MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Thirty-eight members of the Corps of Foreign Naval Attache and their wives visited Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., May 6, to observe training and tour the Depot.
The Corps of Foreign Naval Attache is comprised of officers from foreign countries, representing their governments at their countries' embassies in Washington D.C., who travel around the country to observe how military training is conducted in the U.S.
"It's an educational opportunity for them to try and get a good idea of what we do here," said Col. Jeffrey Bearor, commanding officer, Recruit Training Regiment. "They travel around the country to all the services to gain an appreciation of how the U.S. armed forces are trained and equipped. It helps them better understand us, so they can do their jobs more efficiently."
As part of their biennial visit, they toured various areas of recruit training, starting at the infamous yellow footprints, where they received a recruit's welcome.
"We have all been looking forward to this," said Col. Herman Dukers, Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. "The tour gives us an idea of what basic training is like and what recruits have to go through."
After the question and answer brief at Receiving, they toured the rifle range at WFTBn. to observe recruits using the new automated unknown distance targets at Khe Sahn range during Event Six of the Crucible.
"I think [the training] is very difficult and very tough for the youngsters, but it's necessary to build a soldier, a Marine." said Army Col. Andrzej Turek, Embassy of the Republic of Poland.
Turek was very impressed by the tour because no special preparations were made to the training curriculum to make it look more difficult for recruits in order to "show off" for the visitors.
For the last part of the tour, the group went to Page Field to witness recruits completing the day movement course and other obstacles during the Crucible.
The visits conducted by the attache give them an opportunity to witness and compare training conducted by U.S. forces to their own. This allows them to integrate aspects of U.S. training that will benefit their own armed services.