Photo By Sgt. Austin Hazard | Fifteen U.S. Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and a U.S. Navy...... read more read more
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AT SEA – The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) graduated its first at-sea corporals course aboard the USS Bataan (LHD 5) April 23, 2014.
For 11 days, students were taught tactics and leadership, as well as advanced drill and marching maneuvers, to include sword and guidon movements.
“The main reason we did this course was to grow our own leadership, to raise and grow that next generation,” said Staff Sgt. John Moseley, an instructor for the course and native of Dallas.
The course load included 21 hours of warfighting instruction, 17 hours of leadership training, 24 hours of drill practice, 20 hours of classes on mentoring and professional conduct, 12 hours of physical training and five hours of instruction on administrative duties.
“It’s given me the tools to become an effective leader,” said Cpl. Shawn Ponterio, 22nd MEU legal services specialist and native of Stafford, Va. “The biggest challenge was the long days, 13 hours or more each, and cramming a 21-day course into 11 days.”
The 17 students were issued noncommissioned officers’ swords for drill practice and were taught to handle the sword for specific movements and commands, as well as how to give the commands.
“Almost none of them had ever practiced with a sword or guidon before,” noted Moseley, who helped instruct students in their studies and practices. “But they definitely established a baseline of proficiency.”
At the request of the ship’s command master chief, the course was also opened to one of the Bataan’s Sailors, who completed the course with her Marine counterparts.
“The command master chief wanted to involve one of their young petty officers to learn Marine Corps leadership and see what she could take away from that,” explained Moseley. “She was enthusiastic and excelled despite being out of her own environment.”
“It definitely inspired me to go out and make myself better,” said Aerographer’s Mate 3rd Class Jennaca Heineck, assistant forecast duty officer and native of Baltimore. “It was really motivating. I learned a lot of leadership skills and have a better understanding of how to mentor my junior Sailors. I would definitely recommend this course to other Sailors.”
The 22nd MEU is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a theater reserve and crisis response force throughout U.S. Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2014 07:59 |
| Story ID: | 129432 |
| Location: | USAFRICOM, AT SEA |
| Hometown: | BALTIMORE, MD, US |
| Hometown: | DALLAS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | STAFFORD, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 275 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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