Tafakula takes shooting to another island

Photo By Cpl. Nathan Knapke | A Marine with 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, assists a Tongan Defence Service member in firing an M240 Machinegun during a competition and familiarization shoot as part of Exercise Tafakula 2013, here, Sept. 6. Marines brought M16 Service Rifles, M27 Infantry Assault Rifles, an M240 Machinegun and more than 20,000 rounds to the range for the Tongans and French to shoot. The French brought FAMAS assault rifles and the Tongans brought Galil rifles for the Marines to shoot.  

MOTUTAPO, TONGA

09.06.2013

Story by Lance Cpl. Nathan Knapke 

Marine Rotational Force - Darwin

MOTUTAPO, KINGDOM OF TONGA — A platoon of French Armed Forces New Caledonia, Tongan Defence Service and Marine Rotational Force – Darwin service members traveled to a small island not far from Tonga’s mainland to fire each other’s weapons during Exercise Tafakula 2013, here, Sept. 6.

Marines brought M16 Service Rifles, M27 Infantry Assault Rifles, an M240 Machinegun and more than 20,000 rounds to the range for the Tongans and the French to shoot. The French brought FAMAS assault rifles and the Tongans brought Galil rifles for the Marines to shoot.

“The FAMAS is a weapon system that is a lot different than what Marines are used to,” said Lance Cpl. Robert West, rifleman, 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, MRF-D, and a Boston native. “Being that it’s a bullpup design, the weighting is different. Even our stance has to change in order to compensate the difference in recoil and weight distribution.”

Each military took time to adjust to their new weapon systems at different distances to ensure they hit their targets.

After the familiarization period, service members split into three platoons of mixed militaries to compete in a shooting contest. Each platoon was comprised of two teams.

This competition wasn’t the average shooting contest. Participants conducted burpees, air squats and jumping jacks. Everyone in each team continued their workout while one shooter engaged targets at the 100-foot shooting line.

“The shooting competition got everyone together to build cohesiveness through a team-building exercise,” said Staff Sgt. Joseluis Mejia, platoon sergeant, 1st Plt., Lima Co., 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, MRF-D. “Although it was a friendly competition, it was good to mix in some basic shooting techniques.”

• Date Taken: 09.06.2013
• Date Posted: 09.19.2013 00:24
• Story ID: 113881
• Location: MOTUTAPO, TO
• Hometown: BOSTON, MA, US