| Inside Corporal’s Course |
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by U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Timothy Valero |
| April 3, 2018 |
“I am the backbone of the United States Marine Corps. I am the
Marine non-commissioned officer,” corporals and a select few lance
corporals stand proud as they begin to recite the non-commissioned
officers creed during their Corporal’s Course graduation ceremony
aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6).
Corporal’s Course is a Professional Military Education course
designed to provide mentorship and expand the professional and
personal knowledge of NCO’s to be. This two-week course took over
one hundred Marines from the across the 15th Marine Expeditionary
Unit’s Aviation Combat Element, Ground Combat Element and Command
Element, and brought them together reinvigorating their core values,
teaching them the fundamentals of being small-unit leaders.
“The purpose of Corporal’s Course is to give the Marines tools to
be effective non-commissioned officers and leaders,” said Sgt. Jose
Lopez, a network specialist with the 15th MEU and a Corporal’s
Course instructor. “These corporals will soon have Marines under
their charge, if they do not already, and the knowledge they learn
during the course will prepare them with the skills, knowledge and
courage they will need.”
The academic knowledge is not
simply read from a slide on a screen or a page in a book. The
lessons taught are brought to life by the instructors. It is the
duty of those instructors to share their personal experiences,
stories and lessons learned from their time in the Marine Corps with
the students to help them relate the information to their own life,
job and experiences.
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The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit 18-2 Corporal’s Course
graduates and their instructors pose for a group photo after
the graduation ceremony aboard amphibious assault ship USS
America (LHA 6), Jan. 15, 2018. The 15th MEU and America
Amphibious Ready Group are operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet
area of responsibility to enhance regional partnerships and
serve as a ready-response capability for any type of
contingency. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob Pruitt)
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“I really appreciated the opportunity to stand up in front of the
students and teach them the lessons I have learned throughout my
time as a non-commissioned officer,” said Lopez. “I never really had
anyone sit down with me and give me the advice we get to give to
these Marines. If I can improve the [military] careers of just a few
of these students than I believe I will have made a difference in
the Corps. I will know every hour spent instructing these Marine has
been worth it.”
The Marines attending the course receive
several instructional periods on subjects such as basic infantry
tactics, communication, operations, land navigation, career
progression, promotion system and military drill. The goal of the
classes are to give the Marines the knowledge needed to better them
professionally and personally while giving them the tools needed to
return to their Marines and share their knowledge.
The NCOs’
growth does not stop in the classroom, they are also taught how to
confidently and proficiently handle the NCO sword and guideon for
formation and ceremonies. By the time the Marines are presented
their certificates, they had countless hours of coordinated military
drill practice with the NCO sword and guideon manual bridging the
gap between present day Marine Corps and the rich traditions of the
past Marine Corps, while also instilling the Marines with a sense of
pride and honor that will follow them.
“Whether you were
newly promoted to corporal or have been a corporal for years, this
course will teach you something either about yourself, your job or
the Marine Corps,” said Cpl. Jonathan Ramkissoon, a cyber-network
operator with the 15th MEU. “It taught me the value of personal
responsibility and how big of a difference it can make for people to
be able to rely on me, or have a junior Marine look up to me as
positive mentor for them to emulate.”
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Master Gunnery Sgt. Torain Kelly, the operations
chief with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and guest of
honor for the 18-2 Corporal’s Course graduation ceremony
presents Cpl. Johnathan Lacount, the class honor graduate,
with his graduation certificate during the Corporal’s Course
graduation ceremony aboard amphibious assault ship USS
America (LHA 6), Jan. 15, 2018. The 15th MEU and America
Amphibious Ready Group are operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet
area of responsibility to enhance regional partnerships and
serve as a ready-response capability for any type of
contingency. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob Pruitt)
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The skills and knowledge the Marines in the course received will
be taken back to every shop, office, unit, squad and workspace
improving core leadership positions while providing junior Marines
with NCOs who embody the Marine Corps core values of honor, courage
and commitment.
Throughout the course of this deployment, the
15th MEU held multiple courses on each ship of the America
Amphibious Ready Group, leaving each Marine with the responsibility
of small unit leadership and teaching them that although today they
may instruct and supervise in peace, tomorrow they may lead in war.
“Though today I instruct and supervise
in peace, tomorrow I may lead in war.” – An excerpt from the Marine
Corps NCO creed.
by U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Timothy Valero
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2018
The U.S. Marines |
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