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 They have been replaced by combat stuff like MMA, room clearing and advanced weaponry.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="" />

Got issued all the text books today: Warfighting includes land navigation, squad formations and tactics, calling for fire (both artillery and air support, etc etc - Medical first responder type stuff - Communication, mostly radio and signs - Administration and Training and one I forget the name of. All are pretty thick.

Also got issued all the body armor, rifle, pistol and associated gear.

Tomorrow starts at 0430 with a physical fitness test then evolves into classroom training.

According to the schedule, the real fun starts in two weeks. Field time!!! I am going to blow some stuff up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> We are getting 10 grenades a piece and the instructors are working on acquiring C4 and a few Javelin Anti Tank Missiles.

Friday has 5 hours of combat conditioning in the morning. I am guessing this is when the instructors plan to weed out the weak. They say this course has a 25 percent attrition rate.

Don't worry about this Marines. I have been training hard for this training.

I did get issued a sword, but we were told only the platoon sergeants use them during formation movements.

This guy won't be trying to be a platoon sergeant. Not trying to get honor grad, but plan to be a distinguished graduate by being in the top 95 percentile GPA.

Side note: There are hundreds of the Canadian special forces here. Half speak french all the time and the others speak English with a funny accent. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Pretty cool bunch of guys - laid back, but all business. They have been given access to our base exchange and are taking full advantage of it. The shelves have half of what they did when I got here. Ahhhh, the land of the big PX.

Six hours of exercise and I am sore and really tired. That is all.

Still tired and appreciating the fact we get the weekend off. Today 8 Marines were sent home for injuries, failure to meet physical standards and failure to pass a knowledge test.

We started with 80 students, so it is a 10 percent attrition rate at the moment. Hopefully the weak have been weeded out and the rest will stick around.

Here is a sample of what it sounded like today for morning PT. The Marines here should have some memories stirred up from this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGKPwjtzl8E

Enjoy your weekend buddy you deserve the time off! Are you restricted to base or can you explore the area

We aren't restricted to base. We are sergeants.

However, most if not all of the sergeants here have decided to remain on base and avoid the fun to stay healthy during the course. Plus, we are a few hours from any city with fun. Twentynine Palms is slightly isolated.

We have a 72 next weekend for MLK day. I do plan on cycling to Bigbear Lake - about 7 hours on a bike and 1.5 in a car.

End of first day of the second week. I have come to the conclusion they think we learn better when we are dead tired. Maybe this is true.

They run us, beat us (literally, we did 3 hours of intense MMA training today) and then firehose feed information into our brains. We are focusing on ethics in garrison as well as combat zones tomorrow and I have 4 hours of reading after a 12 hour day.

I'm tired.

Hang in there JJ, Adapt and overcome!

You guys ever seen this? I love BJJ, martial arts in general and watching MMA...but this video cracks me up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXNroQ1-dWs

Keep it up JJ!

Hang tough jj, you will overcome anything that they throw at you!

Remember JJ, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! You've already overcame so much, this too will pass, and you will be a better man (and Marine) because of it.

I learned a lot today. We dealt with ethical decisions, mentoring junior Marines and we followed it up with the usual physical training.

Today's training involved circuit courses designed to accommodate a mass of junior Marines in limited space. It was pretty interesting how they integrated Marine Corps Warfighting Conditioning Manual exercises into a circuit course.

I have been eating like a cow and not gaining a pound. I am averaging 3,500 calories a day.

Well, 'til next time ... Peace out.

P.S. Thanks for the encourging words, but they are not needed my friends. I will die trying, plus, this isn't like BUDS. Their is no bell to ring when you want to quit.

Just showing our support for you my friend.

Sounds awesome JJ. Remember JJ the pain is tempory but the honor and glory is forever<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The Corps has a saying for this.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."

I haven't had a chance to bring a camera on any training evolutions, but I did get a chance to run the "Sandy Ridge Line" today in prep for the run this coming Friday. I added a pack for weight even though we won't be running with packs Friday.

Here is a view from above the combat training center.


This is the opposite side of the ridge line. You can see the combat village we will be doing force on force with SESAM rounds in a few weeks. SESAM rounds are fired from M16s and M4s with special 9mmm bore upper receivers. They fire ballistic rounds with a hard paint pellet bullet.


This is south of the combat town where we will be doing some land nav courses.


Here is another view of 29 Palms.


The ground out here is riddled with blanks and spent rounds.


This looks like a tank round buried in the ground. The stamp, which is not normally on the round, leads me to believe this was put here in 64.



On a funny note. We were sitting in the squad bay a few hours ago and heard what sounded like an ice cream truck. Out of curiosity, I poked my head out the door. Yes, it was an ice cream truck. It stopped near a few M1 Abrams tanks and AAVs (amphibious assault vehicle). The crews of these machines were covered in sand and muck lined up to buy Push Ups and Bomb Pops. Very surreal.

