MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Whenever Marines or recruits are firing on the Depot's rifle ranges the Marines of the Small Crafts Section are out there patrolling the waters, ensuring that no one is out and about in the impact areas behind the ranges.
"[Our mission is] to maintain visual and physical security of the waterways to ensure that the ranges can fire with no one in the impact areas," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Lowman, staff non-commissioned officer in charge of Small Crafts Section. "We run two shifts and they are out there about thirty minutes prior to sunrise until the ranges go cold."
The Marines come from different parts of the base or are brought in especially for the skills they have involving maintaining and running small crafts.
"We have a few that are actually school trained coxswains," said Lowman. "Some have actually gone through Zodiac School. But, most of the guys are [infantrymen] that are down here with prior boat experience."
A typical day starts well before the ranges are up and running.
"First thing in the morning, thirty minutes prior to sunrise, we deploy the boat," said Lowman. "We launch the boat and actually run through Archers Creek, Ribbon creek and any of the smaller creeks to make sure that nobody is back there."
Underneath the Berkley Bridge there is a post where a Marine stands watch over that inlet into the waterways behind the ranges, Lowman explained. There is another Marine stationed in the battalion tower located close to the shoreline on the southern most part of the ranges.
"The tower has to see the inlet to Ribbon Creek and the bridge can see Archers Creek inlet, both left and right," said Lowman, a small crafts veteran whose exploits include spending time in Colombia. "Once the boat sweeps and clears them, the boat actually positions out between the two inlets and then we have the Marines at the bridge and the tower to make sure we have three points of visual security."
If someone decides to forgo the security and travel into the impact area, a cease-fire will be called and then the Marines get a visual on the boat, attain the identification of the vessel for it and pass that information on to the Coast Guard who are responsible for ticketing the individual.
"Without us the ranges can't operate," Lowman emphasized. "If we can't get the boats in the water then the ranges can't go hot."
Fog and lighting conditions can play havoc on the ability to train recruits. If we can't launch the boat, it is the same as when the recruits can't shoot, said Lowman.
"There is a lot of communication and a lot of radio talk that goes on to ensure that everybody knows what is going on," said Sgt. James Cravis, a coxswain and another small crafts veteran who seems as though he could never get enough time on the water.
"[The job requires a lot] of situational awareness at all times. You also have to have a lot of people skills out here."
That is a result of the many situations that may arise where they will have to ask someone tactfully to do something that they may not want to do, such as, leaving a prime fishing spot.
"The Marines also go through [Hazardous Materials] training once a year to operate the boom for oil spill response," added Lowman.
They deal with waterborne security and all of its aspects, like keeping boaters at bay, he aknowledged.
"Sometimes it gets crazy with one hundred to one hundred fifty boaters out on the water," he said. "Especially on the weekends."
Using their wits and six boats ranging in size from 14 feet to 25 feet, the Marines of Small Crafts Section patrol the waterways, ensuring the safe operation of the Depot's ranges.