MWTC Course Booklet (as of 1 Oct 08) MWTC MISSIONThe Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, as a major subordinate element of Marine Air/Ground Task Force Training Command, and with support from Marine Corps Installations - West, conducts unit and individual training courses to prepare USMC, Joint, and Allied Forces for operations in mountainous, high altitude, and cold weather environments in support of the Regional Combatant Commanders. Additionally, MCMWTC provides support to Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Training and Education Command; Marine Corps Systems Command; and other USMC and DOD agencies engaged in the development of warfighting doctrine and specialized equipment for use in mountain and cold weather operations.1Basic Mountain Leaders Course (BMLC) The Basic Mountain Leaders course is designed to train Marines to become subject matter experts in mountain and cold weather environments and operations. This course if focused on comprehensive tactical and basic skills (not advanced technical skills) covering all six warfighting functions. The course is designed for a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 44. This course is conducted 4 times a year. Course length is 42 days. Students are taught basic mobility skills, route selection, animal packing, Avalanche Safety, Tactical Rope Suspension Technician (TRST), survivability, bivouac, mountain patrol techniques, tactical considerations, weapons employment, fire support considerations, the necessary skills to plan, organize, and lead mountain/cold weather operations; train their units for mountain/cold weather operations; and advise MAGTF or MAGTF element commanders and staffs. Additionally, graduates are capable of providing pre-environment training/instruction for units. This course is recommended prior to attending the advanced Mountain Leader Courses, but is not a prerequisite. Prerequisites: Corporal through Captain from Combat Arms MOSs. 2Summer Advanced Mountain Leaders Course (SMLC) The Summer Mountain Leaders course is designed to train Marines to become subject matter experts to a high technical degree in mountain and alpine operations. These advanced technical skills enable movement, control of fires, intelligence gathering, sustainment, and force protection in highly complex rock and glaciated terrain that is inaccessible to the Basic Mountain Leader. The course is designed for a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 44. This course is conducted 1 times a year. Course length is 40 days. Students are taught Tactical Rope Suspension Techniques (TRST), Assault Climber skills, animal packing, survivability, bivouac, mountain patrol techniques, tactical considerations, weapons employment, fire support considerations, the necessary skills to plan, organize, and lead mountain/cold weather operations; to plan/lead cliff assaults; to plan/lead long range patrols on high technical ridgelines for overwatch, recon, or to control fires; to train their units for mountain/cold weather operations; and advise MAGTF or MAGTF element commanders and staffs. Additionally, graduates are qualified to be instructors at MWTC and SOTGs for summer mountain environment lesson plans (including vertical rock and glaciated/ice obstacles). Basic MLC is recommended, but not a prerequisite. Prerequisites: Sergeant through Captain from Combat Arms MOSs. 3Winter Advanced Mountain Leaders Course (WMLC) The Winter Mountain Leaders course is designed to train Marines to become subject matter experts to a high technical degree in cold weather operations. These advanced technical skills enable movement, control of fires, intelligence gathering, sustainment, and force protection in complex snow and ice covered terrain that is inaccessible to the Basic Mountain Leader. The course is designed for a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 44. This course is conducted 1 times a year. Course length is 40 days. Students are taught Avalanche Level 1, over the snow mobility to Military Skier level, survivability, bivouac, mountain patrol techniques, tactical considerations, weapons employment, fire support considerations, the necessary skills to plan, organize, and lead mountain/cold weather operations; to act as Scout Skier element leaders on ridgeline flank security, picketing and recon patrols; to train their units for mountain/cold weather operations; and advise MAGTF or MAGTF element commanders and staffs. Additionally, graduates are qualified winter mountain warfare instructors for MWTC and the SOTGs. Graduates are capable of providing pre-deployment or refresher training/instruction for units. Basic MLC is recommended, but not a prerequisite. Prerequisites: Sergeant through Captain from Combat Arms MOSs. 1Mountain Scout Sniper The purpose of this course is to train Scout Snipers to be tactically and technically proficient in a mountainous environment. The course is designed for a minimum of 10 students and a maximum of 24. This course is conducted 8 times a year. Course length is 17 days.This course includes instruction in advanced marksmanship at high angles with the M40A3 sniper rifle, M82A3 Special Application Scoped Rifle (SASR), M16A2 service rifle, and combat marksmanship with the M9 service pistol. Instruction in high angle marksmanship includes range estimation, determining slope angle and flat line distance, effects of vertical and angular distortion, effects of elevation, and effects of extreme weather. Instruction in field craft includes stalking and concealment techniques in a mountain environment, man tracking, counter-tracking, over snow mobility, mountain communications, and mountain survival. Tactical instruction includes employment considerations for scout snipers in a mountainous environment, detailed mission planning, preparation and conduct of patrolling, and collecting and reporting information. Prerequisites: 0317 for primary or billet MOS. 1Cold Weather Medicine The purpose of this course is to give the students the knowledge needed to support their units in a cold weather, mountainous environment. This course of instruction is designed to bring the students to a high standard of technical, tactical and medical proficiency peculiar to a cold weather environment. The course is designed for a minimum of 10 students and a maximum of 50. This course is conducted 4 times a year. Course length is 12 days. The course subjects cover movement, survival, bivouac routine, leadership, diagnosing, treating and preventing high altitude, cold weather related illness and injuries, and techniques of transporting casualties in a snow covered mountainous environment.A Non MWTC affiliated Land Navigation training program can be found at http://landnavigation.org/ppt.aspx/.1Mountain Medicine The purpose of this course is to give the students the knowledge to move a casualty in a summer mountainous environment without vehicle or air support, to become a proficient medical provider in a cold weather, high altitude environment, and to plan and conduct medical operations in a high altitude, summer mountain environment. The course is