MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 spent the day within the walls of North Carolina history during a battlefield study Jan. 23.
The Marines travelled from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. to Bogue Banks, N.C. to visit and tour Fort Macon State Park, which houses a Civil War era fort that remained in use through World War II as an outpost to keep the shoreline clear of German submarines.
The Marines learned about the historic site during the tour to shed light and draw comparison between past service members and the Marine Corps today, said Capt. Warren V. Watts II, company commander of the company.
“The purpose of the trip was to do a battlefield study and to get the Marines into an environment where they could see where the military has come from and the things that it has gone through,” said Watts. “It was great for the Marines to see what past military people had to go through so they could make comparisons to what we do today.”
Several junior Marines were selected to give short classes as a way to enhance their public speaking abilities and explain about previous generations of service members, according to Watts.
“This is an opportunity for the Marines to hone some of their writing and public speaking skills,” said Watts. “My whole goal in this is to get my Marines to be well rounded.”
The motor transportation Marines of MWSS-271 are responsible for the maintenance and accountability of the squadron’s vehicles, according to Watts.
“This is an excellent opportunity for unit cohesion,” said Watts. “This is an opportunity for us to take off the uniform for a while, fellowship, break bread and work on the family cohesion that we need when we are out doing our jobs.”
The most interesting part of the trip was learning about the different weapons and defenses used at Fort Macon, said Cpl. Michael Scott, a motor transport Marine with the squadron.
“This trip brought everyone together outside of work and brought us away from our stressors, allowing us to open our minds to something historical that contributed to where we are today,” said Scott, a native of Philadelphia.
Learning lessons from previous generations of military personnel helps the squadron’s Marines understand the importance of current operations and the part each Marine plays in mission accomplishment, said Scott.
“I look forward to attending events like this in the future,” said Scott. “It was really great getting to learn about United States history because as long as we are fighting for this country, we should know where it all began.”
Date Taken: | 01.23.2015 |
Date Posted: | 01.26.2015 12:39 |
Story ID: | 152711 |
Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
Hometown: | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
Web Views: | 117 |
Downloads: | 1 |
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