16-Jul-10 -- Splash, Spin, and Splatter, so passes another day for Motor Vehicle Operators Course at the Motor Transport Instruction Company of Marine Corps Detachment, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. In order to send entry level Marines out to the fleet with a little more diversity, they are required to master the rough terrain drivers’ course.
The course consists of multiple sharp turns placed close together with various types of angle and steep hills for Marines to master in their 7-ton trucks. On June 28th Echo Team was the first class to experience the course. There were four drivers who finished the course in under 20 minutes. Motor Transport is in the business of transportation - whether it’s moving supplies in CONUS or in a deployed environment; which is why Motor Transport Marines must have full situational awareness at all times. Emergency situations can appear out of nowhere. The course was designed to offer Marines unusual obstacles that aren’t normally seen on roadways, but may be encountered in Afghanistan. Marine instructors strive to get the Marines to be able to finish the course in a quicker time, but still be safe and able to manage the mission set for them. Fleet Marines will see a dramatic difference in the skill level of new Motor Transport Marines arriving at their units after they have completed the Motor Vehicle Operators Course. The bigger picture is to positively impact the War on Terror with highly knowledgeable and skilled Marines.
Media interested in obtaining additional information concerning the course should contact Major Chad Roberts, Motor Transport Instruction Company Commander, at 573-596-0131, ext. 6-8638.