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NMITC Readies Troops for Deployment

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070709-11
Release Date: 7/9/2007 4:56:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman (SW) Seth Scarlett, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Atlantic

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Supporting the need for intelligence collection efforts to aid troops in the global war on terrorism, the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center (NMITC) is answering the call by providing two tactical courses to Sailors and Marines.

The Naval Ground Intelligence Course and Marine Corps Counter Intelligence Course are designed to aid the intelligence needs of ground commanders. NMITC introduced these courses to teach students about how to assist operational forces and provide Human Intelligence (HUMINT) to commanders in the field by collecting information from the local community.

“It’s very important to have the capability to collect tactical intel to provide the warfighter with an accurate picture of the battlefield,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matt Young, training department head for Navy Intelligence Officer Basic Course. “This is a type of intel that only trained individuals on the ground can collect.”

During the intense 17-week course the students are given classroom training and also train in various scenarios located in a simulated village. The course covers terrain analysis, land navigation, doctrine, capabilities, tactics, intelligence preparation of the battlespace and asymmetric warfare providing the Navy with well-trained ground analysts.

“The students are divided into six-person human exploitation teams which they train in the entire 17 weeks of the course,” said Marine Maj. Robert Allen, commanding officer of the NMITC Marine detachment. “As far as the level of realism goes, this is as close as you can get to a combat deployment.”

By integrating both the Navy and Marine Corps in the same training environment, the instructors are able to pull the strengths of both branches to teach the course.

“The integration here is unmatched. I haven’t seen teamwork like this in all of my 10 years in the Navy,” said Young. “The Navy and Marine Corps fight together, so we need to train together.”

Commanding Officer of NMITC Capt. Norman Hayes also expressed his pride for both the training facility and the Navy and Marine Corps integration.

“I’m very proud of the training, both from the Navy and the Marine Corps,” said Hayes. “The more we train, the better we can protect our troops.”

The subject matter experts that make up the training staff have experience with multiple combat deployments, ensuring the students are well prepared for any combat missions they may encounter while deployed.

“The professionalism of both the Navy and Marine Corps side of the course is unbelievable,” said Allen. “The instructors are top notch and are hand picked from their services to be here.”

After graduating from the Naval Ground Intelligence Course, Sailors will go on to work with SEALs, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams, Seabees, Naval Coastal Warfare and Riverine units while Marines Corps graduates will be attached to Human Exploitation and HUMINT Teams to conduct HUMINT and ground intelligence.

“Most guys going through this course will be deploying within 90 days of graduation,” said Allen. “After completing the course, they’ll know how to handle any mission thrown at them within the scope of their training.”