TRT keeps Marines’ combat skills sharp, mission ready

Photo By Staff Sgt. Anne Henry | Gunnery Sgt. James W. Mackenzie observes Lance Cpl. Nam Q. Kim as he throws an M67 fragmentation grenade June 13 at Camp Hansen. Mackenzie is a tactics, readiness and training instructor, G-3, operations and training, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Kim is an administrative clerk with CLR-35, 3rd MLG, III MEF.  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

10.18.2013

Story by Cpl. Mark Stroud 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

OKINAWA, Japan - "Any Marine can be a rifleman, they can be called upon to use those skills at any time,” said Capt. Evan Brashier, officer in charge of Tactical Readiness and Training, G-3, training and operations, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “It is impossible to predict the location and the threat environment we will encounter when we are deployed.”

The Marines of the 3rd MLG TRT, comprised of infantry unit leaders and officers with combat-arms backgrounds, have made it their mission to ensure that the Marines of the logistics group are ready to fulfill their mission as a Marine rifleman at a moment’s notice.

To this end, the TRT plans and supervises combat-arms training across a wide spectrum of offensive and defensive operations.

“What we focus on are Marine Corps’ common skills; the core competencies that (every) Marine needs to know regardless of where they are deployed,” said Brashier. “By maintaining these core competencies, not only are the Marines better prepared for situations that arise within their current unit, but they will be better prepared for the future as well.”

The core competencies include proficiency within small-unit operations, patrolling, establishing and maintaining security, setting up landing zones, coordinating with aircraft to medically evacuate wounded personnel and weapons proficiency.

The TRT training evolutions challenge the Marines to execute their mission in adverse environments.

“We trained mounting and dismounting vehicles in full gear; disassembling and reassembling crew-served weapons on patrols; running speed drills up hills to see who could move the weapons systems to the top of the hills, set it up, call (it in) and set up a fire-plan sketch the quickest,” said Lance Cpl. Samuel M. Depriest, who trained with TRT while serving as a machine gunner with Combat Logistics Battalion 4, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd MLG. “It built our confidence knowing exactly what to do in different scenarios. It was the confidence of knowing we could do it when we were sweating, tired and in full gear.”

Continuing the combat arms training of Marines in the combat service support specialties helps maintain a solid foundation of common skills across the Marine Air Ground Task Force, improving interoperability.

“Interoperability between combat-arms Marines and those in support specialties begins with standard weapons and tactics training,” said Staff Sgt. Jesse R. Lopez, an infantry unit leader with TRT. “Giving the Marines updated weapons and tactics training, as well as refreshers on common skills, gives them a greater understanding of how the infantry operates. This separates the dependency line between the two, allowing for better support.”

While there is no formal training school for TRT instructors, the Marines currently serving in this billet work to provide feedback to their peers to maintain a high-training standard.

“When a staff noncommissioned officer checks in, he is required to teach his peers classes on weapons systems along with various classes such as land navigation and convoy operations,” said Gunnery Sgt. Thomas R. Fuller, an infantry unit leader with TRT. “All the (infantry unit leaders) provide feedback and ensure each Marine is (knowledgeable) before he goes out on any mission or any training event.”

The Marines of TRT measure their success in terms of the growth they witness in the Marines they train.

“We have trackers to help us record annual training requirements … but the real achievement is actually seeing these units become proficient,” said Lopez. “When you take a Marine (who has not had much machine gun experience) and he is suddenly performing maintenance and disassembling, assembling, mounting, and operating the weapon while performing immediate and remedial actions and having good effects on target, you know you’ve achieved something (positive).”

• Date Taken: 10.18.2013
• Date Posted: 10.17.2013 21:04
• Story ID: 115323
• Location: OKINAWA, JP