Sailors completed an integrated corporal’s class with Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) March 24.
Corporal’s class is a three-week course that instructs junior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) to lead, teach and guide young Marines. The course consists of numerous written examinations, uniform inspections, sword and guidon manual evaluation, technical military instruction and field tactics training.
“The integration of this course was good,” said First Sgt. Jesse Becker, course staff noncommissioned officer in charge. “The Marines have learned a lot about how the Navy works just as much as the Navy has learned about the mind-set of our noncommissioned officers.”
Yeoman 3rd Class Alexander Perry, a Sailor who participated in the class, expressed the benefits of attending the course.
“Giving Sailors the opportunity to learn from, and work alongside of, Marines is always great,” said Perry. “The course really gets in-depth on leadership skills and how to guide junior NCOs. The training given throughout the course is very essential to a 3rd class petty officer’s career.”
The Marine Corps has seen the importance of proper training at the corporal level and created this course to help advance the skills of their NCOs.
Becker said the transition from E-3 to E-4 is one of the most difficult for a young service member to make.
“The opportunity for staff noncommissioned officers to take a devoted amount of time into developing what is the future of both the Navy and Marine Corps can never be understated,” said Becker. “It’s because of programs like this that senior leadership has a lot of faith and confidence in the future NCOs.”
San Antonio is deployed as part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group with embarked Marines from the 26th MEU, which is on a scheduled deployment in support maritime security cooperation efforts in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 3, 2013; Image: US Navy