Guidelines pave way for Taser use in field - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Guidelines pave way for Taser use in field

Nonlethal electroshock weapons such as the Taser could be used by Marines in the field for the first time, following the release of new guidelines that set training requirements for the device.

The weapon, which incapacitates the nervous system with electrical pulses, has been owned in small quantities by the Corps since at least 2004. But it has never been used in the field, in part due to fears over how its use would be perceived in places such as Iraq, a Marine spokesman said.

“We would expect the use of [devices such as the Taser] to grow over time, now that we have this long-term policy in place,” said Maj. David Nevers, a Marine spokesman. “There was always the expectation that further guidance would be coming, and it’s natural that units would now be more comfortable procuring and using these devices.”

In the new policy, outlined in Marine administrative message 560/08, officials approve use of the X26E Taser, the most popular law enforcement device sold by Taser International Inc. The weapon fires two probes attached to electrical wires, providing the ability to “tase” someone.

Marine officials also approved the use of four kinds of Taser projectile cartridges, including a powerful one used in law enforcement to incapacitate someone wearing bulky clothing from up to 35 feet away.

Train the trainer

The message said Marines who will teach others how to use the device must be certified every two years by attending training such as the Interservice Nonlethal Individual Weapons Instructor Course, a “train the trainer” program run by the Defense Department.

There is no requirement for any Marine to be exposed to the device during training, and Marines who volunteer to be shocked may experience no more than a five-second exposure.

Marine officials said the Corps began discussing using the Taser in 2003, and sent its first 122 units to Iraq’s Multi-National Force-West in spring 2004.

But its use was scuttled after concerns were raised over whether the training in place was sufficient and whether its use would hurt efforts to gain the trust of Iraqis, a Marine spokesman said. Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based II Marine Expeditionary Force also forbade its use in 2006 by subordinate commands, awaiting additional Corps-wide advice.

Nevers and Taser spokesman Peter Holran said the Army and Air Force already deploy Tasers in some situations, such as at security checkpoints.

“What it really offers is a de-escalation of force,” Holran said. “It allows troops to engage immediately and not weigh a decision over whether [they] should or shouldn’t engage.”