that was the point.
No applicable photos found.
Live field fire of Light Anti-Tank Weapon and 40mm grenade machine gun ...
Nathaniel Fick does an excellent job
chronicling his pilgrimage from Officer Candidate School (OCS, 1998), to The
Basic School (TBS), to Infantry Officer School, to the fleet, to Afghanistan
(2001), to Marine Recon, to Iraq (2003), to civilian life.
Class Report Date Start Date Graduation
Echo 5-11 Jun 07, 2011 Jun 20, 2011 Dec 14, 2011
Fox 6-11 Jul 05, 2011 Jul 18, 2011 Jan 26, 2012
Golf 7-11 Aug 16, 2011 Sep 06, 2011 Mar 07, 2012
Alpha 1-12 Oct 18, 2011 Oct 31, 2011 May 09, 2012
Bravo 2-12 Dec 16, 2011 Jan 09, 2012 Jul 03, 2012
Charlie 3-12 Mar 06, 2012 Mar 19, 2012 Sep 12, 2012
Delta 4-12 Jun 05, 2012 Jun 18, 2012 Dec 12, 2012
Echo 5-12 Jul 05, 2012 Jul 16, 2012 Jan 23, 2013
Fox 6-12 Sep 04, 2012 Sep 17, 2012 Mar 27, 2013
