MWTC Course Booklet

(as of 1 Oct 08)

MWTC MISSION
The 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.
1

Basic 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.

Summer 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.

Winter 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.

Mountain 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, countertracking, 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.

Cold 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/.

Mountain 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/.

Mountain Viper

Mountain 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.

Mountain Warrior

Mountain 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.

Mountain 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.

10 Mountain 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.

11 Mountain 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.

12 Mountain 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.

13 Mountain 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.

14 Animal 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.

15 Mountain 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.