2/4 E Co. traverses mountainous terrain with attached international units

Photo By Sgt. Charles Santamaria | 1st Lt. Ahmed Alremaithy, United Arab Emirates Military, travels to the tree line of the Mountain Warfare Training Center’s training area during an insertion, June 17, 2014. Echo Co. and attached elements coordinated together after insertion into the training area and proceeded to seize the objective that was being held by simulated enemy forces.  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

06.17.2014

Story by Cpl. Charles Santamaria 

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - As the sun sets on the landing zone, CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters slowly descend to the earth. The moment its wheels touch the ground, Marines dismount the aircraft and enter the tree line, breaking off into formations and providing security for the next Marines to insert. The loud roar of the helicopters rush between the trees as nightfall approaches the company of Marines.

Marines with E Co., 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 5th Marine Regiment, supplemented with 35 light-infantry Marines, a Canadian Army Mountain Platoon, and a United Arab Emirates Military element embarked on a movement to a simulated enemy position during Mountain Exercise 3-14 in the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center’s training area, June 17, 2014.

The bilateral training allowed for the Co. E to share tactics and add another dynamic to the exercise.

“It’s an awesome dynamic working with units from different countries,” said Capt. Robert A. Porter, company commander, E Co., 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 5th Marine Regiment. “There’s no big difference from working with any other Marine unit … You figure out their strength, weaknesses, and what they can do; the biggest point is understanding the best way to communicate with them. We do the same things. We just say it in different ways.”

The company and attached elements coordinated together after insertion into the training area and proceeded to seize the objective that was being held by simulated enemy forces. The presence of enemy troops throughout the area added to the scenario by requiring the company to traverse rocky terrain for optimal concealment. International units also saw the benefits in training at MCMWTC with Marines.

“It’s a great opportunity to train with the United States Marines and develop the skills they have by observing and working with them,” said 1st Lt. Ahmed Alremaithy, United Arab Emirates Military. “We do have mountains where we train but not as high as these. The area has provided a challenging environment by determining how well we can handle weather and terrain like this.”

Helo-insertion helped the company conserve energy by giving them a shorter distance to their objective but also afforded the gamble of potentially revealing their position. This series of risks, advantages and disadvantages is one of the dynamics that was present in the movement.

“We save our energy by the insertion with the CH-53s and shorten the movement by up to a whole day,” Porter said. “With that advantage we also gain some disadvantages such as our position surrounded by mountains or the sound of the aircraft. With each new challenge, our goal is to mitigate our disadvantages while in this terrain.”

The Marine Corps and international units learn the challenges of training in cold, mountainous environments. This challenge is the reason units from many countries travel to learn the skillsets that can be obtained at MCMWTC.

“When you train outside of your country you have to be as professional as possible because you represent your country,” Alremaithy said. “Learning to deal with different units helped me learn patience and problem solving. I’ve trained in different terrains and countries all over the world and it really is different here for everyone … The field and the mountains can break a man, but its challenges provided a great learning experience for me as a leader.”

• Date Taken: 06.17.2014
• Date Posted: 06.27.2014 06:16
• Story ID: 134636
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US