Photo By Sgt. Uriel Avendano | The halfway point of the exercises had the Marines of MAG-13 coordinating with each...... read more read more
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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - The uniform of the day was utilities and a flak, sans Kevlar.
The attitude of the day was no pain, no gain.
As part of a month long newly implemented Integrated Training Exercise, Marines from Marine Aircraft Group 13 based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. participated in a day-long Team Warrior Challenge competition at Marine Corps Combat Development Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 25.
The event was held at Camp Wilson with supporting and adjacent unit Marines from Marine Attack Squadron 311, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 and Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 getting in on the action. When the final team rosters had been drawn up, the event had 11 teams with 5 members per team.
“We've actually been developing the course for a few weeks," said SSgt. Aaron McCatty, a Marine Aircraft Group 13 Headquarters chemical biological radiological nuclear defense specialist and a native of Tampa, Fl. "The course itself is .4 miles, which is less than the movement to contact sprint on the CFT."
While it may be less than half a mile, the course had many more challenges and greater physical demands for the Marines than the annual combat fitness test. The exercise itself took place on rough terrain that had sand patches added in to simulate a beach rather than just a standard rocky desert hardened by the cold weather.
“The course has 10 stations,” said McCatty. “Throughout the course, the teams have to carry and maintain possession of a five gallon jug of water that weighs approximately 40 lbs.”
At the first station, Marines were set up on their hands and feet, building a house and maintaining their position while a team member at the end low-crawled with five gallons worth of motivation underneath. They continuously repeated this process until reaching the starting point of station two.
Litter carries, fireman carries, squad push-ups, and time incentive pull-ups were the next evolutions. After an exhausting 40 yard dash, the squads were met with six 7-ton tires to flip.
“I was not expecting how heavy they actually were,” said Lance Cpl. Mark Prudente, a MAG-13 data systems technician and a native of Guam. “I kept floundering around, trying to adjust the weight, but it was tough.”
The next station found the Marines dragging four harbor chains, ranging anywhere from 125lbs to 200lbs, for 20 meters. The timed event kept things interesting and made the Marines mindful of their competition.
For Prudente, synchronizing the following team-ski station was the toughest part. The squads had to get on two roped 2” x 6” wooden boards and match their steps to patiently, but surely, make their way to the next stage.
"The ski's – Coordinating left and right," said Prudente. "It was tough because if you were a second off, it planted everyone down on the ground.”
Communication and unit cohesion proved to be a big factor throughout the exercise. Going through the physically taxing and mentally draining evolutions meant that real leadership and trust was a necessity across all ranks.
“We actually came out here thinking it was going to be a small event, easy to do – But it turned out to be 15 minutes of hell. Way tougher than the CFT,” said Sgt. Luis Ochoa, VMA-311's embarkation chief and a native of Tucson, Ariz. “It's great for unit cohesion – You've got a lieutenant colonel that's out there, moving ski's and flipping tires with a lance corporal right next to him. It's a really great unit morale builder.”
Breaking the monotony of a month-long training exercise with a unit function was a perfect example of what solid teamwork and mission accomplishment look like.
“I would like to think it builds camaraderie, especially since some of the guys that are out here create a team. A lot of them are individuals from different sections, so they might not be use to working with one another,” said McCatty. “It's an opportunity to find unique ways to communicate.”
The grueling course's objective at Camp Wilson was to break the monotony of day-to-day routines and bring Marines, regardless of rank, closer together. By day's end, everyone could rest assured that they had learned that much more about the brother and sister standing to their left and right.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2013 02:07 |
| Story ID: | 101397 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Training to Win With the MAG, by Sgt Uriel Avendano, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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