designed for a minimum of 10 students and a max of 50. This course is conducted 4 times a year. Course length is 12 days. The course subjects cover mountain safety, balance climbing, top roping, rappelling, stream crossing, high and low angle rescue techniques, small unit leadership and discipline, utilization of pack animals, casualty movement over mountainous obstacles, casualty movement utilizing pack animals, diagnosing, treating and preventing heat and cold illness, in addition to high altitude illness, and preventative medicine.A Non MWTC affiliated Land Navigation training program can be found at http://landnavigation.org.ppt.aspx/.2Mountain ViperMountain Viper is conducted for Embedded Training Teams (ETT) headed to Afghanistan. MCMWTC conducts this pre-deployment training for the standing ETT teams in the Marine Corps. This is a ten day training cycle. The training includes Mobility, Survival, CASEVAC, animal packing, navigation, and communication skills.3Mountain WarriorMountain Warrior is conducted for units headed to Afghanistan. This 14 day training cycle takes place in the training area aboard Hawthorne Ammunition and Weapon Depot and MCMWTC. The training includes Mobility, Survival, CASEVAC, animal packing, navigation, and communication skills.4Mountain Environmental Training This program of instruction is designed to provide MAGTF units with a foundation in the fundamental environmental skills required to conduct military operations in a mountainous or cold weather environment. This course is a prerequisite for the Basic Mountain Skills (MTBS), Mountain Advanced Mobility (MTAM), Mountain Over the Snow Basic Skills (MOSS), Mountain Over the Snow Advanced Mobility (MOSM), and all satellite courses.The course is designed for a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 220 students. This course is conducted 60 times a year. Course length is 3 days. The Mountain Environmental Training (MTET) subjects include mountain safety, mountain health awareness, mountain weather, warfighting loads, clothing and equipment, leadership challenges, the Marine Cold Weather Infantry Kit, avalanche awareness, requirements for survival, survival navigation, water procurement, signaling, fires and expedient shelters. 5Mountain Basic Skills The Mountain Basic Skills (MTBS) program of instruction is designed to provide MAGTF units with a foundation in the basic fundamentals required to efficiently and effectively maneuver as a dismounted unit in a mountainous environment. This course is a prerequisite for the Mountain Advanced Mobility (MTAM) course.The course is designed for a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 220 students. This course is conducted for each unit during the summer. Course length is 3 days.The MTBS POI subjects include CASEVAC, patrolling considerations and route selection, movement over rough terrain, infantry weapons and optics. The MTBS concludes with a two day land navigation exercise. 6Mountain Advanced Mobility: The Mountain Advanced Mobility (MTAM) program of instruction is designed to introduce light infantry, combat engineer, reconnaissance or SOF company sized units to technical military mountaineering skills while increasing the unit's proficiency in the basic fundamentals introduced in the Mountain Environmental Training (MTET) and Mountain Basic Skills (MTBS) POIs. The MTAM subjects include the utilization of high-tension rope installations, employment of mechanical advantage, operation of raising and lowering systems, belay techniques, rappelling, top roping, stream crossing and CASEVAC. This course concludes with a two day mountain patrolling exercise. This exercise incorporates vertical to near vertical obstacles that the unit will be required to tactically negotiate. The course is designed for a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 220. This course is currently not being conducted due to unit training time restrictions of 14 days. Course length is 8 days.7Mountain Over the Snow Basic Skills: The Mountain Over the Snow Basic Skills (MOSS) program of instruction is designed to provide MAGTF units with a foundation in the basic fundamentals required to survive and conduct dismounted operations in a cold weather environment. This course is a prerequisite for the Mountain Over the Snow Advanced Mobility (MOSM) course.The course is designed for a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 220. This course is conducted for each unit during the winter. Course length is 5 days. The MOSS subjects include bivouac routine, CASEVAC, camouflage, avalanche search, patrolling considerations, infantry weapons & optics cold weather considerations, snow shoe employment, Marine Cold Weather Infantry Kit employment and negotiation of snow/ice covered water obstacles. 8Mountain Over the Snow Advanced Mobility The Mountain Over the Snow Advanced Mobility (MOSM) program of instruction is designed to introduce light infantry, combat engineer, reconnaissance or SOF company size units to technical military cold weather skills while increasing the unit's proficiency in the basic cold weather fundamentals introduced in the Mountain Environmental Training (MTET) and Mountain Over the Snow Basic Skills (MOSS) POIs. The course is designed for a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 220. This course is currently not being conducted due to training unit time limitations of 14 days. Course length is 6 days. The MOSM tasks include an introduction to ski equipment, ski techniques and the tactical applications of ski employment, skijoring, and field firing while ski-borne. The course will culminate with a two day long range ski movement. 9Animal Packers This course is designed to aid Marines to become more effective in a mountainous environment utilizing alternative methods for transporting crew served weapons, ammunition, supplies, and wounded personnel to and from areas inaccessible to mechanized and air mobile transportation. The course is designed for a minimum of 12 students and a maximum of 48. This course is conducted 8 times a year. Course length is 10 days. Students are taught the necessary skills to enable them to plan, organize, and conduct animal packing, and/or provide advice to senior commanders and staffs. The course subjects include introduction to animal packing, anatomy of pack animals, animal packing techniques, casualty evacuation techniques, animal first aid, and bivouac considerations.10Mountain Communications Course Overview. To train communicators in the employment of communications assets in a cold weather/mountainous environment. Instruction is provided in wave theory and propagation, field expedient antennas, and retrans operations, advantages/disadvantages of various radio equipment. The course material assumes that students have a basic communications training and experience. The course is designed for a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 50. This course is conducted 8 times a year. Course length is 10 days. *NOTE: Other courses are in development, such as Mountain Recon, Mountain Engineer, Mountain Machinegunner, and Mountain Mortarman.