Closing the Gap: Training Mechanized, Infantry and Armor Marines

摘要

The central tenet of being a Marine is that every Marine is a rifleman. Many examples exist of cooks, administrators, and mechanics picking up a rifle and defending bases and convoys and conducting limited offensive roles. Their success is based on the entry-level training all Marines receive at the Recruit Depots and the Schools of Infantry. After entry-level training, however, Marines go on to their military occupational specialty (MOS), where little direct contact occurs between the Marines of the infantry battalions and the Marines of the combat support units. The exception to this are Marines in the combat arms MOSs, specifically Marines in tank and amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) units, who will be fighting alongside and providing combat support to infantry Marines. Since tank, AAV, and infantry Marines will be at the 'tip of the spear' fighting future battles, the enlisted tankers and AAV Marines should be trained as infantry machine gunners. The training will allow tank and AAV Marines to better support their infantry brothers because they have had the same training and speak the same language. It will decrease friction because of shared experiences, values, and the common bond of camaraderie. It also will make more adaptable Marines capable of fighting the Marine Corps' battles of the future.