Parris Island, S.C. -- -- Marines from the Disbursing Office here practiced Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain training at Combat Town aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Feb. 10.
The group learned the importance of patience combined with proper techniques for entering and clearing buildings.
“MOUT is one of the most dangerous things you can do in combat,” said Sgt. Raymond Ruiter, an instructor with Field Training Company, Weapons and Field Training Battalion. “You don’t know what’s on the other side of that door, and that’s the scariest part of all.”
Accompanied by fellow instructor Cpl. Steven Escobar, Ruiter gave many tips and tricks on surviving urban warfare.
“You always want to be about an arm’s distance away from the wall because your gear could rub up against it and make noise or get hit by a bullet that’s ricocheted and is traveling the path of the wall,” he said.
The instructors showed Marines how to properly enter buildings, clear a floor room-by-room and safely advance to the second floor.
“Second-story clearing is rough,” said Escobar, an instructor at Page Field. “It can be intimidating but you have to swallow your fear and just do it.”
The Marines learned how important communication and patience can be in a close-quarters battle, especially in a three-dimensional urban environment.
“Communication is the key,” Escobar said. “It’s the bread and butter to success
in combat.”
Marines first used rubber rifles, then ran tactical scenarios using airsoft weapons to apply their newly acquired skills for a practical application test.
“I wanted to use the airsoft weapons so it hurts a little,” said Cpl. Michael Wensjoe, a clerk with the Disbursing Office, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, and the organizer of the event.
He said adding the element of realism to the exercise helped the Marines develop combat mindsets, but did not compromise safety.
“I wanted to remind them of the organization they joined,” he said. “We’re Marines, and this is a war- fighting organization.”
Lance Cpl. Angel Lopez, a disbursing clerk with Service Co., said the training was very informative and a good reminder of the dangers deployed Marines face on a day-to-day basis.
"We don’t do a lot of training like this since we’re on a recruit depot,” Lopez said. “It was a refresher of the training I got before and a good reminder of what Marines are doing in Afghanistan every day.”