That place is covered with unexploded ordinance. Once we set our CH-53D helicopter down in an LZ and I looked out of the crew door saw an unexploded mortar lying in the sand. Good thing we didn't land on it.

Thanks for posting pics.

You would think that they would sweep the place from time to time for that stuff Spidy. I know it's a lot of ground to cover, but they could divide it off into sections. Oh well, not my call.

Wow nice pics JJ! Hope you keep safe and kick some @$$

They are working on the on base solar array that powers the base. Now there are a bunch of Marines that look more like miners with headlamps wondering around base.

The picture mentioning land nav looks like something from a "day after" doomsday movie. Very desolate!

No doubt- I was thinking lunar landscape!

It definitely felt like the end of the world every time I went there. I was a Hawaii Marine!

It reminds me so much of West Texas.

Me too. Saw a lot of coyotes in the hills tonight during a run. They were making al kinds of noise. don't think they liked me in their turf.

California is full of coyotes, I used to tag along with a trapper there when I was a kid. Coyotes and bobcats. I really miss it.

A handful of coyotes make so much noise you would swear there were hundreds.

Today we spent hours of classroom time learning landnav followed by some defensive position planning. We did some defensive positioning sketches and a lot of map overlays for routes. We will put this all to use in the culminating event of the course that involves 6 check points in a movement to an objective, 10 miles away, we must defend from an opposing force. We followed this up with some field rehearsals.

We have to take an indirect route through the mountains and desert flats and have a position set up and ready for another squad (12 Marines plus a squad leader) consisting of three fire teams (4 Marines a piece) attacking our position with SESAM rounds.

I am going to be a squad leader for the defensive team.

I will secure the objective and eliminate the attackers with extreme prejudice. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Sounds great JJ . I talked a a recruiter today. But I won't hijack your thread.

You can hijack my thread an time sir.

We have been concentrating on IED detection this week. Monday was all class time and today we spent today in the field patrolling the desert canyons. My squad managed to get through our route unscathed until the very end of our patrol. Then, yours truly stepped on a pressure plate and was blown up in a cloud of baby powder. I guess learning the lessons on complacency just because you can see the FOB (forward operating base), is best learned here when the worst that can happen is a nose full of white boogers.

Our instructor said we did a decent job since we successfully found and avoided three IEDs and switched to our alternate route when we can to a scary looking choke point. He told us the choke point, which was a narrow canyon pass, had multiple IEDs in it. We avoided getting the entire squad covered in baby powder.

Yes, Marines train with baby powder. Not a word Randy!

I'm sorry you died, Warren.

Hehe, His BODY might have died Adam, but His spirit came back all dressed in white! Just like the light fluffy clouds he wants so badly to play among! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

See, I didn't say a word about all the nasty rashes the baby powder will prevent! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

And like you said, a good lesson was learned, THE EASY WAY. White powder is much better than something red and sticky. Congratulations on your success, you beat the odds and learned a valuable lesson.

train how you fight? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Me too. Oddly enough, it death doesn't feel much different than life.

This has been an interesting thread, thanks for sharing

I agree with Bill on this, this has been a really good thread, Thanks JJ.

two thumbs up!

Well, we got released early for the weekend and I plan to relax and let my bones heal. I can see beer and pro bowl in my future.

Today we spent a few hours on computer simulators for call for fire. We used three different methods; grid, polar and shift. Grid method is when you locate the target on a map and send in grid coordinates. Polar is when you locate yourself using a GPS and send in your coordinates and the azimuth toward the target and the guesstimated distance. Shift is used for the previous two methods to "walk" the rounds onto the target. That is the dumbed down version of it. We get to call in actual artillery rounds on the ranges in a week. I am going to blow some &%$# up!!!

There are quite a few black belt instructor trainers attending the course, and against our better judgement we have decided to spend an hour after class each day training in MCMAP (Marine Corps Mixed Martial Arts). MCMAP was developed by UFC champs like Randy Couture and modified with experienced combat vets with artial arts training to integrate weapons like rifles, knives and weapons of opportunity. This is the end of the first week of MCMAP training and my body can feel the extra strain from being thrown around added to class PT. I will stick it out though and get my green belt before returning to my command.

We learned that we are the first class in the entire Corps to go through the newest curriculum. This came up when a student asked our director why we haven't done any drill besides forming for PT. The powers above decided to do away with a majority of the ceremonial stuff and make this course more physically demanding and focus on combat a lot more. The director said this is the highest attrition rate he has seen this early in a course. He was happy about it because the Corps is downsizing and this is a great way to prevent the weak from having this course on his official record, which helps for promotion. If you are not promoted past SGT by year ten, you will get orders to report from whatever division you are in to 1st Civ. Div(1st Civilian Division).

