MCRD San Diego -- Marines have always been taught to be constantly aware of their surroundings throughout history. They have also been known for their ability to take control of a situation if it gets out of hand and get the job taken care of.
Recruits of Company G, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, learned armed manipulations through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program Sept. 6 aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
“Armed manipulations teaches control,” said Sgt. Ryan-Michael Daffin, martial arts instructor, Instructional Training Company, Support Battalion. “It shows them that they can use a minimum amount of force to terminate the situation.”
From the day they receive their rifle in recruit training to the day they are issued their very own rifle, Marines are taught to keep their weapon with them at all times.
Armed manipulations, along with other weapons retention techniques, are used to retain a weapon if the enemy ever tried to grab it.
With the sun beating down, each recruit lines up holding a simulated M16-A4 service rifle gripped in their hands.
“The recruits are taught different blocking techniques and counters to under and over hand grabs, in the event that someone tried to take their weapon away,” explained Daffin, a 25-year-old Houston native.
The recruits are also taught to be vocal with their commands. Daffin described a scenario, putting a deployed Marine in a situation where a local walks up to his post.
If the local doesn’t understand English, the Marine must be loud and have confidence in his voice in order to gain control of the situation before it gets out of hand.
“We’re always taught to have a combat mindset about everything,” said Recruit Jonathan Kratz, Platoon 2134, Co. G. “We always need to be prepared for any type of situation; we always have to expect the good and bad.”
Kratz, a Gresham, Ore. native, believes learning armed manipulations also allows a Marine to have control of themselves and to show discipline.
“It builds character to know when and when not to use excessive force,” explained Kratz. “It allows you to keep yourself in check.”
Recruits paired up and executed the techniques until they were comfortable with the motion of the movement.
Although Kratz feels confident that he’d be able to defend himself with the techniques he learned, he still had a difficult time putting it all together.
“The hardest part for me was putting it into action,” said Kratz. “Keeping the rifle in control and remembering to verbally tell the enemy to get down, it’s a lot to think about in a stressful environment.”
Co. G spent their time in the sun learning to use their rifles for more than just basic marksmanship. They are currently on Grass Week up North at Edson Range aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. where they learn the fundamentals of firing their weapon.