MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- It’s not often Marines get a vehicle stuck on purpose.But during the vehicle recovery course held at Camp Pendleton Nov. 17, it was exactly what was needed.Approximately 40 Marines from various I Marine Expeditionary Force supporting units took part in the pre-deployment exercise. The course was designed to teach motor transportation Marines how to recover vehicles that have become stuck in the sand or have broken down.“This will get the Marines’ minds set on situation awareness,” said Gunnery Sgt. John J. Walker, the chief instructor for the vehicle recovery school based out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. “If you don’t have situation awareness, you are going to get hurt.”During the exercise, three seven-ton trucks were wedged into the sand, allowing Marines to practice the skills they will use in Iraq to free them. Using MK36 wreckers, the Marines used mechanical advantage to free the vehicles.“We are simulating what could happen in real life,” said Sgt. Timothy D. Anderson, a vehicle recovery course instructor also based out of Fort Leonard Wood. “Recovering the vehicles is the meat and potatoes of the course. It’s where they learn the tactics.”The vehicle recovery course is considered an advanced course for motor transportation Marines. With I MEF being highly involved overseas, it’s important to have a high number of Marines trained in the course, Anderson said.“With a high operation tempo, no one is prefect,” added Anderson. “There will always be times a Marine rolls a vehicle or gets it stuck.”The goal of the course is to train more Marines and increase capability to recover vehicles and retain them for practical use.“We’ve learned a lot here that we don’t normally learn in basic motor (transportation) school,” said Lance Cpl. Troy D. Harper, a logistics vehicle system operator with 7th Engineer Support Battalion. “It will be very useful in Iraq.” Marines who have already been to Iraq also found the course a useful tool.For Sgt. Joshua W. McConnell, a logistics vehicles system operator with Maintenance Battalion, Marine Corps Base, the number of vehicles he saw in his first tour of Iraq that were stuck or inoperable was “too many to count.”“I think at all levels, they are seeing equipment availability is lower,” said Walker.Equipment is mainly left behind because it gets stuck in the sand or is hit by an improvised explosive device, Walker said. With proper training, Marines will be able to recover the equipment, which could be salvageable. “This is my first time through the course,” said McConnell, from Kellyville, Okla. “It’s a good course so far, it’s definitely going to help.”