Marines, sailors conduct night CSAR

Photo By Cpl. Richard Currier | A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, lands at Andersen South, Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, while conducting a simulated combat search and rescue mission during Exercise Forager Fury II (FF II), 10 December, 2013. Exercise FF II improves the aviation combat readiness of MAG-12 and 1st MAW and simulates operations in a deployed environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Richard Currier/Released)  

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM

12.11.2013

Story by Lance Cpl. Alissa Schuning 

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Fighting through spider webs and avoiding wild boars, service members hunted simulated down pilots in an abandoned housing area.

Marines and sailors participating in Exercise Forager Fury II conducted a night combat search and rescue exercise Dec. 10 and 11 at Anderson South, Guam.

The purpose of exercise FF II is to employ and assess combat power generation and operations in a deployed, austere and unimproved environment.

During this simulation, pilots were required to avoid capture by simulated enemy forces and reach a designated extraction point.

“This is great training for the pilots because there is always that possibility that they may go down in a combat zone and have to avoid capture,” said Lance Cpl. Antonio Delgado, an aircraft communications/navigation systems Technician with Marine Aviation Logistics Group 12 currently assigned to MAG-12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expedtionary Force.

Marines and sailors acted as the enemy forces during the exercise, good training for them as well.

“The Marines that got the chance to chase them received good training as well,” said Cpl. Jeffrey Bond, a supply clerk with MALS-12. “They cleared building and refreshed their combat training, they received in recruit training and Marine Combat Training. That’s a rare opportunity for Marines who do not have a military occupational specialty that deals with combat.”

The pilots did a great job evading capture, a hard job when you have a group of eager Marines chasing you.

“I believe out of the two nights we conducted the training, they were only found one time,” said Bond. “They did a great job and hiding so I would say the training was very successful.”

• Date Taken: 12.11.2013
• Date Posted: 12.16.2013 06:26
• Story ID: 118259
• Location: ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU
• Hometown: MOUNT DORA, FL, US
• Hometown: RESEDA, CA, US