MCSCG Marines Provide SC Mentorship to Command and Staff College Students

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Alexis Mulero | Marine Maj. Shawn Rickrode (right), the future operations officer at Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group guides students of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College on how to implement Security Cooperation into Campaign and Support Planning during Exercise Nine Innings. This exercise is the college’s capstone planning exercise. It requires the more than 200 U.S. and international field grade officers and interagency civilian students to think critically about complex regional security challenges. Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group executes and enables Security Cooperation (SC) programs, training, planning, and activities in coordination with the operating forces and Marine Air-Ground Task Forces in order to ensure unity of effort in support of U.S. Marine Corps and regional Marine Forces (MARFOR) Component Command objectives.  

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

05.23.2013

Story by Gunnery Sgt. Alexis Mulero 

Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command

QUANTICO, Va. - Two Marines from Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group mentored more than 200 students from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College during Exercise Nine Innings aboard MCB Quantico, Va. from May 6 – 23.

Marine Majs. Shawn Rickrode and Ryan Crais provided classroom instruction and guided discussions in Security Cooperation (SC) and Security Assistance (SA).

“One of MCSCG’s lines of effort is providing SC education for the service,” said Rickrode, a native of Moundsville, W.Va., currently serving as the future operations officer at the unit. “This event is the perfect venue to reach out to our (Marine Corps) field grade community in order to better educate them on Security Cooperation and the importance of it in achieving our nation’s strategic goals.”

Some of the subjects taught during a three-day span of the exercise included Campaign and Support Planning, engagement planning with partner nations and all SC and SA programs and authorities.

“Although it (working group) started slow, as the classes progressed and the fire hose opened a little more, the students became more engaged and were asking good questions regarding SC,” said Rickrode. “The authority’s class, particularly foreign military sales, garnered a lot of attention and generated good discussion.”

After the classes were taught, the students split into working groups an initiated the planning phase of their exercise and Rickrode and Crais were there to provide subject matter expertise for the students on all SC-related subjects.

“The idea was to let the students conduct their planning without much interference, however; we interjected if they seemed hung up on something in the SC arena,” Rickrode continued. “This worked well and they appreciated the hands off approach and having the access when needed.”

According to Marine Lt. Col. Jeffery J. Tlapa, a faculty advisor at the college, “Exercise Nine Innings is the college’s capstone planning exercise. It requires the more than 200 U.S. and international field grade officers and interagency civilian students to think critically about complex regional security challenges.”

Exercise Nine Innings is a real-time unclassified exercise that involves access to a number of subject matter experts from various United States Government departments and agencies. According to Tlapa, this significantly adds to the realism and comprehensive approach of this capstone exercise. Other agencies that participated in this year’s exercise include; U.S. Pacific Command, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Institute of Peace, National Defense University, the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, and other relevant agencies in the conduct of the exercise.

“The exercise also enhances student planning skills by incorporating interagency capabilities that seek a whole-of-government approach to mitigate conflict,” added Tlapa, who is a native of Phoenix, Ariz. “This unique exercise provides our student body an opportunity to synthesize critical educational objectives, learning outcomes, and recurring themes taught throughout the academic year.”

Marine Corps Command and Staff College is a 10-month-long course that provides intermediate level professional military education required to function in command and staff assignments with joint, combined service and other high level military organizations to field grade officers in the Marine Corps, other services and officers from selected foreign countries.

Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group has a history of supporting Exercise Nine Innings and according to Rickrode he and command plan to continue to do so.

“Supporting Exercise Nine Innings has been a great experience for me as well as the command,” said Rickrode. “We have been able to connect with both U.S. and international military members and provide a better understanding of how and why we engage with our international partners, not just on a military level, but from a whole of government approach.”
Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group is a unit located in Virginia Beach, Va. that executes and enables Security Cooperation (SC) programs, training, planning, and activities in coordination with the operating forces and Marine Air-Ground Task Forces in order to ensure unity of effort in support of U.S. Marine Corps and regional Marine Forces (MARFOR) Component Command objectives.

• Date Taken: 05.23.2013
• Date Posted: 05.23.2013 10:56
• Story ID: 107449
• Location: QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US
• Hometown: MOUNDSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA, US
• Hometown: PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US
• Hometown: VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US