Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- The Rifleman’s Creed, a basic part of the Marine Corps doctrine, outlines the important relationship between a Marine and his rifle. That relationship begins during the first training day of recruit training.
Once recruits of Golf Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, met their drill instructors, they were marched to the armory to have weapons issued at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, June 22.
Recruits receive rifles at the beginning of training and keep it with them, each guarding his weapon as if it were baby. They embrace the motto that without their rifles, they are nothing, and without them, their rifles are nothing. Regardless of their military occupation specialty, they will become fluent, knowledgeable and blindfoldedly familiar with their weapon. They will realize their proficiency as marksmen is a key attribute to being a Marine.
During the first phase of training, the recruits primarily focus on using their rifles for close order drill. The purpose of this kind of drill is to instill discipline, instant obedience to orders and unit cohesion as recruits begin to learn how to work together to perform as a single unit. They will learn more advanced drill techniques as they progress through training.
“Every Marine is first a rifleman,” said Recruit Jacob B. Partridge, Platoon 2154. “Without us, our weapon is nothing, and without our weapons, we are nothing. The rifle will teach us discipline, we will become familiar with them, and we will become combat effective with the rifle.”
Drill instructors have 17 training days to prepare their platoons for Initial Drill, which is their first test of conducting precise and smooth drill movements. Toward the end of training, recruits will undergo Final Drill, which is the overall evaluation of how the platoon has progressed as a unit since their initial competition.
While the recruits concentrate efforts on drill during Phase I, it’s during the second phase of training when recruits learn the techniques and fundamentals of firing the rifle and how to successfully qualify as a rifleman. At this point, the theory begins to come to life.
During Grass Week, recruits are taught the basics of handling the weapon, fundamentals and shooting positions they will use the following week. They will then put what they learn to the test during Firing Week, when they are undergoing the challenge of the qualification course.
“You’ll never learn anything about the weapon if you don’t put your hands on it,” said Josiah D. Gnann, Platoon 2154. “I’m looking forward to learning the Marine Corps way of rifle fundamentals and how to properly engage the M16-A4 Service Rifle.”
From the beginning of training, recruits familiarize themselves with the weapon and will progressively learn more and more as they graduate recruit training and move on with their careers. The focus in recruit training is to make them as comfortable and familiar with the weapon as they can be so they can first and foremost be riflemen.