Building leaders: Marines partake in Australian Army leadership course

Photo By Pfc. Reba James | Corporal Brandon Cusey participates in a weapons system lesson alongside soldiers with the Australian Army, Australian Defence Force during the Subject One Corporal Army Course May 15 at the Warrant Officer and Non Commissioned Officer Course at Robertson Barracks, Palmerston, Northern Territory, Australia. Subject One Corporal Army Course is run by the Warrant Officer and Non Commissioned Officer Academy and is an excellent opportunity to improve our knowledge of the Australian Defence Force’s military training, which ultimately strengthens our interoperability. Cusey is a mortar man with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by: Cpl. Reba James)  

ROBERTSON BARRACKS, NT, AUSTRALIA

05.15.2015

Story by Cpl. Reba James 

Marine Rotational Force - Darwin

ROBERTSON BARRACKS, NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia – Marines with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, and soldiers with the Australian Army, Australian Defence Force, learned about squad automatic weapons during the Subject One Corporal Army Course May 15 at Robertson Barracks, Palmerston, Northern Territory, Australia.

The course will run from April 20 to June 12 and is administered by the Warrant Officer and Non Commissioned Officer Academy. The course is an excellent opportunity to improve Marines’ knowledge of the ADF military training, which ultimately strengthens our interoperability.

WONCO is a subordinate training establishment of the Land Warfare Centre, Royal Military College of Australia.

The class we went through today covered an Australian weapon system. The lesson broke down what the Australian soldiers learn in boot camp, and they taught us about immediate actions with the weapon system, said Cpl. Eric C. Flores, a machine gun section leader with Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, MRF-D.

Nine Marines participated in the course and one Marine was in each of the nine syndicates, which is equal to a Marine Corps squad.

The main objective of the lesson is for the students to get hands-on knowledge and practical application of immediate actions drills with the weapon system. Students learned the correct form and instructions to announce loading, firing, stoppage and unloading conditions while being assessed by instructors.

“This course is basically designed to teach you to become a leader and also how to give lessons and provide guidance to the younger (service members),” said LCPL Amie Love, a quarter master with 1st Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, Australian Army, ADF, and a native of Batemansbay, Australia.

Aside from the weapons lesson, Marines and Australian soldiers learned about several different subjects during other lessons, such as drill, the legal system, and how to build a lesson plan.

It was interesting to see how the Marines work and their perspective and their approach to different scenarios, said Love. We got to see how the Marines deal with discipline and watched as one of the sergeants provided a different perspective for doing a simple task, added Love.

The Marine rotational deployment in Darwin allows the U.S. to effectively strengthen the security and interoperability of both nations and the region.

The Marines and the ADF are working together, sharing experiences, and learning from each other to enhance tactics, techniques and procedures over the deployment.

While working with the Australians we have learned that they share the same ideas, values and are hard-working, said Flores. Working together makes us stronger as allies added Flores.

• Date Taken: 05.15.2015
• Date Posted: 05.20.2015 02:14
• Story ID: 163892
• Location: ROBERTSON BARRACKS, NT, AU
• Hometown: BATEMANS BAY, NSW, AU
• Hometown: TEMPE, AZ, US