MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- As workup training for their role as 3rd Marine Regiment’s Marine Security Element, Marines from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, went through fast rope qualifications Nov. 7.This is a prequalification for the Marines — to fast rope out of helicopters once they undergo training at Twentynine Palms, Calif., said 1st Lt. J.P. Sienicki, executive officer, Lima Company, 3/3.“The fast roping is only one of the qualifications we need to complete before becoming part of the MSE,” said the Long Valley, N.J. native. “Non-lethal weapons instruction and shot gun training are also parts of upcoming training. We are trying to bang out all of the qualifications before going to Twentynine Palms.”Each Marine fast roped from the tower four times; each time the level of difficulty increased, said Sgt. Chet E. Thomas, squad leader, 1st squad, 1st platoon, Lima Company, 3/3.“The first time, no gear is carried by the Marine,” said the Tallahassee, Fla. native. “The second time, the Marine must lock out on the rope.”Locking out is when the Marine stops himself from completely descending to the ground and then continues and lands safely on the ground.The third descent requires Marines to don a flak jacket and Kevlar, while the fourth and final fast rope requires Marines to descend with all their gear and packs. With all that gear plus a pack, the Marine is carrying roughly 60 pounds of added weight.“We usually do this once a year, or as a pre-qualification for a helo,” said Thomas. “I’m pretty excited about this hot training.”There were approximately 76 Marines training in the platoon that was comprised of Weapons Platoon and company elements. This also included two machine gun teams, a combined anti-armor team section, and a scout sniper team.“We’ve been doing a lot of training like MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain), convoy operations, infantry patrols, squad rushes, and a lot of hiking,” said Pfc. Josh R. Sonnier, squad automatic weapons gunner, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Lima Company, 3/3. “This is the first type of training to prepare for the MSE.”The Sweet Lake, La. native said he joined the infantry to one day get the opportunity to deploy to Iraq.“I’ve been wanting to go since I was about 14 years old,” said the 18-year-old. “I’m finally getting the opportunity now, and I’m happy that I get to do it with Lima Company. The senior Marines are great leaders, and they’re teaching us everything we need to know to stay alive out there.”