Training for marine commanders underway at Russia’s Pacific Fleet

18.02.2009
Winter field training for marines continues at the Russian Pacific Fleet. Soldiers are practicing hand-to-hand combat and firing exercises. A day earlier, officers of a division commanded by Major General Sergei Pushkin demonstrated their knowledge of firearms’ handling: this time the targets on the firing range were not privates and sergeants but commanders, from lieutenants to colonels. Just as their subordinates, they are also involved in all combat exercises.

According to Colonel Oleg Onishchenko, and officer of the division headquarters, “An officer must exercise daily. Today the officers are graded on their sniper skills. The score of every officer will be reported to his division.”

Precision-firing, coordination in battle, ability to quickly find one’s way on the battlefield, and endurance under any conditions are some of the categories on which the marines are graded. And in all that the example for every soldier is provided by his commander.

According to Colonel Maksim Zhurilov, “The main principle used in the training ‘is do as I do’: That is, first and foremost, one must teach oneself to be able to latter to demosntrate, teach, and train his soldiers…”

To be good examples for their subordinates, the officers practice self-education. A real officer is not only a leader for his soldiers, but also their teacher. He must demonstrate and describe to his soldiers in a way that would prompt them to repeat the exercise with perfection.

Source: Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation
Information provided by the Information Service of the Pacific Fleet.
Translation: RusNavy.com