Senior Leaders Learn about Important Role of Military in Beaufort

28 Mar Senior Leaders Learn about Important Role of Military in Beaufort

Military Ties and History Day, By Terry Rice

22 March 2022

BEAUFORT COUNTY SENIOR LEADERS LEARN ABOUT MARINES ON LAND AND IN THE AIR

Ask any of the 35 class members who spent all day with Marines from both Parris Island and the Marine Corps Air Station and they’ll tell you what an outstanding firsthand experience they had. “I never realized how demanding the training is for recruits and how professional the Marines are at every level”mentioned Mike Chambers, one of the class members.

Sponsored by Clemson University Extension Service and the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Beaufort County Senior Leadership program, opened to all citizens, spent the morning at Parris Island recently observing phases of recruit training which lasts 13 weeks and graduates some 20,000 new Marines each year. During a tour of the Recruit Depot, class members experienced initial recruit processing beginning with the famous yellow footprints. Observing rifle range qualification, drill movements on the parade deck, and learning about the seven graduation requirements, impressed everyone. A special band concert by the MCRD band followed by a tour of the museum and lunch with some of the active duty Marines completed the morning.

The afternoon was spent touring the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) where, after receiving a command briefing by the Public Affairs Office, the Senior Leaders moved to the flight line and were given a demonstration on the aircraft recovery and firefighting capabilities of the air station Marines. The noise level increased as the class watched several F-18’s and F-35’s from some of the 7 aircraft squadrons take off and land. A highlight of the afternoon was a tour of VMFA-122’s maintenance facility along with a detailed briefing and “up close and personal” tour of one of the F-18’s.