22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, USS Bataan train with French Navy

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Alicia Leaders | A French sailor watches a Marine from Tank Platoon, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd...... read more read more

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Alicia Leaders | A French sailor watches a Marine from Tank Platoon, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, as he fires a French service pistol aboard the French Command and Projection ship FS Tonnerre, Feb. 13, during Composite Training Unit Exercise. COMPTUEX is part of the 22nd MEU's pre-deployment training program. The MEU is scheduled to deploy this spring.  see less | View Image Page

ABOARD FS TONNERRE, USNORTHCOM, AT SEA

02.13.2009

Story by Cpl. Alicia Leaders 

22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit

✔ ✗ Subscribe

155

ABOARD FS TONNERRE - The French Command and Projection Ship FS Tonnerre joined the Marines and Sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bataan Strike Group for Composite Training Unit Exercise off the coast of North Carolina on Feb. 9-15.

Tonnerre, an amphibious ship similar in capability to U.S. Amphibious Assault Ships, is designed to play a vital role in an international crisis, to allow the deployment of expeditionary forces and to conduct evacuations of non-combatants from hostile areas.

"The world is a joint battlefield. It's never going to be the U.S. alone; most likely we're going to be with our NATO counterparts," said Chief Warrant Officer Steven F. Dancer, a native of New Egypt, N.J., and the liaison officer between the 22nd MEU and Tonnerre. "It's better to learn to work together now. We can be more efficient when it comes time to do the real thing."

During COMPTUEX, M1A1 Abrams tanks from Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, embarked aboard FS Tonnerre for the first time. A Landing Craft Air-Cushioned [a large hovercraft] took each tank into the well deck of Tonnerre where they drove up a ramp for storage aboard the ship.

"We're making history on this ship," said 1st Lt. Matthew A. Luke, the Tank Platoon commander for Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd MEU. "This is the first time that tanks have been put on this ship at sea."

For the Marines with the 22nd MEU, this was their first time going aboard a French ship. Coming from the Bataan, Marines noticed a big difference between the two ships.

"The biggest difference from the Tonnerre and the Bataan is the food," said Pfc. Franklin L. Plummer III, a mortarman with BLT 3/2. "It's American food versus French food, which doesn't matter to me because I love them both."

Growing up on French and Italian cuisine in his hometown of Montreal, Plummer said he had no problem eating the food aboard the Tonnerre.

"Other than the food, spacing is a big difference," said Plummer. "Here on the Tonnerre, you have more space to move around everywhere you go."

Compared to Bataan, Tonnerre had wider hallways and stairways, larger berthing areas and even entertainment rooms, which the French called "distraction rooms."

The so called distraction of television, internet and foosball didn't stop the Marines from taking advantage of the ship's space for some intense training. They conducted several training events, such as fast rope, Marine Corps Martial Arts and room clearing.

"When we were on the Tonnerre, we were teaching Marines and the French how to fast rope," said Lance Cpl. Karsten E. Shank, a mortarman with BLT 3/2 and native of Lake Wales, Fla. Fast roping is a technique that allows Marines to exit a helicopter by sliding down a rope into a landing zone, or even on top of buildings.

Plummer, who is more accustomed to dropping rounds in a mortar tube, put his French-Canadian heritage to good use during the training, serving as a translator between the French and Americans.

"Being a translator between Marines and the French gave me the ability to interact with the ship's crew," said Plummer. "Sometimes they would have to explain their French to me when I wouldn't understand; they helped me, and I helped them."

Overall, the Marines looked on their time aboard the Tonnerre as a positive experience.

"The crew has been outstanding in helping us. The hospitality has been amazing and the ship itself is perfect," said Luke. "The Marines are very happy to be here."

The 22nd MEU is a scalable, multipurpose force of more than 2,200 Marines and sailors. Commanded by Col. Gareth F. Brandl, it consists of its Ground Combat Element, BLT 3/2; Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced); Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22; and its Command Element.