I'll sign off with the Marine Corps NCO (Noncommissioned Officer) Creed

"I am an NCO dedicated to training new Marines and influencing the old. I am forever conscious of each Marine under my charge and by example will inspire them to the highest standards possible. I will strive to be patient, understanding, just and firm. I will commend the deserving and encourage the wayward.

I will never forget that I am responsible to my commanding officer for the morale, discipline and efficiency of my Marines, and their performance will reflect an image of me."

I went to the base exchange for a bottle or two of Merlot. Couldn't resist picking this up, and it is surprisingly good for an $8 bottle.

Never really was one for wine. Guess I got bit to much by Mad Dog, Boons Farm and the other REALLY high quality wines of the 70's! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That's good initiative to get that green belt on your own time, it's showing some will power. Looking at that bottle of wine is making my mouth water. Think I'll swing by the package store (okay liquor store) and snag a bottle. I agree with the others, this has been a stellar thread. Thanks for taking time to keep it updated.

I aced my call for fire virtual simulation today and plan to do the same with the real deal in a week or so.

It is getting serious here. Today's PT session was a 7 mile run in boots and utes (utes is short for utilities, what we call the camo uniform slacks) with light 20 lb packs that felt like 100 lbs after 5 miles. This run was from the bottom of base (it is on the side of a small mountain ridge) to the top and then across the ridge ridge line then back down. You can see the trail we ran in this image I took a few weeks ago.



It was a Popsicle-stick run. The Marine at finish line handed out popsiclesticks with numbers on them. First place got a stick with 1 on it and so on ... They add all the numbers up then divide them by the number of Marines in the platoon. The lowest result wins the PT competition. It is one of many physical competition among the platoons. It goes toward "honor platoon" awards at the end. I came in 12 out of 60 something sergeants. We get the results for the platoons tomorrow.

During the formation run out to the competition starting line, one of the gunnies called me out to call cadence. I wasn't in the mood for Black Sabbath's "war Pig" lyrics like I called last time, and didn't feel like a traditional one that we call every freaking time, So I mixed it up with this.

"I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam I Am.
I would not like them here or there.
I would not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam I am
I do not like them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam I Am."

Yeah, I got funny looks from the faculty and sergeants a like, but then after a few lines, they all got into it and the entire base had to hear a large group of sergeants singing Dr. Seuss. It was surreal and awesome!!

Dr. Seuss and the Marines, I can see that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

lol, I like it. A weekly read here!

I'm glad you enjoy it, my friend. I am enjoying the experience and getting a lot out of it myself. But, I am ready to bid this desert ado.

Haha, You're right JJ, to much of a good thing is TO MUCH!

We did war pigs once, I thought it was pretty original as a cadence song. Green eggs and ham, now THAT'S original. Carry on , hard charger.

We had a few lame classes this morning and then went straight to the desert hills for a competition among the platoons.

It was a resupply run. Each platoon (each varies from 15 to 17 Marines) had five 5 gallon jugs full of water, five ammo cans (30 lbs a piece) and and a stretcher. We started off into the hills for a 6 miles race. Everything was going fine for the first half mile. Then we found out what the stretcher was for - the biggest guy stepped on an IED. Yeah, they failed to tell us about that. Now the stretcher weighed 235 lbs. A near sprint turned into a slow jog as we had to stay in a group. Long story short, we finished in about 2 hours and got second place.

We were released for the day after that and after refueling with grub and lots of water (it was in the 80s today), the me and the rest of the MMA group went to the gym and used the padded room for 2 hours of ground fighting. Being the smallest guy, I had to fight way outside of my weight class the entire time.

So, as the pattern that has developed here continues, I am tired, but there is a new development today - I'm sore.

JJ, the older you get, the worse it gets.

Not so much the age as it is the other Marines kicking, punching and trying to put my in positions where my arm might break after daily PT sessions.

Bayer Back and Body 500 mg gets my vote ... so does Maker's Mark.

Man I gotta stop working! This is a great thread JJ ! Thanks for sharing!

Man JJ sounds wild. Keep up the good work and painkillers.

EDIT TO SET THE SCENE:

To the north of our position, Harriers were doing mock bombing runs and STOFLs (short take offs and landings), to the south, a few artillery gun line were pounding the ground and throughout our AO we ran into a few patrols of actual Iraqi Security Force members being trained by the infantry unit stationed here.

Today we had a final patrol practical application drill on one of the ranges. The Entire class had to secure a COP (Command Outpost) named Geronimo. Then the four platoons (which are actually more like squads when you take into acount size) took turns performing security foot patrols in the area.

Needless to say, each patrol ran into trouble.

