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Learn your land nav

There are some skills that you expect Marines to have.

They should be able to shoot reasonably well with their assigned weapon. Drill in formation. Pitch a tent or dig a foxhole.

Marines also should be able to call out grid coordinates on a map, use a compass and move from one place to another without reflexively relying on GPS. These are skills taught to every Marine, regardless of occupational specialty or gender.

Like many skills — from foreign language fluency to dismantling a helicopter engine — knowing how to handle a map and compass is a perishable skill. It’s use it or lose it. And since GPS is just about everywhere, it’s easy to let those skills go unused.

Why? GPS is available, it’s reliable, it’s convenient. Unless, of course, it isn’t.

When the GPS receiver breaks, drops the signal or runs out of juice, you need to be able to use that compass. Those who can, do; those who can’t have to call the quick reaction force to rescue their butts.

The squeeze on predeployment training means commanders can’t do everything they’d like. They keep what seems most important and dump the rest. Too few keep enough refresher land navigation in the mix.

But then, this is not just a commander’s problem. Commanders make sure their Marines are fit, but they don’t necessarily do pull-ups with them. Just because a commander doesn’t set aside time for land nav doesn’t mean Marines aren’t personally responsible for finding their way back to camp if they get lost. You know your limitations, and if you can’t land nav, get a friend to show you how.

If your friend can’t land nav, figure it out together. Look at it this way: In the end, it’s your life on the line.