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From the forums

Some thoughts on combat swim quals

Ever wonder why more than 74,000 Marines stop at swim level 4? For corporals and below, it doesn’t count toward a composite score. If it worked on a point system, you’d see an increase in effort. It’s not that they can’t swim; it’s the fact that they don’t need to go past achieving a current qualification.

— USMClifestylenotajob

Unfortunately, a unit is usually limited by time and the availability of pool instructors. That’s why a lot of infantry units simply do Combat Water Survival-4. I swim like a fish, but the past couple of years I have had to do 4 because that is all the unit would allow.

— Gunny_0848

The new qualifications are OK. Just get in the pool more often on your own time or have it included as a physical training session sometime during each week.

— Gunny_2862

Suicide-prevention efforts in the Corps

The problem is not that our noncommissioned officers don’t have the guts to report a potential suicide, but more that there is a potential for suicide. We need to start asking ourselves, “Why do Marines want to kill themselves?” Find the answer to that question, and you can fix the problem before there are any potential suicides.

— WileyKyeCPL

I think the Corps is doing what it can to prevent suicide. Unless you really want every single Marine to have an NCO watch their every little step to prevent suicide, it will be impossible to prevent suicide 100 percent of the time.

— NRTrackChamp2004

If you kill yourself over your girlfriend or wife, then I couldn’t care less. However, there are also many Marines who have committed suicide or thought about it due to combat-related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or losing friends. There is nothing to joke about there.

— Funkymustafa