MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- “OC…OC…OC!” shouted a non-lethal weapons instructor, as he shot a burst of oleoresin capsicum into the faces of Marines.
The participants from Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron took part in a security augmentation force training course Nov. 19 and 20.
The 16-hour SAF course, conducted by the Provost Marshal’s Office training non-commissioned officer in charge, prepares Marines to assist military police personnel in the event of heightened installation security.
The station command collaborates with PMO to determine the number of augments needed for each class.
During the first day of the two-day course, Marines received classroom instruction about flight line procedures and the force continuum, which explains the relationship between perceived threat, and the response used to counter that threat.
“You always want to use the least force necessary,” said Cpl. Nicole Cates, the PMO training NCOIC. “If you have a person who is drunk and disorderly, but is cooperative, you wouldn’t just pull your pistol out.
Marines also received a class about using OC spray, its physical and psychological effects, and the different delivery systems used to administer the spray.
“There is a lot of fear in Marines’ eyes when they find out they are getting OC sprayed during this course,” said Cates. “There are always a lot of questions about the pain and how long it lasts.”
During the second day of the course Marines learned to search personnel and vehicles, how to operate and fire the Benelli M1014 semi-automatic joint-service combat shotgun, how to properly apprehend and handcuff a suspect, and received a level-one oleoresin capsicum spray certification, which allows the SAF Marines to carry OC spray if ever called back to assist PMO.
“Getting sprayed felt horrible, it felt like the devil was digging his fingernails into my eyes,” said Pfc. Kristopher D. Hayden, an administrative clerk with the Installation Personnel Administration Center. “It took over ten hours for the pain to go away.”
A lot of Marines say that getting sprayed was the worst day of their life, explained Cates. But, getting sprayed will keep Marines from over spraying suspects and also builds their confidence in the spray as a non-lethal tool.
Although SAF training ended with a painful experience, many of the students believed it was also a valuable experience and well worth the time.
“You never know what can happen, and the things we are learning can be applied in a lot of situations,” said Lance Cpl. Amber Combs, a navigational aids technician in the maintenance division of H&HS. “It really was a good experience.”
The SAF class rotates Marines so that this temporary, but mission-essential training, does not impact the day-to-day operations of supporting elements.