A review by coley_reads
To Be a U.S. Marine by Stephen F. Tomajczyk

informative fast-paced

4.0

 

To Be a US Marine Book Notes 

 

Marines are sea-based, combat-ready warriors who attack the enemy by land, by air, and from the sea. The Navy has its SEALs, and the Army has its Green Berets, but both are highly trained specialty units within their own branches. In the Marine Corps on the other hand, all 177, 000 are trained as elite fighters who go where others fear to tread. Marines have participated in every major and minor engagement that the United States has been involved in. 

Marine Corps’ mandates and missions are to: 

·         Develop doctrines, tactics, techniques, and equipment to be used by landing forces in amphibious operations. 

·         Provide Marines and equipment for airborne operations, as needed. 

·         Seize or defend forward naval bases. 

·         Provide Marines for service on armed vessels of the US Navy. 

·         Provide Marines for security of property at naval stations and bases, including nuclear weapons. 

·         Provide Marine forces to protect US embassies and consulates overseas. 

·         Assign Marine forces to Unified and Specified commands, as directed. 

·         Be prepared to expand peacetime components of the Marine Corps to meet the needs of war. 

·         Perform other duties as the President of the United States directs. 

The Navy is responsible for transporting the Marines to the battlefield and providing protective naval gunfire support so the Marine combat units can quickly move inland to their objective. The Navy also offers medical care through its corpsmen, who are specially trained by the Marines to accompany them in a war zone. In return, the Marine Corps assists the Navy with such things as intelligence collection, combat cargo operations, military operations, and security, both ashore and afloat. 

Boot Camp Highlights: 

·         Phase 1 

o   Week 1: General Military Skills. First 1.5 mile run. Martial Arts. Bayonet. Customs and Courtesies. Core Values. USMC History. Introduction to the M16A2 Service Rifle. 

o   Week 2: General Military Skills. First Aid. Pugil Sticks 1. Physical Training. Weapons Handling. Throws and Falls. USMC History and Terrorism Awareness. Circuit Course. Inoculations. 

o   Week 3: General Military Skills. Pugil Sticks 2. Confidence Course. 3 Mile Conditioning March. Counters to Strikes. USMC Leadership History. Uniform Code of Military Justice. 

o   Week 4: General Military Skills. Senior Drill Instructor Inspection. Series Commander Inspection. Initial Drill Evaluation. MCMAP Testing. Pugil Sticks 3. 

·         Phase 2 

o   Week 5: Swim Week. Combat Survival Swimming. MCMAP Testing. 5 Mile Conditioning March 

o   Week 6: Grass Week. Introduction to Marksmanship. Fundamentals of Marksmanship. 35 Yard Grouping. Endurance Course. Field Meet. 

o   Week 7: Firing Week. Known Distance Firing. M16A2 Rifle Qualification. Confidence Course. 6 Mile Conditioning. 

o   March: Small Unit Leadership 

o   Week 8: Team Week. Obstacle Course. 10 Mile Conditioning March 

·         Phase 3 

o   Week 9: Field Training. A-Line Firing Range. Fundamentals of Field Firing. Unknown Distance Firing. Multiple Target Engagement. Limited Exposure Exercise. Moving Targets. Daylight Target Detection. Night Firing. NBC Mask Firing. Academic Review. 

o   Week 10: Basic Warrior Training. Combat Endurance Course. Basic Field Skills. Gas Chamber. Final Drill Competition. Final Physical Training Test. Rappelling Tower. NBC Training. Company Commander’s Inspection. Final Drill. Practical Application Testing. Defensive Driving Course. Land Navigation. Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Movement Course. Day/Night Individual Movement. 

o   Week 11: The Crucible. 54 Hour Crucible Event. Warrior’s Breakfast. Once a Marine, Always a Marine. Core Values. Recruit Liberty. 

o   Week 12: Graduation. Battalion Commander’s Inspection. Financial Responsibility Course. Motivational Run. Marine Corps Emblem Ceremony. Family Day. Graduation. 

Each day begins at 0500 hours (5 AM) and is followed after breakfast by morning PT, which usually comprises the Daily 16 (a series of stretching exercises and calisthenics), formation runs, and running through the obstacle course. 

Recruits have Sundays off which they sleep, study, do laundry, and write letters. 

Boot camp is a progressive process. In the beginning, it tears down a recruit both mentally and physically, and then rebuilds the recruit by instilling confidence and competence. 

Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP Mick-Map). Kung fu, karate, jujitsu, judo, bayonet, knife fighting, kicks, throws, punches, falls, choke holds, joint manipulations, grappling, defensive maneuvers, pugil sticks. 

Rifle’s 8 steps in the cycle of functioning: feeding, chambering, locking, firing, unlocking, extraction, ejection, and cocking. 

Sighting and aiming, firing positions (prone, sitting, kneeling, standing), trigger control, rapid fire, sight adjustments, effects of weather on firing and bullet trajectory. 

Grass week is where recruits spend their days at the Weapons and Field Training Battalion’s firing ranges. 

The Crucible. 2-1/2 days. 42 miles on foot while carrying combat gear. 8 hours of sleep and eat 2-1/2 MREs. 29 problem-solving exercises and combat-related events such as firing, combat assault resupply, casualty evacuation, bayonet assault, night infiltration, and hand-to-hand combat. At the end, they will receive the Globe-and-Anchor emblem and the title of US Marine. 

Before newly minted enlisted Marines are permitted to join ground of combat units from boot camp, they must first graduate from the School of Infantry. 52-day program. 

MOS (military occupational specialties). 

·         The infantrymen (MOS 0311) conduct most of their training out in the field, where they concentrate on patrolling, offensive and defensive operations, and military operations in urban terrain. 

·         The machine gunners (MOS 0331) learn how to effectively employ heavy automatic weapons like the M240G 7.62 mm medium machine gun, the M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun, and the Mk. 19 40mm automatic grenade launcher. 

·         The mortar men (MOS 0341) learn how to fire the M224 60mm lightweight mortar and the M252 81mm medium extended-range mortar, and use them to support combat operations. 

·         The assault men (MOS 0351) are rocket and demolitions specialists who are trained to use the Mk.153 shoulder-launched, multipurpose assault weapon (SMAW) and the Javelin antitank missile, and explosives. 

·         The antitank guided missile men (MOS 0352) are taught to attack enemy tanks and armored vehicles, tube-launched weapons, optically tracked weapons, wire-guided (TOW) missile. 

Upon completion of the School of Infantry, most of the Marines are integrated into Marine Corps units. The remainder go on to receive advanced training such as aviation, artillery, engineering, intelligence, and communications.