Photo By Cpl. Harley Thomas | Sgt. Clay Hair Jr., a vehicle commander and machine gunner with Combined Anti-Armor...... read more read more
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POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii – In a generation where most of the younger Marines have not been in a combat environment or have not handled the stress of a combat deployment, it is important for those with such experience to pass on their knowledge to those around them, that is, according to Clay Hair Jr., a sergeant and vehicle commander with Combined Anti-Armor Team 2, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.
As a machine gunner in an infantry platoon, Hair, a Nashville native, said it is important for each Marine to know their role in order to better those around them. As the senior machine gunner in the platoon, he said it is his role to advise the platoon’s lieutenant and gunnery sergeant as to what the Marines’ limits and capabilities are with the machine gun, as well as to train the Marines, giving them guidelines and sharing his experiences with them.
“I was part of the last generation to go to a combat zone, and I believe that if I don’t pass my knowledge on to the junior Marines, it wouldn’t be fair to them,” he said. “The knowledge these Marines need to be truly effective is not only basic know-how about being a machine gunner – there are things that aren’t taught in the training doctrines or training and readiness tasks that each of these guys should know.”
Lance Cpl. Steffan Chase, a machine gunner with CAAT 2, Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, said Hair has been an enormous help and has brought him to where he is today.
“As one of the more experienced gunners, he was the one that took charge of my training when I got to the fleet,” said Chase, a Trinidad, Spain, native. “He took me under his wing and taught me most of the things I know and use today.”
Chase said Hair has taught him to adapt to every situation in life and has used that advice to better himself as a Marine.
“He told me that, sometimes, you just have to figure it out as you go and you have to remember that no matter what the situation is, there is always a way to get the job done,” Chase said. “I remember the first time I shot behind a machine gun…man, I did god-awful. I was terrible and he made sure I knew about it.”
Chase said that set the bar for their relationship and from there, he knew he couldn’t be mediocre, but had to be the best he could behind a machine gun.
“I knew he would help me get there, but he would let me know when I faltered,” he said. “From the outside looking in, it might seem harsh, but it’s not – just like the relationship between a big and little brother, he can be hard on us but it’s with our best interest in mind.”
Hair said his methods of teaching are meant to better the Marine he is training, making sure they are performing to the best of their ability.
“I am not someone who will baby a Marine,” he said. “I’m going to give them everything I’ve got and I expect the same in return. These guys are grunts – and if you’re a grunt, you joined the Marine Corps to be tough, to be pushed to be the best. Many people nowadays aren’t working at their full potential because their leadership is afraid to push them that far.”
Hair said his biggest concern is not his career, but rather, making sure he helps the new Marines improve.
“Watching people like Chase come up and grow, teaching the newer Marines the things I taught him, is amazing,” he said. “That’s what I am all about, and if I can work with these guys and push them to their limits, they will trust that I do have their best interest in mind and will do whatever needs to be done.”
Hair said that while being a junior Marine, one’s mission is to take in all the knowledge of those above you, but as one of those senior Marines, he said his mission is all about the betterment of the Marines. He said he hopes the Marines treat everything like combat, especially in the infantry.
“Out here, they have to give it everything they’ve got and train to the best of their ability,” he said. “In garrison, it’s easy to get complacent. In garrison, it’s all about ‘Being a Marine,’ you hear that all the time, but my job is to close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver. To kill is in my job description and when I come to the field, it’s game time. We’re war fighters, it’s what we do.”
Hair said the most he hopes for is that the Marines around him continue to grow and learn from their seniors. He said his own personal philosophy developed from that of one of his first sergeants who put the junior Marines first, and it has impacted how he handles his Marines.
“He always told me that sure, he cares about his career, but he cares about his Marines more and he will do anything for them,” Hair said. “It had a huge impact on me, and so I tell my guys, ‘Hey, whatever happens, if it’s justified and right, I’ll fight for you.’ I will always be here for my Marines and, just like I did, I want them to seek out every ounce of knowledge their leaders have. I want the Marines I help train today to be fully capable of training their junior Marines tomorrow.”
| Date Taken: | 11.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.08.2015 04:41 |
| Story ID: | 181306 |
| Location: | POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HI, US |
| Hometown: | NASHVILLE, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 1,217 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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