MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- The place was Fort Hood, Texas. The date was Nov. 5, 2009. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 people and injured 30 more during a mass shooting aboard the largest active duty post of armored troops in the United States armed services. According to a Washington Post article published in February, “there have been 43 mass shootings in 25 states over the past four years – or nearly one per month.”
In trying to prevent tragic events like these, the Marine Corps’ “total force,” including Marines, civilian employees and contractors, take an annual violence prevention course to learn preventative steps to identify behaviors that could lead to violence. To make completing the training more efficient, the Marine Corps is now offering its mandatory course online at MarineNet.
The shooting at Fort Hood and other similar tragedies led to this training, said Pete Russett, director of the Mission Assurance Branch, Marine Corps Base Quantico. The training is an annual requirement and is worth the time invested if it saves even a couple of people.
According to an announcement by Training and Education Command, the online course provides the materials for personnel to complete the annual requirement and teaches, “recognizing and reporting behavioral indicators of violence and immediate life-saving actions available in the event of an active shooter.”
“This training enables those who take it to take care of fellow Marines and coworkers,” said Ken Thompson, project manager, Homeland Security Solutions, Inc. “It helps us identify problems early.”
Although the course has only been offered online for a couple of weeks, the immediate feedback has been positive.
“It’s a good training tool,” said Thompson. “Those who have taken it have said it’s very good quality.”
Every total force member is required to complete the training by Dec. 31, by attending instructor-led or MarineNet training.
To access the course, use the code ILEVPPA01A at www.marinenet.usmc.mil. You will need a Common Access Card-enabled computer to access the MarineNet website. A screen resolution greater than 1024 x 768 is recommended.
For information, call the College of Distance Education and Training 888-435-8762.
Correspondent: samuel.l.ellis@usmc.mil