MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marine administrative message 653/10, published nov. 22, reduces the number of swim qualification levels from six to three primary levels.
"They’re trying to put more emphasis on surviving in the water with a full combat load, being able to shed your gear and basically just being able to survive in the water,” said Sgt. todd Crowell, swim qualification instructor.
The new MArADMin establishes three primary levels of swim qualification: basic, intermediate and advanced.
“There are not as many levels, but each level now has more to it,” said Crowell. “They took stuff from swim qualification four and three and put it into water survival basic, they took things from two and three and put it into intermediate, and they took stuff from one, two, WSQ and the combat water safety swimmer course and put that all into advanced.”
Boots are required during all levels of qualification under the new MARADMIN .
For Marines barely meeting the CWS4 qualification, swimming may have to become a more prominent activity, but re-qualification is of once every two years for basic.
Pfc. Sean E. Oakry, CWS4 qualified, said the change could affect poor swimmers.
“It’ll be best for everybody to just incorporate swimming into their (physical training),” he added.
For WSQ and CWS1 qualified Marines, the change won’t be much of an obstacle; however, the new MARADMIN reduces requalification intervals to a maximum of three years.
“The instructors will not be as affected by the new order as the students will be because it’s completely brand new for them,” said Crowell. “For us, it’s just some new things to teach.”
Although a huge Marine Corps wide change, the new MCWSTP is designed to provide a more streamlined, safe and expeditionaryforce- relevant water survival program while simultaneously reducing annual training requirements on the operating forces.
“(The new program) puts people more into a situation that they might actually be in,” said Crowell. “Most people aren’t going to fall out of a ship and only have to swim 25 meters to safety without any boots.”
From Jan. 13 – 14, Iwakuni instructors will receive training on the new MCWSTP.
“I think this will motivate everybody to get out there and actually take swimming seriously,” said Oakry.
Marines with a current WSQ and CWS1 - 4 qualification will keep their qualification until it expires. Iwakuni Marines can qualify under the old MCWSTP until March 2011.