Photo By Cpl. Scott L. Tomaszycki | Lance Cpl. Christina M. Wicke handles a dummy Stinger surface-to-air missile under the...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Marines from the Installation Personnel Administration Center took a break from their daily grind to get a view of how the Marines of 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion work on a daily basis, Jan. 17.
The battalion gave IPAC Marines lessons on the use of Stinger surface-to-air missile and .50-caliber Browning machine guns.
The Marines first viewed a camouflaged Humvee with a mounted .50-caliber machine gun and then went inside to train on the Improved Moving Target Simulator; a virtual-reality simulator for Stinger missiles.
IPAC Marines were awarded the opportunity of stepping out of their office and into the footsteps of Marines outside of the administration field.
“I thought it was pretty cool that we had a chance to go and see what other career fields do,” said Pfc. Matthew J. Diamond, an administrative clerk at IPAC. “We got to do something we wouldn’t normally do on a regular day. It’s always good to get out of the office. The simulator itself was pretty awesome.”
The cross-training may have been fun and games for the IPAC Marines, but there was a greater purpose behind it. Chief Warrant Officer Richard T. Walker, director of IPAC, was looking for an opportunity to show his Marines the Corps that they administratively support.
“I’ve always decided since I came here that a lot of Marines get stuck in the same day-to-day type job,” said Walker. “So we took some of our top-notch Marines around here and gave them something to experience, so they can get an idea of what’s really out there and what they’re really supporting. Other IPAC Marines start believing that Marines are just numbers. We believe that they’re Marines and do important things.”
Sgt. Jvictor S. Mastronardi II, improved moving target simulator chief also agrees that getting the IPAC Marines out of their everyday workspace was a good idea.
“I thought it was good that they got to come in here and see something they normally wouldn’t see,” said Mastronardi. “It was good to show them that with training, they could work outside their military occupational specialty. I would like to see more cross-training with other units.”
Mastronardi said cross-training gives Marines a broader perspective of what the Marine Corps does as a whole, and it helps the Marines understand that every job in the Corps is essential.
| Date Taken: | 01.17.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2011 10:53 |
| Story ID: | 64726 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 367 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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