MCRD San Diego -- At every Marine Corps base there is a Marine somewhere posting watch and whether keeping on the alert at an armory or at a checkpoint the same fundamentals apply.
Recruits from Company H, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, reviewed their general orders, learned the proper use of lethal force and the billets of an interior guard to better understand how to stand post aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego July 17.
Sgt. Philip D. Krein, drill instructor, Instructional Training Company, Support Battalion explained that he has seen, first hand, the importance of standing duty properly from his deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I’ve been with a grunt unit and seen combat,” said Krein. “If someone didn’t stand his post properly someone could have been killed or snuck up on. We actually had a lot of attacks at night.”
After Krein taught the recruits the proper time to use lethal force he gave them examples of what they might encounter in a combat zone.
“They’re learning the bare basics. But this is a good foundation to learn before they get to the fleet,” said Krein. “It’s important for them to know that today it may be fire watch but tomorrow it could be a post in Afghanistan. Here it’s recruit training but in country it’s life and death.”
Although the recruits are limited in their practical application during recruit training, the idea that bigger responsibility is on the horizon is embedded in the recruit’s minds.
“I definitely think this is important. If we didn’t have any standard procedures while standing watch people wouldn’t know what to do and that could mean people getting over you on post,” said Recruit Anthony M. Uttke, Platoon 2166, Company H. “You need to know how to properly stop someone.”
The majority of recruit guard duty has consisted of fire watch which consists of standing post in their living quarters during the twilight hours and making sure their fellow recruits are safe and orderly.
Regardless of the grandness of responsibility or variety, many recruits believe it has helped give them the fundamentals of standing post.
“We definitely need more experience but with what we know, in theory, we would know what to do,” said Uttke, a Portland, Oregon native.
To make sure the Marines general orders were heard, Krein had a different recruit stand up and read each order.
“Let me get one motivated recruit to read my slide,” said Krein.
Recruits stood up immediately each time stating their name and platoon before reading as loudly as he could.
“What drives me to learn this is the fact that I want to protect our property from being taken and to watch over my brothers. If you’re on watch it will make it harder for the enemy,” said Recruit Joshua A. Waggoner, Plt. 2168, Company H.