Parris Island, S.C. — -- “Halt! Who goes there?!” shouted Rct. Matthew Boyd at the faint figure a few meters away. “Advance to be recognized!”
As the campaign cover emerged from the shadows of the mess hall, the recruit from Platoon 3016, Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, flinched at the sight of his drill instructor. Still, he had been given orders, and was going to follow them.
“Place your ID on the deck and take two steps back!”
During the eighth week of recruit training, Parris Island’s future Marines perform interior guard duty, where they provide security for their battalion’s headquarters, mess hall and
company barracks.
“It’s a hands-on way to experience what is going to happen in the field,” said Rct. Daniel Amores, Plt. 3018, Lima Co., 3rd RTBn. “It’s a safe environment, but you feel how it is to not be supervised.”
On interior guard duty, recruits learn how to provide security for a military installation through practical application, said Sgt. Kadeem Walker, drill instructor for Plt. 3016, Lima Co., 3rd RTBn. They are taught how to challenge anyone who walks by their place of duty.
“It’s the first time they are out of the squad bay at night,” he said. “Confidence is a big thing.”
Walker said recruits may speak to drill instructors in a firm manner, which would not be tolerated in any other case.
“It felt good to give the drill instructors an order for once,” said Rct. Dakota Day, Plt. 3018, Lima Co., 3rd RTBn.
Interior guard duty also tested the recruits’ weapon handling, safety and teamwork, Walker said.
Recruits are given a sector to patrol, and continuously tour the area equipped with their rifles, flashlights and fellow patrolman until they are relieved of their responsibilities by the on-coming duty.
“Having rifles made us more alert – more cautious,” Amores said, although recruits are not given ammunition for the exercise. “You’re not carrying a toy or day pack. You’re carrying something that could potentially
kill someone.”
If someone approaches their sector, the recruits proceed to stop and identify the individual, said Walker. When the person is unknown, they radio the corporal of the guard – in this case a recruit in charge of recording all such situations in a logbook.
“Interior guard duty gives [recruits] the ability to handle situations they may encounter in the fleet,” said Staff Sgt. Javier Corcino, drill instructor for Plt. 3018, Lima Co.,
3rd RTBn.
Walker said it provides the base recruits need for security training – the building blocks for when they attend the School of Infantry, the fleet or deployments.
“It’s a good tool for them to have and build on,” Walker continued.
When drill instructors are stopped by the recruits, they ensure recruits execute the proper procedures, Corcino said. If they make a mistake, they repeat the process.
Corcino explained recruits are urged to challenge anyone they see. Even if it is the recruit’s drill instructor, they cannot be intimidated.
“I didn’t know where the drill instructors would be,” Day said. “I was paranoid the whole time.”