Marines qualify for Coxswain course

Photo By Staff Sgt. Courtney White | Marines with Special Operations Training Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, performed a 25-meter buddy tow in a swim screening Aug. 8 as a qualification for the coxswain Course.  

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

08.11.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Courtney White 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP HANSEN, Japan - Marines with Special Operations Training Group conducted a swim screening here as part of the Coxswain Course Aug. 8.

The unit, a part of III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, conducted the training to ensure the students are comfortable in the water and are able to remain calm in the event they need to evacuate the combat rubber raiding crafts they operate in on a regular basis. The swim screening consisted of abandon-ship techniques, treading water, a 50-meter swim and a 25-meter buddy tow.

This training is primarily designed for infantry Marines; however, the course is open to all Marines, said Gunnery Sgt. Joshua P. Turner, the staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge of SOTG’s amphibious raids section.

Marines should know how to operate from boats in case they find themselves performing a small boat insertion to rescue someone or perform humanitarian assistance, according to Turner.

“The tsunami that occurred earlier this year in mainland Japan was an instance where we could have used small boats to help people who were stuck on second or third floors of buildings by taking food or aiding those who were in need,” said Turner.

The course develops Marines’ skills and abilities to work in teams, according to Lance Cpl. Jeffery D. McKinley, a special communications signal operator with 3rd Radio Battalion, III MEF Headquarters Group.

“Training like the Coxswain Course is where you get to evaluate your skill level and better yourself in the water,” said McKinley. “As a part of Radio Reconnaissance, the course is necessary to be able to deploy on a Marine Expeditionary Unit and be amphibious.”

The Coxswain Course is a good way to keep the Marines physically fit while allowing them to learn how to effectively maneuver CRRCs, said Lance Cpl. Nathan R. Gonzalez, a motor transportation operator with SOTG.

“The Coxswain Course has us in the water half the time and running all over the place the rest of the time,” said Gonzalez. “It really helps to keep us in shape.”

The monthlong course will teach the Marines to build, prepare, and drive the boats. The students will also learn how to set the boats on the water and how to handle them in confined spaces and in open-ocean transit, said Turner.

“The Marines all passed and did very well,” said Turner. “Thankfully, none of them had to step down from the class, and they can all continue into the next level of the training.”

• Date Taken: 08.11.2011
• Date Posted: 08.10.2011 23:23
• Story ID: 75159
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP