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Lance Cpl. F.J. Abundes
Staff Writer
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Delegates from the Kazakhstan Naval Infantry Brigade and Army Staff visited Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island May 31 to familiarize themselves with the formal recruit training programs currently in use by the United States Marine Corps.
This event was part of the ongoing effort to train and develop the maritime forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan and served to inform them about how the U.S. Marine Corps trains its recruits as the Kazakhs strive to improve the current outdated Soviet-style structure they inherited from the Soviet Union.
“Our armed forces are developing, and we have a good opportunity to learn and apply practices and techniques from different [armed forces] now,” said Kazakhstan officer Col. Leonid Abylkasymov, first deputy of the main headquarters of the Directorate of Land Forces Command of Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. “We would like to take our experiences and adapt them to the needs of our country.”
Abylkasymov said he does not know what the proposed changes will be, but the delegates will report to their higher headquarters on their experiences here.
The Kazakhs experienced training at Leatherneck Square, the Combat Swim Tank and the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer. They also learned about rifle qualifications, the Crucible and the recruit receiving process.
“We’re here because the United States is the most advanced country in training Marines – this is a fact proven historically in war and conflicts,” Abylkasymov said.
Kazakhstan is an ally to the United States and facilitates the delivery of supplies to Afghanistan via the Northern Distribution Network, said Capt. Beau Bell, escort officer for the Kazakhstan Infantry of Naval Forces officers. These visits help maintain those relationships.
“They seem to be interested in our process of recruit training and how we conduct [it] so they can potentially modify the recruit standards within their training program,” Bell continued. “All the questions they have been asking – all the notes they are taking – they are very adamant about wanting to get as much information as possible to take back with them.”
“We have a saying,” Abylkasymov said of his countrymen. “It is better to learn from somebody else’s mistakes.”
Abylkasymov said one of the things that stands out about the Marine Corps is the composition of personnel. He said it is thought through very well; however, there are certain issues that are not applicable in Kazakhstan.
“We liked the system as a whole,” said Abylkasymov. “We are very impressed in what we have seen – particularly of the excellent operation and performance of the noncommissioned officers.”
Abylkasymov jokingly mentioned that it appears Marine officers have taught their sergeants to do their work in order to perform less themselves. But he noticed this allows them more time to organize and plan.
“Your officer is the organizer and the sergeant executes,” he said.
Other countries that visit seem less interested, but the Kazakhs have definitely paid attention, Bell said. They genuinely wanted to pick up on as much of the training aspect as possible to incorporate it in their program.
“We can really make a difference in the standing programs they already have,” Bell said.
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2011 09:45 |
| Story ID: | 72672 |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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