Marine Corps Base Quantico -- Marines in Headquarters and Service Battalion experienced the truth of the saying “if it ain’t raining, you ain’t training” during a weapons familiarization exercise at Weapons Training Battalion aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico Feb. 23.
“It’s a chance for them to bring their morale up and enjoy this beautiful weather,” said Sgt. Travis Ogilvie, Weapons Training Battalion, gesturing at the gray skies and curtains of drizzle.
“This is a motivational shoot,” Ogilvie explained. “Most of these Marines aren’t afforded the opportunity to shoot weapons like we are out here.”
Marines representing more than 10 military occupational specialties (MOS’s) attended the volunteer shoot, according to Gunnery Sgt. Louis Beltran. Most of them serve in clerical, administrative and support positions, such as communications, motor transport, food service and music. But even though they do not work in a ground combat billet, they might be attached to a deployable unit where familiarization with combat weapons will enable them to contribute to the mission.
“A lot of MOS’s will be posted to convoys in Afghanistan and they may need to use these weapons,” Beltran said. “We don’t want them to be touching the weapons for the first time when they’re out there.”
“If someone goes down in a combat situation, they will be able to pick up the weapon and know what to do,” Ogilvie said.
The Marines had opportunities to fire the M9 and M45 pistols, the M240 medium machine gun, the M249 light machine gun and the M27 infantry automatic rifle. They heard a safety brief and were given a short introduction to each weapon prior to the shoot.
Beltran said the shoot was a success.
“It went great—they all had a blast shooting and building esprit de corps,” he said. “The [commanding officer] talked to them after the shoot and he said that’s how Marines build camaraderie—by suffering through freezing cold and rain together!”
— Writer: auphausconner@quanticosentryonline.com
More Media