Today, I checked into to sergeant's course at Marine Corps Air & Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.

I plan to update this post with our training and hopefully some photos if I can manage keeping a camera with me on the different training evolutions for those of you who may give a squirt.

Gun Dog, you may be interested to read about our training from a view point inside the military.

Today was nothing but check in and getting situated and tomorrow will be more of the same. They are being tight lipped about the training at the moment but I suspect we will learn more tomorrow. The gear list has magazine pouches both 9mm and 5.56mm, flak, helmet and other combat related gear, so I am guessing there will be some fun involved. I am certain it will be physically challenging, as I have never been to any Marine Corps training that wasn't.

We are living in a big squad bay, but surprisingly we have a shared common area with fridges, cable TV, Wifi and even a laundry room. It's like a "luxury" boot camp if you will.

That's all for now. Time to find the NCO Club. What? It's too early to drink? Nah, I'm in the desert and need to stay hydrated <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Good luck, Warren.

I never went to Corporal's Course or Sergeant's Course. My CO had a hard time letting a fully qualified Weapons and Tactics Crew Chief Instructor leave for several weeks at a time, so I never received any REAL Marine Corps leadership training and my SgtMaj couldn't stand it. It's one of my very few regrets from my stint as a Jarhead.

Is this like a PLDC. Primary leadership developement Course the Army does. Or whatever its called now.

It is similar to the Army's I think. It is two months of mixed leadership training on both combat and mentoring.

Spider Pig, as the only MPA for 7 states, I had to do some fast talking to get my command to let me go. I used the "this will affect my entire career" arguement.

When I was in it was PLDC, BNOC and ANOC. At 2 months that has to be the equivelent of BNOC

I've been getting secondhand info all day, and it seems that a lot of the old school ceremonial stuff like drill, rifle and sword manual have been dropped. They have been replaced by combat stuff like MMA, room clearing and advanced weaponry.

However, during the winters they don't do any overnight field training. Apparently someone got frost bite or something last year.

^all hearsay so far.

I can't believe that stuff got dropped, knowing it is part of being a Sergeant of Marines!

I for one am glad they did. I know it is part of tradition and all, but I think warfighting skills are more important.

A little background: the commandant of the Marine Corps put a new policy out about four years ago that allows individual commands to replace the ceremonial stuff with warfighting skills. There are only two units, one being MIRAMAR don't know the other, that still do the ceremonial portion.

Good luck jj, I will be following for updates!

JJ I agree that warfighting skills are definitely more important, but I think ALL Marines should be given that training and Sergeants should still know how to drill. Just my opinion I guess and I see how this could become a well beaten dead horse.

Best of luck JJ, one more square will be checked off on your way to the top! Gunny JJ, has a nice ring to it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />