MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Thirty-five officers and staff non-commissioned officers from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort gathered at the Traditions Restaurant to celebrate their graduation from the College of Distance Education and Training, June 9.
For two years, or more in some cases, the graduating officers and SNCOs studied to complete either the Expeditionary Warfare School or the Command and Staff College.
“I’ve seen many field grade officers come through and I’m very impressed with this bunch,” said Col. Gregory Douquet, one of the EWS instructors, in his address to the graduates. “Not just for your academic prowess, but for being able to do your day-to-day job and still being able to come into a seminar and throw it all on the table.”
The EWS is mainly focused in making better Marine Air-Ground Task Force officers at a company level, explained Jim Smoots, regional chief instructor for command staff.
The Command and Staff College takes field grade officers and trains them in joint and multinational operations, Smoots said.
Once a week for two years the students of the courses attended seminars and completed work via the Marine Net website.
“The challenge in this course lies in the fact that you learn about everything,” said Capt. Jennie Bernier, commanding officer of Special Training Company and also one of the honor graduates of the EWS. “I took this as an opportunity to learn everything I could from the other officers and the instructors.”
Throughout the ceremony, the speakers and instructors expressed to the new graduates the prestige of completing the courses and the impression that they will all be setting on the Corps soon.
“You are one of the most experienced generations of leaders since Vietnam,” Smoots said, speaking to the graduates. “What a Marine Corps this is going to be with you guys coming up as leaders.”
Date Taken: | 06.09.2011 |
Date Posted: | 06.16.2011 14:45 |
Story ID: | 72193 |
Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
Web Views: | 188 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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