1st Marine Logistics Group

Hometown: Camp Pendleton, CA, US

Basic Combat Skills Course improves deployment readiness

10.18.2012 | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US
Story by Sgt. Michele Watson

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Although every Marine goes through the School of Infantry following recruit training, the skills learned can diminish over time. Many Marines spend time in the field conducting various evolutions to keep those skills fresh.

For any unit within 1st Marine Logistics Group, a course is offered to improve the overall combat readiness for members in the group.

The Basic Combat Skills Course is a week-long field operation that covers a broad range of subjects. Marines conduct a two-hour hike, go on patrols and move through a makeshift village known as MOUT town, military operations in urban terrain. They also receive classes on land navigation, improvised explosive device awareness and combat hunter.

During the course, participants learn vehicle and personal search procedures, practice setting up security, and build terrain models to prepare for missions.

Instructors with the Combat Skills Training School, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st MLG, teach various topics to the participating unit before putting them in a 24-hour final exercise to employ what they learned.

The instructors role play as aggressors in MOUT town to give a realistic scenario for squads moving through the makeshift town. Throughout the night, Marines conduct patrols and stand guard around their camp. To keep each Marine in a high state of alert mock IEDs are placed in various areas where the squads patrol.

For non-infantry units, the course offers refresher skills as well as new tactics to prepare Marines for combat. The Combat Skills Training School is offering 14 BCS courses during fiscal year 2014 for any 1st MLG units.

For more information regarding the course, contact Capt. James Montani, officer-in-charge, Combat Skills Training School, at 760-725-5993.