Marines train in tactical patience

Marines train in tactical patience
By Louis Hansen - The Virginian-Pilot via AP
Posted : Monday May 5, 2008 12:08:29 EDT

BLACKSTONE, Va. — One by one, young Marines in full battle gear climbed into the turret of a desert Humvee parked on a live-fire range at Fort Pickett.

The troops had almost no combat experience — one in 10 has deployed.

An instructor told them to imagine a vehicle was approaching their checkpoint. The Marines had to decide when to reach for a warning flare and when to snap off rounds from their automatic rifles.

The lead instructor, Gunnery Sgt. Howard Willis, described the training as “tactical patience.” For new recruits eager for combat, it’s a vital check.

Outrage over the killing of 24 civilians in Hadithah in 2005 and recognition that restraint can be crucial when battling insurgents have led the Marines to adjust their tactics in Iraq. They might best be summed up by the motto on the cover of a new Marines war-fighting manual: “First, Do No Harm.”


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_tacticalpatience_050508/