3rd Squad, mine, received updated intel. via the radio from our COC (Combat Operation Center) that there was an HVI (High Value Individual) in a town along our patrol. The town, Sar Chesma, is a small community with about 30 buildings, farm areas and many vehicles. It has three roads and many foot paths leading out into the desert and is populated by about 40 locals (role players dressed in Middle Eastern garb, mostly actual Iraqis, Afghanis and Pakistanis we hired to work here at the training center).

The intel. we got said there was an HVI, a small cell of 6-8 Taliban insurgents, weapons cache and an IED lab making HME (Homemade Explosives). We took the initiative as we expected they wanted us to do and requested, via radio, to assault the position.

Once approved, we used our map to adjust our pre-designated mortar targets onto the places we thought would be the most likely ones for any encounters.

We began clearing the buildings one by one. Once we neared the town's center, two large explosions went off killing two Marines (not really, they just got covered in baby powder and had ringing ears) and wounding three. One had to be evacuated with the KIAs and the other two were able to press on with minor injuries.

As the three Marines were evacuated via helicopter (yes an actual helicopter took them away) we got a call from the bird about an enemy sighting 500 meters to the south of the town, the opposite we approached from. Then, myself and another Marine moved to the roof of the highest building (four stories) and spotted the mortar team in the desert field. We used a Leica Viper laser range finder connected to a GPS to get their grid coordinates and call in mortar fire. We called "fire for effect" on the first request and apparently we got it right. I assume they blew themselves up with baby powder to let us know we had, since they disappeared in a cloud of white powder about 20 seconds after the request.

An imaginary bird confirmed three dead two minutes later.

The Marines below immediately came under fire from three buildings. They cleared the closest building killing two more insurgents.

We were using SESAM rounds in our M16A4s and M4s to do the killing. Think ballistic paint pellets. Here's an example.


The lower Marines occupied the cleared building and returned fire to the two buildings across the street as four of them cover the rear of their position.

The fire from the enemies started to dwindle.

At this point, the other Marine on the roof with me noticed movement behind the enemies last seen location in the allies. They were trying to flank the lower Marines and were oblivious us to our elevated position. We radio the squad and told them the direction of the enemies.

They immediately rushed the two buildings and killed the two enemies that stayed behind to maintain our attention. We suffered another casualty when the lead Marine in the stack to enter one of the buildings took a round the the shoulder. he chicken winged his rifle and pushed on. Fighting wounded is much easier when the rounds just sting and bruise a little.

There were now three insurgents in the alley directly below my position and the rest of the squad was approaching them from two directions. When the three forces met, rounds filled the air below, but not for long.

Me and my partner were trying to contact the squad on the radio, but no one replied to our calls. We wanted to let them know one of the insurgents resembled the description of the HVI we were after.

Since the fight already started, we decided to shoot all three in the top of the head. We killed the HVI.

We then systematically cleared the rest of the town finding no one else but civilians, an IED lab and weapons cache. We called them in to the COC and was told to return to Geronimo.

On the way out of town we successfully avoided three IED placements. The last one was a good time. The point man was tired of altering routes in the labyrinth of buildings and shot the IED with a round. The instructor called on the radio yelling that we shouldn't shoot his equipment. We laughed, but didn't key the radio up for that.

Back at Geronimo, we got accolades for a partially successful mission,( we did kill the man we wanted to interrogate) and reprimanded for shooting the IED. They'll get over it, or they won't.

Sorry, I got carried away with a long post.

It might have been long JJ, but it was GOOD!

Great post jj, thanks

Awesome thanks for the update JJ. Sounds pretty cool

Everything is done here in the desert except for the ceremonial stuff.

I graduated as a distinguished graduate and earned my green Marine Corps Martial Arts Program belt.



We had our mess night and things got fun. It is a great tradition, but I have to remain tight lipped about what actually goes on during one except for the formalities. The other Jarheads here know what I am talking about. Here is a little read about our mess nights if you are interested. http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/marines/a/marinemess.htm

Here is a pic of my platoon, The Durty Thurd (3rd Platoon), as you can see we are down a few from the original 20.


That pic was taken on the general's lawn before the Mess Night began. Here is one from the cocktail hour with yours truly after many drinks getting familiar with a fellow Marine's leg.



This one is the beginning of the night, but the rest of the photos I took have to remain among the Marines as they are not fit for public consumption.



Random pic from my bike ride this morning.



While here I have continued my work as a stringer for a few publications. One job was about the latest video game handheld, PS Vita. I wrote a review about it and many of its games. I was asked to take a picture of the machine in the environment I think service members will be using it. This is a little off topic, but I figured I'd show you how I supplement my income.



That's all for now. I will write a wrap up post when I get home. Ahhh, it feels so nice to say "home."

Great pics JJ- congrats!

You made us proud JJ. Course we knew you would. Congratulations, you DID earn it!

I love how our MMA belts are all "tacti-cool," so much better than those long, soft and girly Karate belts.

Great job JJ